Dynamic changes in the world have a massive impact on the healthcare sector. These changes bring the issues of digitalization, enrollment of patient information, the transfer of this information, and its clever use. Paper documentation in modern healthcare is a burden that complicates employees’ work and slows down the processes of information transfer and analytics. In this regard, developing a system for collecting, storing, and transmitting medical information is essential for workers with different qualifications and experience levels. Such a system would also make it possible to keep information about patients well-organized: their complaints, cases of calling an ambulance at home, and manifestations of chronic diseases. Within the framework of total quality management (TQM) and its capabilities, a healthcare information system (HCIS) is being developed that accommodates the above-described characteristics of a modern approach.
The healthcare information system has so far demonstrated a high level of patient trust and a high level of satisfaction. Employees (especially young professionals) note that maintaining electronic health records (EHR) is more convenient than paper documentation (Mutahar et al., 2017). Another example of HCIS, an electronic medical record (EMR), facilitates the provision of information from doctor to doctor about a patient’s treatment. Electronic clinical reminders (ECR) assist in managing and supporting patients with diabetes. ECRs are also relevant for other diseases that require hormonal drugs since hormones are predominantly produced in the morning; these reminders are valid for taking antidepressants and oral contraceptives. However, some workers point out that the use of ECR in everyday work is severely limited.
Total quality management measures the performance of the health information system against several criteria. The most crucial criterion is the ability of the information system to collect and store data on an entire population of patients located in a particular area. Productivity, outcome, the health system’s responsiveness, and equity are also measured (Mutahar et al., 2017). Researchers’ specific interest is the measurement of the empathy of an information system.
Digitalization of medicine can lead to disastrous results in the disappearance of compassion for patients. Computers and databases can store an incredible amount of information, provide it quickly, and organize it (Mutahar et al., 2017). At the same time, they cannot communicate with the patient’s relatives to demonstrate support and mercy. It is also not yet known how computers solve the ethical dilemmas of the medical field, which doctors face almost every day in the field of emergency care and organ transplants. Research shows that the COVID-19 experience has allowed patients to experience digitalization without losing empathy. Perhaps this is because doctors were well trained to assist at a distance, and digitalization did not cause them discomfort in the workplace.
The healthcare information system is checked, measured, and evaluated for total quality management (TQM). The healthcare information system (HCIS) currently shows its best side and acts as an assistant for doctors. HCIS has significantly improved the quality of medical care and increased patient satisfaction. HCIS suggests that using it will allow better and faster support for patients in the future. In addition, the number of patients who could get help should increase. HCIS, in various examples, demonstrates how harmoniously it can fit into the work process. At the same time, the problem remains with doctors and nurses with different qualifications and experience who are comfortable using complex digital equipment and understanding programs to varying degrees. TQM has measured healthcare information systems according to various criteria; of particular interest is empathy, which is vital in working with patients. HCIS demonstrated sufficient compassion, as the doctors involved in the work were prepared for the specifics and felt comfortable in the workplace.
Reference
Mutahar, A., Al Barakati, B., & Abdulaziz, A. (2017). TQM in healthcare: Transformation, challenges, impact and measurement. International Advanced Research Journal in Science, Engineering and Technology, 4(5), 105–113. Web.