Automated Health Information System. . .

Health information system is often being used without a clear definition of its objectives, components and area of application. This paper reviews the types and major uses of systems designed for collecting, processing, analyzing and distributing information required for organizing and operating health services. Theoretical considerations based on information theory, systems theory and the prevailing planning ideology for the development of the data base of such systems as well as practical guidelines for the inclusion of specific data items into the data base, are being presented.

Enormous investment has gone into computerised hospital information systems worldwide. The estimated costs for each large hospital are about $50m (£33m), yet the overall benefits and costs of hospital information systems have rarely been assessed.When systems are evaluated, about three quarters are considered to have failed, and there is no evidence that they improve the productivity of health professionals.

To generate information that is useful to decision makers, evaluations of hospital information systems need to be multidimensional, covering many aspects beyond technical functionality. A major new information and communication technology initiative in South Africa gave us the opportunity to evaluate the introduction of computerisation into a new environment. We describe how the project and its evaluation were set up and examine where the project went wrong. The lessons learnt are applicable to the installation of all hospital information systems.

Telenursing. . .

Telenursing refers to the use of telecommunications and information technology for providing nursing services in health care whenever a large physical distance exists between patient and nurse, or between any number of nurses. As a field it is part of telehealth, and has many points of contacts with other medical and non-medical applications, such as telediagnosis, teleconsultation, telemonitoring, etc.

Telenursing is achieving a large rate of growth in many countries, due to several factors: the preoccupation in driving down the costs of health care, an increase in the number of aging and chronically ill population, and the increase in coverage of health care to distant, rural, small or sparsely populated regions. Among its many benefits, telenursing may help solve increasing shortages of nurses; to reduce distances and save travel time, and to keep patients out of hospital. A greater degree of job satisfaction has been registered among telenurses.

Nurses are a central part of the use of technologies in health care. As such, telenursing is not a new role for nurses. There is evidence of existence of the role of telenurses for more than 25 years. In fact, any nurse who has provided guidance, education, or lab results over the telephone has taken part in telenursing. However, telenursing can also include more sophisticated systems than the telephone, such as two-way audio and video systems, Internet, satellite, and other communication systems.        

Telenursing is fraught with legal, ethical and regulatory issues, as it happens with telehealth as a whole. In many countries, interstate and intercountry practice of telenursing is forbidden (the attending nurse must have a license both in her state/country of residence and in the state/country where the patient receiving telecare is located). Legal issues such as accountability and malpractice, etc. are also still largely unsolved and difficult to address. In addition, there are many considerations related to patient confidentiality and safety of clinical data.

ENCARTA. . .

Microsoft Encarta was a digital multimedia encyclopedia published by Microsoft Corporation from 1993 to 2009. As of 2008, the complete English version, Encarta Premium, consisted of more than 62,000 articles, numerous photos and illustrations, music clips, videos, interactive contents, timelines, maps and atlas, and homework tools, and was available on the World Wide Web by yearly subscription or by purchase on DVD or multiple CDs. Many articles could also be viewed online free of charge, a service supported by advertisements.

Microsoft published similar encyclopedias under the Encarta trademark in various languages, including German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese and Japanese. Localized versions may contain contents licensed from available national sources and may contain more or less content than the full English version. For example, the Dutch version had content from the Dutch Winkler Prins encyclopedia.

In March 2009, Microsoft announced it was discontinuing the Encarta disc and online versions. The MSN Encarta site in all countries except Japan was closed on October 31, 2009. Japan's Encarta site was closed on December 31, 2009. Microsoft continued to operate the Encarta online dictionary at dictionary.msn.com until 2011.

Ways on sharing information through network system. . .

Computer networks allows us to share files with friends, family, coworkers and customers. Before the Internet and home networks became popular, files were often shared using floppy disks. Nowadays, some people still use CD-ROM / DVD-ROM disks and USB keys for transfering their photos and videos, but networks give you more flexible options.

Microsoft Windows (and other personal computer operating systems) contain built-in features for file sharing. For example, Windows file folders can be shared across a local area network (LAN) or the Internet using the Explorer interface and network drive mappings. You can also set up security access restrictions that control who can obtain the shared files.

File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is an older but still popular method to share files on the Internet. A central computer called the FTP server holds all the files to be shared, while remote computers running FTP client software can log in to the server to obtain copies. All modern computer operating systems contain built-in FTP client software, and popular Web browsers like Internet Explorer can also be configured to run as FTP clients. Alternative FTP client programs are also available for free download on the Internet. As with Windows file sharing, security access options can be set on the FTP server requiring clients to supply a valid login name and password.

Can Automation Save The NURSES?

          Everyone resists change unless it's their idea! Yet change is what computers represent to many healthcare professionals, who liked and trusted the paper system they've been using for so long.

          In most hospitals today, nurses, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and other clinicians use a computer to record patient information they have collected in the course of providing care. Increasingly, they do it at the same time they are giving that care, before they move on to the next patient encounter (even, perhaps, before they leave the room). Most busy professionals find that this saves steps, errors of memory, and that precious commodity, time.

          

          Technically speaking, healthcare informatics is a blend of clinical science, computer technology, and information management; it involves the collection, storage, retrieval, and use of information for the purpose of providing care, solving problems, and making decisions . When functioning optimally, this potent combination of resources can make input easier and access readily available to other members of the healthcare team. In addition, it can potentially support cost negotiations and public health data gathering, among many other things.

      

The Best Gift. . .

“Life is all about timing... the unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable become available, the unattainable... attainable. Have the patience, wait it out It's all about timing.”

   
        Life is filled with so many exciting twists and turns. Hop off the straight and narrow whenever you can and take the winding paths. Experience the exhilaration of the view from the edge. Because the moments spent there, that take your breath away, are what make you feel truly alive.





      I believe life is constantly testing us for our level of commitment, and life's greatest rewards are reserved for those who demonstrate a never-ending commitment to act until they achieve. This level of resolve can move mountains, but it must be constant and consistent. As simplistic as this may sound, it is still the common denominator separating those who live their dreams from those who live in regret.