1. Ch 52 1

2.  ICT is used in many ways in the provision and management of healthcare services:  Hospital administration  Medical training  Maintenance of patient records  Communications between doctors/patients/hospitals  Diagnosis  Monitoring  Surgeries

3. You should have an understanding of a wide range of work-related ICT applications and their effects, including applications in medicine  doctors’ information systems  hospital and pharmacy records  Monitoring  expert systems for diagnosis

4.  We will look at the processes in a logical order, considering the advantages and disadvantages of using ICT in each one.

5.  Patient records used to be written on paper, and stored in huge, manual databases.  This made accessing the records slow. Sometimes records could get lost, and there was no easy way to make a back-up copy, or to search for specific groups of patients

6.  When a patient registers at a surgery, details are recorded on a database  Computerized databases mean that patient data can be easily shared between doctors, pharmacies and other hospitals  It is easy to search for and retrieve patient records

7.  In the case of hospitals, the patient data that would be typically stored would be: Patient ID (number or text) - this would be the key field  Name (text)  Date-of-birth (date)  Gender (boolean)  Next of kin (text)  Blood group (text)  Allergies (text)  Medical history (text)  Doctor currently treating (text)  Current symptoms (text)  Current diagnosis (text)  Current treatment (text)  Current medication (text)  X-rays or body scans (links to image/video files)

8.  Security  Access rights & levels  Ease & speed of transferring to a new doctor BUT:  DPA  Over reliance?  Expense  Training  Changeover issues

9.  Allocating appointment times  Managing doctors’ workload  Easy to see  Weekly/monthly overview  Searches possible  Notes  Colour coding  BUT? – saving/overwriting/cost/training

10. Video Clip: NHS introduces electronic booking system

11.  Doctors can access a patient’s records whilst they are visiting patients, by using a computer connected wirelessly to the hospital network.  Advantages?  Possible problems?

12.  Doctors often use tablet computers (which are portable like laptops, but have a touch screen, and no keyboard) as they can be held in one hand, and operated with the other.  Notes can be written on the screen using a stylus, and handwriting-recognition software converts it into computer text data.

13.  Ease & speed of access to relevant patient information  No need to carry notes around (bulky, heavy, problems in case they are lost)  Access to communications if need for urgent referral to hospital etc  Also access to online diagnostic tools/reference material

14.  Cost  Training  Theft issues  Battery issues  What if it breaks down?  Network availability in some areas  Data protection issues

15.  Need for speed and accuracy  New & unusual conditions  Levels of experience can vary!  Area of expertise  Training  Years of practise

16.  Accessed through records  Previous treatments & success rates  Any reactions to drugs?

18.  Embedded computer systems  Electronic diagnostic equipment eg body scanners  CT scanners and MRI scanners allow doctors to investigate what is happening inside a patient's body without intrusive surgery.

19.  May contain sensors  Physical data is analogue, so need for ADC  CAT scans  MRIs  X ray  Ultrasound

20. Video clip: New Ultrasound scans

21.  Non-invasive:  Faster  Cheaper  Less risk of side effects or infection  More convenient for patient and doctor  3D is possible  Access to research/info

22.  Equipment is very expensive  Training is required  Breakdowns  Some equipment may not be available in all areas – digital divide issues