ICT in Context Revision Notes!

Davina Shah

Hospital Computer Network:• A computer network is installed in each hospital to allow the computers

and handheld devices within the hospital to be connected. The type of network used will be a local area network, as the hospital will be in a single building or will be a small group of adjacent buildings.

• Advantages include:– File sharing between all hospital staff can be done easily– File access means all users can log on and work from any computer

on the hospital LAN– Resource sharing is possible with computer networks, e.g. sharing

printers can save time as doctors can easily print off a prescription– System backups are easier to control– Systems security is centrally controlled by a network administrator

Wide Area Networks:

• All hospitals within a large geographical area are able to share information using wide area technology.• WANs are useful as hospital staff can

share files easily between different hospitals.

ICT Hardware:• Hardware definition - the physical components of a computer

system.• The hospital has a LAN that will include this hardware: – File servers– Laptops and workstations or PCs– Network printers– Network infrastructure e.g. Ethernet cabling and fibre-

optic cabling. • Network Interface Card is used to connect a computer or

workstation to the network.• Hubs are devices for connecting many Ethernet cable devices,

such as computers.

Entertainment Technology and Benefits:

• Entertainment technology in hospitals include: touch screen entertainment systems, TVs, telephones, videos on demand and the Internet.

• Some hospitals even enable patients to choose their meals from on-screen menus.

• Benefits: it is an easy-to-use multilingual system that is convenient.

• It is beneficial to patients as people can even Skype people who can’t visit them in hospital.

Paper-Free Organisation:• Hospitals are becoming paper-free organisations as they are

using the Electronic Health Record. • An Electronic Health Record (EHR), is a digital version of a

patient’s paper chart. EHRs can:– Contain patient’s medical history, medicines and treatment plans– Allow access to evidence-based tools – Health information can be created and managed by authorized

providers in a digital format capable of being shared with other providers across more than one health organisation.

• The EHR enables the hospital to be a paper-free organisation, as most of the patient information is stored electronically.

Electronic Display Signage• Electronic display signage are illuminate advertising media.• Digital signage has the capacity to eliminate the stress

from hospitals, and it can streamline the condition of care, deliver higher quality of care and increase profitability.

• Ways hospitals are using digital signage:– For directing visitors to facilities, which speeds up the process of

finding a patient room on check-in area– Patient treatment statuses can be delivered – Automation of patient check-in process, can streamline waiting

times • Electronic display signage has many benefits to patients,

visitors and the healthcare institution itself.

Technology and Hospital Business:• Different types of technology are used in

hospitals for many different purposes, for example:– Sensors –Monitors– Computer technology to interpret the sensor data– Handheld devices used for health staff

• Display technology is also used in hospitals• Hospital businesses need technology to work

efficiently and quickly.

Hardware Needed in Teleworking:• Teleworking means working from home using

modern technology to keep in touch with your business.

• Hardware needed:– A laptop, notebook, tablet, or otherwise portable

computer with a minimum of 2 GB of memory, with power cable

– Audio input (microphone) and output (speakers or headphones)

– Webcam or other video relaying device

Software Needed in Teleworking:• Standard business applications, such as

Microsoft Office.• Anti-virus and/or firewall software.• Software installed must be able to:– Keep track whenever a teleworker is working or on a

break– Allow a teleworker to use their home computer and

track time, monitor the accuracy of tracked time without violating their privacy

– Track and send a report of the time worked each day

Benefits of Teleworking:• Less commuting time – employees do not have to travel into

work each day, which is convenient for employees, as they can work from home.

• Less expense – car owners do not need to spend money on petrol, public transport does not need to be used, the need to purchase office clothes does not need to be done and meals at home are less expensive than eating out.

• Less stress – there is no morning rush, or traffic.• Local independent – can eliminate the need to relocate

when a company branch closes.• Fewer interruptions – fewer opportunities to gossip in the

workplace.

Biometrics Theory:• Biometrics is the science and technology of

measuring and analyzing biological data. • Biometrics measure and analyse the human body

characteristics, e.g. DNA, fingerprints, voice patterns, facial patterns and hand measurements, for verification purposes.

• Biometric devices, such as finger scanners, consist of:– A reader or scanning device– Software that converts the scanned information into

digital form and compares match points– A database that stores the biometric data for comparison

Advantages and Disadvantages of Biometrics:

• Advantages:– You don’t have to remember passwords, as one easy swipe can

sign you in or allow access to different things.– Cannot be stolen or guessed, so they offer a high degree of

security.– Biometrics are convenient and less time consuming them typing in

passwords.• Disadvantages:– Can be very expensive since they need to use different devices

that have a range of costs.– Can cause a spread of germs from fingerprint scanners.– Risk that someone may steal identities.– Can be an invasion of our privacy.

Traditional Security Methods:• Emergency notification systems give hospitals

the chance to find and determine active threats while alerting employees quickly to the danger.

• License plate recognition gives hospitals the chance to identify and resolve threats before they even make it inside the building.

• Virtual fencing combines multiple technologies to create invisible barriers around facilities.

Expert Systems:• An expert system is computer software that

attempts to act like a human expert on a particular subject area. • Medical diagnosis can use expert systems as

the knowledge base would contain medical information, the symptoms of the patient would be used as the query, and the advice would be a diagnose of the patient’s illness.

Advanced Imaging Technology:• Advanced imaging technology is a full-body scanner

device that detects objects on a person's body. • Advanced imaging technology allows medical staff

to make their diagnosis more accurately and often more quickly.

• Medical staff interpret the imaging services results, provide a diagnosis, and plan the appropriate treatment for patients.

• Medical imaging is used to create images of the human body.

Camera Used for Diagnostics and Surgery:

• Camera can be used in diagnostic and therapeutic markets for which use of current video cameras is not feasible due to their size.

• Thin tubes with a powerful light source and a tiny camera at the end that sends images to a screen. The images help doctors see parts of the body that they would not otherwise be able to view.

Telepresence Technology:• Telepresence technology enables people to feel as if

they were present, using high definition cameras and video-conferencing technology.

• A telepresence system requires at least two locations with dedicated server hardware and software, and equipment that can deliver high-quality audio and high definition video.

• Telepresence robots are a mobile form of video-conferencing technology that features a camera, screen, microphone and speakers and moves around on wheels to be mobile, which is used in a few hospitals.

Uses and Benefits of Telepresence Technology:

• Telemedicine technology – is the remote diagnosis and treatment of patients by means of telecommunications technology.

• Telepresence enables employees to be connected, with a unique ‘face-to-face’ experience that enables strengthened relationships, building trust and increasing speed to market.

• Advantages:– Reduce the need for travel and become greener– Saves time and money– Improve long-distance communication

Electronic Patient Records (EPRs):• Also known as a Electronic Health Record (EHR), is a

digital version of a patient’s paper chart. EHRs can:– Contain patient’s medical history, medicines and

treatment plans– Allow access to evidence-based tools – Health information can be created and managed by

authorized providers in a digital format capable of being shared with other providers across more than one health organisation.

• The EHR stores patient information electronically.

EPR Advantages and Disadvantages:• Advantages:– Increase patient safety by reducing or correcting errors – Improve shared decision making – More efficient/accurate transferability of record

• Disadvantages:– Access is an issue, safeguards must be made against

unwanted third party access– Data protection and enabling secure access is a

significant issue when implementing any such system– Must have effective staff and patient trust and buy in to

be of use

ICT Software Used in Hospitals:• Software is used to ‘program’ the computer system. The

instructions that make the system work and which the system follows is the software.

• Software used in hospitals:– Network software – to control LAN networks – Operating systems – so functions can be carried out– Backup software – creates copies of each data entry – Utility programs – prevents unauthorised access to the hospital

data– Application software – Web Browsers, email, word processing,

spreadsheets, presentation software, relational databases.– The Electronic health record is a network-based software

package.

Accessing Patient Records:

• Patient records can be accessed through the LAN network in the hospital.

• Electronic health records can be used to access patient medical history .

• Patient records can easily be accessed by handheld devices or by desktop computers that can store information about patient medical records.

Sensors:• Things that uses sensors in hospitals:– Temperature– Blood Pressure– Pulse– Blood Sugar– Heart Rate– Respiratory Rate

• Advantages of sensors:– No human errors, e.g. no missed readings– More Accurate– Real Time Monitoring– Automatically Measure Trends

Processing Sensor Data:• Sensors are used to capture data

about physical conditions and change the data into electrical signals. • Sensors convert the physical quantity

into a signal which can be read, when converted, by a computer or by a person.

Patient-Monitoring Systems:• A portable bedside monitor, compact patient

monitor, and vital signs monitor are all used in hospitals. All patient monitors are designed to give caregivers a clear view of patient information.

• Hospitals use sensors connected to computers to monitor patients automatically, e.g. patient’s heart rate. The data can then be sent to a computer system which can display the information on a screen.

• Monitoring systems can let the nurses be more accurate with their measurements.

Wireless Technology:• Convenient way of connecting devices.• Wireless technology uses radio waves to connect devices.• Wireless technology is useful when cables are not

allowed.• Wireless technology is not as secure as cables technology

because the data is transmitted by radio waves which could be intercepted by others. Wireless technology must be secure by using passwords and encrypting data.

• Can be useful in a hospital for doctors to connect portable devices like tablets and smart phones to WiFi.

Wireless and Handheld Technology:• Wireless technology used in hospitals:– A sensor to track the oxygen content of a patient's blood,

typically attached to a finger, would no longer require a wire that runs to a bed side monitor. Instead, the cable would connect to a transmitter attached to a wristband.

– Wireless sensors also would be used to monitor a patient's heart rhythm, breathing, temperature, blood pressure and other vital signs.

• Wireless technology is already used in hospitals for patient telemetry - devices that can fit in a pocket that enable patients to walk around a hospital. Those devices work like Wi-Fi technology.

• Wireless sensors are used with patients and handheld technology is used with hospital staff.

Using Tablet Computers in Clinical Settings:

• Why health care professionals use handheld technology:–For finding medical information online or via

clinical apps–Accessing the electronic health record–Viewing radiology images from home, on the

wards, or during surgeries–Monitoring patients’ vitals and conditions

using special mobile apps and devices