FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT 4
FinancialManagement
PurchasingInformation Technology (IT) such as an Electronic Health Record (EHR)system has a great positive impact on the effective and efficientimplementation of an organization strategic plan. Informationtechnology is a basis for sustainable competitive advantage fororganizations (Amatayakul & Amatayakul, 2012). Considering thatcommunication is a vital element in implementation of any strategicplan, IT enhances communication effectiveness and hence facilitateseasier implementation of organization’s strategic plan. EHR forexample goes beyond simply proving an electronic form of a medicalrecord and provides increased communication, coordination anddecision support.
Financialincentives arethe known major incentives for implementation of EHR. Healthproviders who demonstrate meaningful use of EHR get financialincentives from the government. Doctors and hospitals who adopt theuse of certified EHR and demonstrate use in ways that can improvequality, safety, and effectiveness of care receive incentivepayments.
Inthe development of EHR, nurses play a role in defining clinicalstandards used across hospitals. They participate in clinicaladvisory teams with other clinicians to set the standards embedded inthe EHR (Amatayakul & Amatayakul, 2013). They also play asignificant role of training by preparing their colleagues in the EHRimplementation.
Forthe nurses who specialize in nursing informatics, their rolegenerally involves overseeing the integration of data, informationand knowledge to support decision making by patients and their careproviders (Amatayakul& Amatayakul, 2013).The informatics specialists are therefore responsible in ensuringthat information technology systems are up-to-date, ensuring that allinformation is accessible to doctors, nurses, specialists, and eventhe patients. Amatayakuland Amatayakul (2013),note that informatics nurses help IT to design electronic medicalrecord screens and choose equipment. This shows that they practice atthe intersection of technology and clinical practice. Thesespecialists may also be involved in evaluating and selecting thetechnology determining end-user requirements and customizingfunctionality.
Reference
Amatayakul,M., & Amatayakul, M. K. (2012). Electronichealth records: A practical guide for professionals andorganizations.Chicago, IL: American Health Information Management Association.