Health Information Systems

A developing area in healthcare that is supposed to enhance the quality of care given to patients is health information technology or medical information technology. The purpose of HIT is to eliminate and prevent medical errors completely. Basically, HIT is when health information is exchanged in an electronic environment. HIT professionals make use of health information systems and are tasked with several responsibilities that consist of maintaining the privacy and security of electronic health information during transmission.

HIS are systems that many use for analyzing information obtained from various resources. The data gathered is used for health services management. These include computers and also clinical guidelines that are utilized in medical research, patient care, and other portions of health care.

Technicians of health information systems are given duties that have to do with compiling, processing, maintaining medical files and data of hospital and clinical patients. This is achieved in a way that abides by legal, medical, ethical, administrative, and regulatory requirements of the medical system. Those who want to enter this industry will have to earn a degree in this field and get certified as well. With certification you will have more opportunities available, along with better pay.

The Evolution Of Integrated Health Care Delivery Systems And The Singularity

If one had to design a health care system that would seem doomed to failure one might start with one in which the providers of care were fragmented, independent and driven through the reimbursement system to provide ever more services that generate higher income on a fee for service basis. The system would provide care to patients who were isolated from the economic costs of the services by third party payments, through employer funded insurance coverage. Third party payers would make their money through reducing premium payouts, by simply delaying or not paying out what they contracted to provide or extorting deep provider discounts in exchange for directed volume. The approach to care of individual patients would be ad hoc, without significant oversight. Severely ill patients would be passed back and forth by all providers like the black queen of spades in a deck of cards. Bad debts would be written off as "charity care." Insurance premiums would rise faster than the world's oceans in global warming. Sound familiar?

Unfortunately, in an contentious and polarized political democracy little can be done to re-design an antiquated, inefficient, ineffective, and bankrupting cowboy system of health care delivery in a focused, comprehensive way that will likely make a real difference. There are just too many moving parts and special interests involved. There is, however, an incremental change underway as a result of the recent health care reform efforts that have the potential to morph the system into a paradigm that makes more practical sense. Medicare will be providing contracts with Accountable Care Organizations that will have to become clinically integrated systems of efficient hospitals and care providers in order to obtain adequate reimbursement. Expect to see these new systems expanding in the private sector as well.

A Socialized Health Care System Requires Population Control and Impeccable Registries

In a nationalized health care system, you need to know who is who - otherwise the system could never be able determine who is entitled. The structure depends on how the system is created and designed, but with a nationalized health care system you will be tracked by the state where you reside and how you move in a manner that is unseen in America. The nationalized health care system becomes a vehicle for population control.

If you leave the United States and are no longer a resident of the state, even if you are a citizen and might maintain a driving license, you will have to report immediately if you want to avoid the 13% health care tax. I use the number 13% as it is in Sweden to exemplify the actual tax pressure that is laid upon you for the nationalized health care.

Let's say you moved and you do not want to pay the 13% tax for services you do not receive, can receive, or want to taken out from the tax roll. The mammoth entity has no interest to let you go so easy. You will end up having to reveal your private life - partner, dwellings, travel, money, and job to prove your case that you have the right to leave the public health care system and do not need to pay the tax. If you have to seek an appeal, your information could be a part of administrative court documents that are open and public documents. As soon as you return to the United States, you will be automatically enrolled again and the taxes start to pile up.