The current environment of shareable EHRs
Electronic health records are the use of information technology in organizing and analyzing patient’s data and information. The aim is to meet the various need for the information which is not only needed by the patients and healthcare providers but also other beneficiaries. The implementation of electronic health records in a healthcare institution is very complex, but it entails a lot of benefits. A lot of physicians and hospital currently use the electronic healthcare records worldwide. The government and healthcare ministries support the use of electronic health records in hospitals as they help in controlling costs and improving the quality of services and drugs which are given to a patient. Electronic health records have become main agenda and an investment significant to ensure that in coming years all the medical health records are computerized. According to McCarty & McNabb, Dell Products, (2015), electronic healthcare records are a digital record of patient information which is generated by one or more people, and they are used by medical officers to make sure that they give quality services to patients. The information can be retrieved in the future if needed. Apple health record is considered a possible electronic health record because it is in position to create an ecosystem of applications which can be used in the healthcare sectors by nurses and medical care team to manage and safely store patients information. These applications can be used to control the patient’s medications, diagnose infection and also to create nutritional plans (Oinas-Kukkonen & Harjumaa, 2018, p.105). The applications contain a health records feature which enables large numbers of patients and hospitals to be able to access medical information from many healthcare institutions from their iPhones. With the use of apple healthcare records, patients are able to share their health records and information obtained from various hospitals into their favorite trusted applications which have helped them in improving their overall health status.
Many healthcare institutions have adopted the use of shareable electronic health records in hospitals, medical clinics solo practitioners. They have adopted this system to be in a position to help healthcare provider be in a place to access the patient’s information (Horst, Caplan, Mauro, Karn & Samaras, 2015, p.572). With the use of the legal databases created to save patients information, the databases and other modern technologies can easily be integrated into routine clinical workflow. Shareable electronic health records are currently used in several health institutions as decision support systems as they help coordinate research and practice in different levels. Records and patients information which are kept in shareable EHRs have the capability to save lives as because healthcare providers are able to access the database where all patients files are stored (Chen et al., 2017, p.54). The faster the doctor is able to access the data the more easily he or she can find ways to treat a patient with a specific infection effectively and hence people are healthy and happier. A lot of hospitals have now adopted the use of shareable electronic health records because they have discovered that they lead to higher quality of patient care.
Gaps that Apple Health Record technology is attempting to solve
Doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers do not only have access to, but they can also access laboratory results, body scans and information about allergies that a patient has. This information has significantly helped healthcare providers who give healthcare services to patients. Finger printings are also rumored to be a new part of shareable electronic health record in which digital computers are believed to take peoples fingerprints (Sharma et al., 2018, p.2680). Most healthcare institutions which are still to adopt shareable EHRs are small businesses. Almost half of the healthcare institutions which are employing healthcare providers require them to have knowledge about shareable electronic health records systems. Today, shareable EHRs are very significant to medical health care providers as the computerized system allows them to spend less time in paperwork and thus they can spend the rest of the time attending the patient (Adibi, 2015). Although these systems are very beneficial in the health sector, they still have a lot of room to grow. Current EHRs uses Microsoft word, static view, and excel. Doctors make use of the information which is stored in this database to monitor the illness progress and preventive efforts.
The use of Apple health record technology by healthcare professionals has changed many aspects of the clinical aspects. Apple health records have introduced the use of iPhones in the health sector by coming up with many application which can be used by both healthcare professionals and the patients in many hospitals. Mobile devices are now becoming common in the healthcare sector which has led to rapid growth in the development of medical software applications or mobile apps (Milani & Franklin, 2017, p.487). Apple health record technology has introduced numerous medical application which has benefited healthcare professional perform various tasks. Nurses and doctors are now able to maintain health records safely with the use of their mobile phones (Horst et al., 2015, p.572). They can save time because they can access the patient information anytime and anywhere due to the portability of the iPhones. With the use of the iPhones which have been introduced by the Apple health record technology, healthcare professionals are now able to communicate effectively and share patient’s information with other professionals so that they can make appropriate decisions regarding the kind of medication which a particular patient should be given (Birkhead, Klompas & Shah, 2015, p.345). Instead of saving all the patients information in a desktop computer which is not portable, healthcare professionals are now able to store the information in portable iPhones.
Strategy and application of Apple Health Record Technology and its components
Apple health record technology has eradicated the use of physical patient’s folder in which the patient’s information is saved in papers and books to virtual patient’s folder where their detail and information is saved in the cloud or the central hospital network. With the use of iPhones, healthcare professionals no longer need to spend too much time in their desks meaning they can spend a lot of their time paying attention to the patients which have led to improved services to the patients (Almajali, Masa’deh & Tarhini, 2016, p.549). iPhones are also used by patients as an educational tool by showing and talking to the patients on what operation needs to be performed through diagrams and pictures. Often information is always conveyed from healthcare professional to the patient in a verbal manner which is still misunderstood and not suitable for patients with ear problems. With the use of iPhones, healthcare professionals are now able to use video or graphic to explain to a patient what is happening to their bodies and what kind of treatment needs to be administered (Dixon & Michaud, 2018, p.276). Apple health record technology has introduced diet apps which guide patients and people in the society with what kind of foods they should take and their benefits in the body. Apple has also launched mobile applications which can detect and diagnose infections. This has dramatically improved healthcare services as an individual can be aware of their health status even before seeking medical attention from healthcare professionals.
Successful implementation of apple health record technology is very essential in the healthcare sector as it has a lot of significance because it coordinates on how different activities are performed in the organization to ensure high-quality services are rendered to patients. Apple health record technology is implemented in an organization to achieve a number of objectives, and to meet all the requirement there must be some strategies (Guo et al., 2017, p.1388). The first strategy is the creation and maintaining alignment in the hospital with healthcare leaders. The healthcare professionals should agree on the priorities of the successful implementation of Apple health records, and they should enforce teamwork and maintain effective communication to achieve it (BinDhim & Trevena, 2015). Apple health record technology should be given the top priority, and every individual in the healthcare sector should be given a chance to express their opinion about it. By doing so, adjustments and changes which needs to be added to the system are obtained. Apple health record technology should build an understanding of the case for Apple health record as a strategic patient-focused priority not just as a technical effort (Brink, Arenson, Grist, Lewin & Enzmann, 2017, p.3641). Healthcare professionals in the healthcare institutions which have implemented Apple health records should have a greater understanding about the vision high-quality healthcare services to patients, healthier and happier patients as well as the cost-effective delivery mode and implementation of roadmaps. Maximizing engagement by investing in communication is another strategy which Apple health records technology has implemented to reduce time pressures and maximize responses to emergency actions in the healthcare sector (Silva, Rodrigues, de la Torre, López-Coronado & Saleem, 2015, p.265). Effective communication is very essential.
Apple health record technology has been used in the health sector to collect data. With the use of Apple health records, health professionals and public health agencies have the capability of monitoring the health status of a population, collecting and analyzing data on mortality predict on the future health status of the population. Apple health records data can be used to monitor and administer medications and treatment on various kind of infections. The data can be used to identify new risks which people in a particular population are exposed to (Schnall, Higgins, Brown, Carballo-Dieguez & Bakken, 2015, p.467). Healthcare professional after identifying the risk are able of employing preventive measures which can help reduce the chances of the risk occurring. With appropriate data in the Apple health record, health professionals are in a position to make the right decision on what kind of medication and treatment a patient requires (Chen et al., 2017, p.54). Apple healthcare technology has also been used in analysis, diagnosis, and investigation of public health concern. Healthcare professional’s leaders are expected to have a deep understanding on the data they have about a patient to be able to analyze, diagnose and investigate on a particular infection. The community highly depends on public health authorities to control exposure across jurisdictions and sectors which may involve the closing of public institutions like schools and businesses or isolating infectious people and hazards places which may be dangerous to their health (Gunter & Terry, 2005). Lastly, Apple health records technology has led to the implementation of public health strategies because the several pilot studies which have been conducted indicates there is a promise that bidirectional health information exchange will support efficient surveillance and public health interventions in the community.
Apple health record technology strategy is made up of many components which ensure that it achieves its objectives in the healthcare sector. The first one is device workflow. It involves deciding on who among the professional healthcare professionals are going to own iPhone. Authorities need to determine whether the mobile will be issued in the hospitals or the healthcare team will bring their own devices to the hospital (Baumann & Ylinen, 2016, p.1-2). Leaders may decide that physician will bring their own devices to the hospital and that nurses will be provided with the tools in the hospital. Physician workflow is another component in which the scheduling is meeting with the first group of primary users which are the physicians. This component is followed by nurse workflow in which its time to arrange a meeting with the second group of primary uses but for this case the nurses. Issues like how the iPhones are going to be shared among the nurses are discussed (Swieca, Hamilton & Meaklim, 2017, p.s48). The next component is Apple health records integration in which the healthcare professionals have to determine how the iPhone is going to be connected to the vital source of patient data and information in the hospital (Rezaeibagha, Win & Susilo, 2015, p.23). Reporting and analytics is another component which is developed to measure success in the healthcare sector. The last element of Apple health records technology strategy is device selection which is used to determine if the device meets the requirements of the organization it was made for (Silva et al., 2015, p.265).
Management of chronic diseases like diabetes involves the patient understanding the basis of their illness and be able to access resources which will enable them to manage and successfully improve their health status and finally be able to adapt their lives and be able to live with the condition. All this can be made more comfortable with the use of iPhones application which guides them on the kind of diet and medication which they are supposed to take regarding their health condition (Gunter & Terry, 2005). Or the case of diabetes the recommended guidelines which are suggested on the modification of lifestyle are complicated. This is because there are objectives which are set to be achieved. A diabetic patient needs to take a special diet and should avoid drinking alcohol and smoking. However, with the use of mobile applications, it is possible to allocate an electronic healthcare plan based on these guidelines together with ways of keeping track on the progress of the patient health (Brink et al., 2017, p.3641). iPhones apps also help in self-monitoring on the development of illness to diabetics patients through blood sugar measuring devices. Apple health records have improved the privacy of patient’s information because information is stored safely and can only be accessed by authorized personnel.
Keeping track of patient’s information was a huge burden with the use of paperwork, however, with the use of Apple health records has increased diagnostic accuracy through the use of the mobile application which has been able to eliminate paper usage leading to diagnostic accuracy. Mobile apps are believed to improve the patients’ health (Nguyen, Bellucci & Nguyen, 2014, p.779). Apple health records run automatic checks on the data which is entered unlike in paperwork where nurses and doctors can make mistakes an errors through eligible handwriting. Apple health records provide convenience and privacy of patient’s information. Only authorized people are allowed to access the patient data which means that the data cannot be changed and can be retrieved in the future when monitoring the patient health progress and medication. Healthcare professional can save patients in their mobile phones been able to access it anytime and anywhere saving time despite in the past where it was stored in desktop machines which are not portable (Gellert, Ramirez & Webster, 2015, p.1315). Apple health records have led to a seamless flow of data between the healthcare professionals and patients. Doctors can transfer the patient’s data to their phone which has enabled them to be able to monitor their health progress.
Healthcare professionals need to access all the patients regardless of their social class. Patients who cannot afford a smartphone cannot be used to obtain their information through Apple health records thus making it expensive and costly (Hoerbst & Ammenwerth, 2010, p.320). Patient’s data which is saved in Apple health database may be faced with the security issue in case fraudsters brakes in the system and alter the meaning of the information without permission (Schnall et al., 2015, p.467). Due to ignorance and lack of knowledge some patients are not able to use the iPhone’s applications which can help them improve their health conditions. It is, therefore, necessary to train them on how to use them which is time-consuming.
Conclusion
Apple health records are not as seen as it seems because for an organization to implement it requires a lot of skills and healthcare professionals and patients have to be trained to use it. The community should be educated on the benefits of using healthcare mobiles apps which can guide them on the kinds of diets which they are supposed to take and the physical exercise they should engage in to prevent infections. Healthcare institution should make use of Apple health records as they keep patients data safe and saves time as they can access patient information anytime and anywhere. With the use of Apple health records, it has been able to eradicate paperwork in the hospital which may lead to inaccuracy of information.
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