Summary
This article reviews the analysis and discussion of the healthcare application of patient care information systems (PCIS) and how they meet their intention to reduce medical errors in healthcare (Ash et al. 104-112). Errors are classified into two categories:
• Those in the process of entering and retrieving information
• Those in the communication and coordination process that the PCIS is supposed to support.
Separate research is conducted in the United States, the Netherlands, and Austria. The research concludes that many instances were encountered in which PCIS applications seemed to foster errors rather than reduce their likelihood. This study also notes that the research is meant to observe errors and find solutions rather than mention positive factors of PCIS. Considering that healthcare is complex and exhibits a sense of creating and hiding errors, certain issues are outlined to highlight mistakes and suggest solutions for decreasing them. Categories of PCIS errors include:
• Errors in the entering and retrieving information process.
• A human-computer interface that is unsuited for highly interruptive use and causes cognitive overload by overemphasizing structured and “complete” information entry or retrieval.
• Errors in the communication and coordination process.
• Misrepresenting collective, interactive work as a linear, clearcut, and predictable workflow.
• Misrepresenting communication as information transfer.
The critique is followed by a discussion of system design, implementation, and reach that emphasizes the purpose of the research.
Core Argument and Critique
PCIS research should not propagate the trend of resolving a certain percentage of errors but should rather explore the cause of unresolved errors. The reasons that support the traditional analysis of PCIS error-handling processes are universal since most professions apply the same strategy.
For example, considering the rules that categorize fast-food service, it would create a problem if a customer ordered a hamburger but received a chicken sandwich instead. The cause could be an employee’s misunderstanding, their mistype, or a miscommunication between the register and the kitchen staff. In essence, the same result comes from many potential causes. Rarely do such mishaps occur, though, because all of the critical reasons are addressed by implementing methods that overcome such problems. When customers order from a drivethrough, their order has a number to signify that choice. This step simplifies that particular phase and makes the process smoother.
Although the article has valid points of PCIS analysis for resolving error issues in healthcare, the solution to error-free healthcare is far beyond the boundaries of PCIS. A more extensive overview is needed to produce practical solutions that emphasize system design and research on par with technological capabilities.
One critical point is that the article was published in 2004. While that does not seem to be a severe issue, it equals several centuries in the mindset and advancement of technology. In 2004, the Internet was a working concept, but the Cloud was not yet a usable platform. Artificial Intelligence (AI) was a relevant concept but debunked humorously. In current times, AI or cognitive thinking is a rational process in the technology field. In software development, there was little to no code design as an alternative for application development in IT. That mindset has expanded.
Everything in hardware and software is unified. Consider the new Apple MacBook, or MacBook pro-A1 series, where technology is conserved into a singularity (like the popular iPhone series, beginning with the iPhone 14). These show how technology has shifted. If more memory is needed to process video editing, the required amount can be taken from the pool. If more memory is needed to run R-based data analyses, the required memory is scooped from the same batch.
The technology platform has grown at a different scale, and any argument should consider that. New research and related development should also recognize that improving PCIS is a subtle step. Since absolute zero error cannot exist, the natural solution for maximum errorfree healthcare can and should utilize the benefits of the most recent technology.
Post-Doctorate Professional Trajectory
Cloud, AI, and no-code or low-code application development should become defaults for the IT sector in healthcare. This will allow maximum benefits from technological features and omit many problems described in the article. Healthcare should aim to be monolithic by keeping patient-related information and healthcare history in one place where the information is easily shared.
Platforms may differ, but the results are the same. Some useful suggestions to consider that might improve system efficiency are:
• Use Cloud technology as the basis of a patient’s medical history to reduce redundancy and maintain availability whenever needed. This could be voluntary, and it would provide a singular route to prescribe medication, check past x-rays and results, and document any hospital treatment.
• Protect a patient’s privacy by using an NFS wristband containing a 256-bit code that a patient accesses with a unique key that is confirmed by their cell phone and saved in the Cloud to assure their medical history is up to date. The key could also be implanted in a person’s wrist when born.
• Ensure that a patient has a singular history that cannot be reentered in various places by different people by avoiding medical contradiction.
• Double-check drug interactions. When a new medicine is prescribed, it could verify whether the new medication affects the potency of a previous drug or if their interaction could cause further complications. This service already exists to be utilized (https://www.webmd.com/interaction-checker/default.htm).
Conclusion
The human mind is a magnet for knowledge and change that is always searching for unknowns, whether spiritual or physical, as a common denominator. For example, Mars exploration is a few years away when researchers will try to instill life in a place that does not have the minimum required atmosphere to survive. Optimizing healthcare PCIS is an attainable and critical mission for any country, especially the United States. Necessary healthcare must be available and provided anywhere with fewer errors. The overall vision should be to transform the system, make it error-free, more fluent, and increasingly accessible while simultaneously preserving privacy.
Works Cited
Ash, Joan S., et al. “Some Unintended Consequences of Information Technology in Health Care:
The Nature of Patient Care Information System-related Errors.” Journal of the American
Medical Informatics Association, vol. 11, no. 2, 2004, pp. 104–112