New Century Wellness Group is interested in a new information system to support its business and health

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Question:

New Century Wellness Group is interested in a new information system to support its business

and health information management needs. The new system would replace a mix of paper-based and

fragmented computer systems. Dr. Jones had previously asked you to work with him as a systems analyst

and help the group develop an information system that will support current operations and future growth.

You will explore the possibility of a business support system for the scheduling, billing, accounting and

payroll functions of the practice as well as a system to support the clinical applications of Electronic

Medical Records (EMR), Computerized Provider Order Entry (CPOE) and a Clinical Decision Support

System (CDSS)

At your next meeting, Dr. Jones explains what the practice have in mind in more detail. They are

looking for a medical practice software solution that allows each office worker to conduct their job more

efficiently. He explains to you what systems they are looking for from the perspective of a patient who

comes into the office.

Lisa Sung schedules a patient’s appointment and the patient comes into the office for the first

time. On this appointment, an EMR is started for the patient that includes the patient’s demo-graphic

information, medical history, and insurance information. A patient may be coming in to see any one of

the health care providers, including a physician, nurse practitioner, physical therapist or the nutritionist.

These providers would entry any orders or prescriptions into the EMR with the CPOE system. The

providers who use the EMR and CPOE system are supported by the CDSS. Patients often schedules a

follow-up appointment before leaving the practice office.

After a patient’s visit, Susan Glifford, who maintains the patient medical records, reviews the

record to ensure they are complete. Carla Herrera orders any supplies needed to replaces items used by

the patient.

Tammy Alipio begins billing the patient’s insurance provider for services that were rendered to

the patient. Tom Capaletti follows up on the billing to ensure the practice is getting paid for all claims.

Dr. Jones also tells you that the system should also include modules to support Fred Brown and Corinne

Summers in HR and payroll.

You explain to Dr. Jones that you would like to conduct a preliminary investigation that will give

you the information you need to make recommendations about what system they should pursue. Dr. Jones

agrees to your investigation and you set up a follow-up appointment in one month

1. Health information management is a rapidly-growing sector that directly affects healthcare costs. Every specialized area has its own vocabulary, and health information management is no exception. Conduct an Internet search to learn about Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Computerized Provider of Order Entry (CPOE), and a Clinical Decision Support System (CDSS). Describe your findings, using nontechnical language that is easy to understand.

2. You are planning a preliminary investigation of Dr. Jones's request. For each step, describe the steps you will take, the methods you will use, and the information you will seek. Also explain how you plan to define the project's scope and why this task is so important.

3. Based on what you know about New Century, conduct a feasibility study that includes operational, technical, economic and schedule feasibility. Describe the results in detail, and explain how you reached your conclusions.

4. Prepare a brief preliminary investigation report for Dr. Jones. Before you begin this task, you should review the sample report in chapter 2, and visit Part A in the text (Systems Analyst's Toolkit). The Preliminary Investigation is found on page 66-74, and there is a diagram of the steps on page 66 (see the left margin for steps 1-6).