An Evaluation of the Impact and Usability of Health Information Technology

Abstract

There are many technologies who can play the role to cut the cost of cure of diseases. Health information technology (in short HIT or Heath IT) provides potentials to update and simplify health amenities and to connect up different patrons and stakeholders in the e-health environment. It is a medical data related to a person. It includes disease, symptoms, diagnose and procedure, etc. modern days computers changed the way people interact with each other. In this paper, user needs for health information technology are discussed to facilitate the design and development of an efficient platform that enables patients, citizens, and health professionals to communicate. A patient portal and a personal health record are examples of platforms that will allow information to be exchanged across systems in a seamless manner. It is important, however, to design systems according to the needs and requirements of diverse users. In addition to telemedicine, electronic health records (EHRs), hospital information management systems, e-learning technologies, digital health knowledge resources, and health informatics, health information technology plays an important role in health care delivery. Moreover, in order to increase the accessibility of Health Information Systems such as Personal Health Records (PHR), patient portals, etc., methods evolving from usability engineering need to be functional. Additionally, the paper discusses some of the obstacles and challenges that e-health system face. It is challenging to get users across the e-health environment by means of information technology when internet access is not available in all areas, infrastructure is lacking, policies, guidelines and standards are deficient, and human resources are not available. Moreover, the health care system needs to be protected sufficiently from the security threats, fraud and other threats.