What is the health care administration and health information exchange?

Healthcare is one of the largest employment sectors in the country and is currently experiencing tremendous growth. Healthcare administrators are responsible for keeping the industry running smoothly by performing tasks related to finance, management, and strategic planning. These individuals must be proficient in almost every area required to run a practice. They are often blamed for the current nationwide conversion of electronic health records that enables extensive exchange of health information.

These highly trained professionals play no small role in the operation of a healthcare institution. Involvement in the daily operation of the facility is included in their job descriptions. In addition, they may be at the center of the government-mandated initiative to convert patient medical records from paper to electronic. This process includes the installation of an electronic health record (EMR) system within the facility, a project that should not be underestimated, with great attention to detail during the selection and installation phases.

Setting up the EMR interface is the first step in a very complex process. Once the interface is established, physicians must be trained to perform CPOE or automated physician order entry. In the CPOE process, the physician enters patient orders electronically through a physician portal that can be accessed through a tablet computer, PDA, laptop, or other device. In most cases, the administrator is the one who conducts the training, unless the facility is large enough to contract a trainer with expertise in this area.

EMR integration is the next step and often requires the involvement of a skilled IT professional. By integrating the EMR system with the systems used by hospitals, laboratories and health insurers, health data can be exchanged. A hospital or laboratory can log into the system and view the patient file created by the GP. This multi-party access to identical information ensures the highest quality of care and eliminates redundancies and errors. None of this would be possible without the services of these IT staff.

Healthcare administrators often don't work alone in this process designed to make the exchange of health information easier and paperless. They have the help of software professionals and vendors skilled in EMR integration. Managers of larger hospitals and laboratories may also find the help of a health information technology trainer very helpful, as this person can instruct staff on how to use the new system. Throughout the process, the administrator will likely act as the point of contact for the facility.