Running head: MODULE 3 ASSIGNMENT

Module 3 Assignment
Nina Rose Nicholson
MM120 Healthcare Information Systems
September 12, 2016

MODULE 3 ASSIGNMENT

2
Module 3 Assignment

1. Cite a few examples of the current usage of aspects of telemedicine technologies in the
diagnosis and treatment of patients. Can you suggest future uses of telemedicine that
would improve health care?
a. Teleradiology: In 2010, patients in remote rural areas where optimal colonoscopy is
of limited availability could be screened for colon cancer via virtual colonoscopy or
computed tomography colonography (CTC) and teleradiology (Burke & Weill, 2013,
page 66).
b. Telecardiology: In 2010, a major area of growth for telecardiology was in the
diagnosis of infant congenital heart disease. Childrens Memorial Hospital in Chicago
uses a video conferencing system to consult with the hospital calling in and can see
and hear the technologist and the sonogram. The specialist can direct the exam (Burke
& Weill, 2013, page 68).
c. Teleneurology:
i. Telestroke: Massachusetts General Hospital began a telestroke program. The
telestroke program connects small local hospital in Marthas Vineyard, the
doctors would do CT scans and forward them to stroke specialists at
Massachusetts General. Both the local doctors and the specialists would
evaluate the tests and interview the patient via a teleconferencing system to
determine whether tPA was needed (Burke & Weill, 2013, page 68).
d. Telepsychiatry: In Texas, Telepsychiatry is used in prisons and serves school districts
and womens shelters. It is also used to conduct emergency evaluations. In rural
Illinois, a local hospital provides video visits from psychiatrists, including pediatric
psychiatrists (Burke & Weill, 2013, page 71).

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One of the main future uses of telemedicine that would improve health care is remote
telehealth monitoring which includes daily status monitoring, vital signs monitoring, symptom
management and telehealth equipment. Remote monitoring can help patients manage chronic
conditions such as chronic heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and
diabetes. Remote monitoring devices deal with prevention, chronic disease management, acute
care and rehabilitation, and aging at home (Burke & Weill, 2013, page 71). Preventable hospital
readmissions continue to be a major healthcare burden in America. About one in five Medicare
patients are readmitted within 90 days. It is estimated that 75% of all hospital readmissions are
preventable (Kim, 2013, paragraph 6).
Diabetes is one of the leading causes of blindness in the world. Diabetic patients are at high
risk of developing retinopathy which occurs as a result of high blood sugar and can cause
blindness if left untreated. An application of use of telemedicine that would improve health care
is screening for diabetic retinopathy. In 2006, Dr. Darius Moshfeghi started utilizing RetCam II
Digital Imaging System to diagnose retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), a condition that leave
premature babies develop signs of ROP; it is one of the leading causes of blindness among
babies (Burke & Weill, 2013, page 77).
Telemedicine can offer alternatives to conventional health care and can improve clinical
outcomes. In the technologically advanced world, it will continue to shift healthcare delivery
from the hospital or clinic into home-based. In the developing world or in rural areas,
telemedicine will mostly be applied in functions that connect the providers who based at referral
hospitals. The future uses of telemedicine will then rest on human factors, economics, and
technology. Soon it will be a part of our standard of care.

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2. Discuss who should be held accountable for mistakes in diagnosis and treatment when
there are several parties involved including (but not limited to) the onsite physician,
remote specialist and other medical personnel, and telecommunications equipment
manufacturer.
Medicine is not an exact science and it is continuously changing. For that reason, the onsite physician, the remote specialist and other medical personnel, and telecommunications
equipment manufacturer are not automatically responsible for a wrong diagnosis or an
unsuccessful operation, as long, as they followed widely accepted medical practices. Doctors
particularly are not responsible for all mistakes they make. The actions of the provider are
evaluated by what a rationally careful and skilled healthcare provider would have done in the
same circumstances. The judge will consider whether another healthcare provider in the same
type of scenario would have carried out the same actions in the same scenario. Overall,
mistakes must be considered on a case-by-case basis when deciding which individual is
legally responsible. Health care providers who abide to accepted medical protocols will not
be held responsible for their mistakes. However, if they did not follow accepted medical
protocol, they will be held accountable for their mistakes.
3. Comment on how the computerization of administrative tasks may affect a medical
office. Bear in mind both efficiency (in staffing) and the fact that an office can print out
reports that show the most profitable procedures and practitioners.
The computerization of administrative tasks may affect a medical office can greatly affect it
in positive way by promoting efficient delivery of care. Administrative applications comprise of
office management tasks, scheduling, and accounting functions. These are tasks that necessitate
to be done in any office. Numerous programs are specially intended to computerize basic

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administrative functions in a health care environmentthe coding systems, insurance

information, and payment information. Such programs let the user to categorize information by
patient, by case, and by provider. These programs allow the user to schedule patient
appointments with a computer; take electronic progress notes; create lists of codes for diagnosis,
treatment, and insurance; submit claims to primary, secondary and tertiary insurer; and receive
payment electronically. Medical accounting software can be utilized by medical administrators
and office workers, doctors, and other healthcare workers, and students. It can ease the tasks of
administering a practice using a computer. The amount of data and information a modern
practice has to gather and organize is tremendous. These programs permit the user to
computerize tasks performed every day in any medical environment. All the disparate tasks and
pieces of data and information need to be well organized, accessible, and easily linked. The user
may quickly and easily organize, access, and link information from one part of the program to
information in any other part of the program (Burke & Weill, 2013, page 42).

References
Burke, L., & Weill, B. (2013). Information technology for the health professions (4th ed.). Upper

MODULE 3 ASSIGNMENT
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Kim, J. H., M.D. (2013, May 20). 12 Telemedicine Innovations That Will Shape Healthcare's
Future. Retrieved September 12, 2016, from
http://www.cio.com/article/2369849/healthcare/101906-12-Telemedicine-InnovationsThat-Will-Shape-Healthcares-Future.html#slide6