George Mason Department of Health Administration & Policy

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Course Description

An introduction to basic information management in health care service organizations. Provides an overview of health information systems for selected administrative functions and clinical care services, including electronic data interchange for billing and claims management, institutional approaches to ensuring data security and privacy, and information management and decision support for managers and clinicians.

Course Objectives

At the conclusion of the course students will be able to:

• Describe the evolution of information technology in healthcare
• Describe the impact of components of electronic health records and financial information systems on quality of care
• Assess information needs of an organization.
• Plan process improvement through design of information technology
• Assess business value of information technology
• Conduct participatory vendor selection
• Manage technology implementation projects
  1. Manage expectations during project initiation
  2. Plan project tasks
  3. Plan project schedule and budget
  4. Maintain budgetary control of projects
• Understand use of social media in marketing and delivery of health services
• Analyze risk of privacy and security violations in operating information systems
• Evaluate impact of information technology on cost
• Use information technology for performance measurement and monitoring
• Evaluate impact of information technology on quality of services
• Evaluate comparative effectiveness of services through use of data in electronic health records

Program Competencies Addressed

Following competencies are addressed in this course:

• A3. Demonstrate the use of information systems and application software in heath services, e.g., electronic medical records, GIS, and use of software tools for management decision-making. 
• A.2 Integrate operational planning and management tools for performance and quality improvement.  This topic is taught at the level of "Analysis." 
• B.1. Shape operational and strategic plans and integrate with marketing initiatives.
• B.5. Integrate and demonstrate effective written oral communication
• C.2. Comprehend and explain the legal and regulatory environment for health services.
• A.6. Manage and assess operational performance
• A.4. Explain and demonstrate the application of quantitative analysis, e.g., descriptive and inferential statistics, regression, forecasting.
• D.5. Execute financial mathematics, e.g., time value of money calculations, capital budgeting, return on investment, and project risk analyses.

For an overview of competencies needed for management of health information systems, see some of these resources:  Slides► You Tube► Read►

AUPHA HIMSS IT Competencies

Following competencies are addressed in this course:

1. Data analysis and quantitative methods including, manipulation, understanding of, and ability to explain data. 
2. Application of project management tools and techniques
3. Outcomes assessment: return-on- investments, cost-benefits, cost-effectiveness, and benefits realization analyses 
4. Essential concepts of systems theory and its application to information management
5. Characteristics of clinical systems/programs (e.g., electronic medical records, medical decision support, diagnostic information systems)
6. The clinical process and the information needs of physicians and other caregivers centered around patient safety.
7. Characteristics of IT governance and administrative systems/programs e.g., financial, scheduling, supply-chain, productivity, human resources)
8. Methods for planning, selecting, implementing, and evaluation health care information systems including RFI and RFP
9. Aligning the information systems plans with the overall strategic plans of an organization to improve performance, i.e. balanced score card.
10. Recommend policies and procedures for information systems management (e.g., data security; confidentiality, HIPAA, medical records, acquisition of software and hardware)
11. Sources of health care financing and reimbursement and the impact on the investment in healthcare technology. 
12. Capable of interacting and communicating with IT professionals as a member of a team.
13. Measuring, demonstrating and valuing information technology for improving care for patients using evidence based management techniques.
14. E-health technology and emerging national, regional and local policies regarding electronic medical records
15. Research and evaluate emerging technologies and their applicability to solving healthcare problems.

Following AUPHA HIMSS IT competencies are not addressed in this course and are addressed in a separate courses:

1. Decision modeling techniques for managerial problems in health care administration (e.g. decision analysis, decision trees, simulation, linear programming, process improvement).
2. Health informatics (e.g., coding; communication standards; data standards)
3. Principles of database and file management
4. Characteristics of a sound information technology infrastructure includes system architecture; technology lifecycles)
5. Components of information systems, including hardware, software and network components

Presentations about the Syllabus

• Your future career Slides►  Video►
• Get ready prior to taking this course  Video►
• Take a tour of the course  Slides► Listen► SWF►
• Overview of competencies needed for management of health information systems  Slides► You Tube► Read►

Required Textbooks

• No textbook is required.  Required reading is posted to the web.  Home►

Recommended Textbook

• Kropf R, Scalzi G.  Managing information technology work:  maximizing the benefits for health care organizations.  Health Forum, Chicago, 2007  Amazon►

Pedagogy

Each class will consist of four parts:

1. Learn one: online or in person brief interactive lecture
2. Do one: Laboratory work.  Complete assignments during class time.
3. Teach one:  Students teach the topic they have learned to one another
4. Evaluation:  Students evaluate all lectures, not just at end of the course

Teach One Assignment

We rely on a method typically used in training of medical residents: "Learn one, do one, teach one."  Each student is expected to not only learn the concepts in the course, and do the assignments, but also teach a portion of the course. This active participation in teaching helps students learn the concepts in the course in more depth.  The best way to learn a topic is to teach it.  Students are expected to teach by preparing a brief video. Students select which topic they wish to teach.  They can teach about any aspect within the topic.  Typically students teach how to do the assignment in the week's topic. 

Video Preparation

In several assignments you are asked to prepare videos.  Following tools are needed for preparing an online project presentation:

1. A microphone is necessary to narrate your slides.  Please do not rely on built in microphones for portable computers.
2. You can capture screen shots and insert it into your slide presentation using Command and Print Screen keys.  MAC Users►
3. Narrate your slides or use other video making software.  Narrate► Free Camstudio►   Camtasia►  SWF► IMovie►
4. Convert the narrated slides to a video format that can be uploaded to the web.   
5. Upload your narrated slides Author Stream► You-Tube►
   • Share your narrated slides publicly so all students in the class can view it. 
   • Put within the description the following statement:  "This presentation was prepared as part of the HAP 360 course on Information Systems in Health Care Management  taught by Farrokh Alemi, Ph.D. at George Mason University  Department of Health Administration and Policy."  Add a sentence about you to the description.  Keep in mind that the work you are uploading will remain on the web for years to come and will help shape your career.
   • If you wish to be exempted from sharing your work publicly, make a request to the instructor with your justification and alternative plans.
6. Email your URL to the students in the course or post your URL in Blackboard discussion so others can find it.