Evolution of Information Systems in Healthcare Settings

History Of Information Systems in Healthcare Settings

Information and information exchange have developed to become one of the most important aspects in the delivery of care across all healthcare settings. The significance of information systems in healthcare settings is demonstrated by the fact that care delivery involves various stakeholders including the healthcare organization, the patient, and the healthcare team. Given the significance of information in care delivery, information systems in the healthcare field have constantly evolved and have a history that can be traced back to the late 1960s. As information systems continued to evolve in healthcare, backup and recovery systems were implemented to help in maintaining patient records in order to enhance care delivery.

History of Health Information Systems

Health information systems that have attracted significant attention in the recent past are not new concepts in healthcare since the use of Information Communications Technology in this field has existed for a long time. Actually, the history of information systems in healthcare settings can be traced back to late 1960s when American Society for Testing and Materials developed the first standards for health informatics ("Evolution of Healthcare Informatics Standards," 2000). These standards covered various aspects of health information systems including features of electronic medical record systems, security of health informatics, laboratory information exchange, and data content. During this period, the College of American Pathologists also developed a nomenclature for pathology as part of standards for health information systems.

The other significant event in the history and evolution of health information systems took place between the 1980s and 1990s when technology was designed to help in delivery of more tailored health products and services at the cheapest or most affordable prices possible (Almunawar & Anshari, n.d.). As these systems were developed, healthcare organizations were increasingly moving towards integrated care, which involved incorporating open systems and object technologies in care delivery processes. In the 1990s, technological advancements enabled healthcare professionals to process, store, retrieve, and transmit information remotely anywhere and at any time. Through this, Internet technology significantly transformed the operations of healthcare organizations and enabled consumers to access information on healthcare products and services from health professionals and other consumers.

Following advancements in Internet technology, electronic health records were developed as healthcare organizations started to shift from paper to electronic files in 90s. The enactment of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act in 1996 affected the operations of these medical records by generating new regulations for covering existing and new customers. However, healthcare organizations and providers have become increasingly dependent on electronic health records to handle patient information. In the past decade, the development of a National Health Information Infrastructure (NHII) has received considerable attention as part of initiatives to enhance patient care.

Backup and Recovery Systems

The history of health information systems has also been characterized with the development and use of backup and recovery systems, which help in safeguarding patient records, particularly during a disaster. Backup and recovery systems were implemented in the late 1990s when advancements in Internet technology became the basis of health information systems. These advancements contributed to the implementation of backup and recovery systems through enabling the development of clinical information system architecture. In essence, these systems were implemented when healthcare organizations started to shift from paper to electronic files for documenting patient information.

Prior to the development and implementation of backup and recovery systems, patient records would disappear in case of a natural disaster that would destroy paper files in a healthcare organization. Since healthcare organizations utilize paper files to store patient information, any damage on these files would contribute to loss of patient records. This is primarily because it was difficult and/or impossible to retrieve patient information from damaged paper files. Therefore, if a natural disaster happened and destroyed all the patient records in a healthcare organization, healthcare providers could not retrieve patient information and had to start the process of documenting such information again.