Running head: MODULE 2 ASSIGNMENT

Module 2 Assignment
Nina Rose Nicholson
MM120 Healthcare Information Systems
September 5, 2016

MODULE 2 ASSIGNMENT

2
Module 2 Assignment

1. Discuss the issue of conflict of interest, including the FDA. Does a conflict of interest
necessarily corrupt information?
Relationships amongst physicians, biomedical researchers, information technology,
pharmaceutical, medical device, and biotechnology companies are extensive and have made
important advantages, mostly in the development of new tests and treatments. Simultaneously,
these relationships have likewise formed significant risks that the financial goals of industry may
conflict with the professional goals of healthcare in medicine. The goals of for-profit medical
companies are to yield products that increase health and to ensure a financial return to
shareholders (Conflict of interest. 2009, paragraph 2). The primary goals of medicine comprise
of advancing healthcare by providing beneficial care to patients, conducting valid research, and
offering excellent medical education (Conflict of interest. 2009). In chasing those goals,
healthcare professionals, health care institutions, and research organizations have responsibilities
to put patient welfares primarily, perform unbiased research, analytically appraise data, and
function as role models of professional behavior for students. The problem of conflict of interest
occurs because in some conditions in modern medicine these goals and obligations are at risk of
being affected by the unwarranted pursuit of financial gain or other secondary interest.
Medicine nowadays faces various tough challenges, comprising high costs of treatment
and associated hassles to cut costs, lack of availability of affordable health insurance, and
medical errors. The problem of conflict of interest may seem less important. Nonetheless, none
of the other challenges can be passably met if conflicts of interest are not well managed. For
instance, patients need to be able to trust that the high costs of healthcare and health insurance
results from the services provided that are beneficial, essential, aptly priced, and not improperly
motivated by the financial interests of physicians, other health care providers, sponsors, or

MODULE 2 ASSIGNMENT

companies (Conflict of interest. 2009). Inability to deal with the problem of conflict of interest
can weaken attempts to focus on the other important challenges that healthcare professionals face
nowadays.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a science-based regulatory agency with
responsibility for approximately 25 percent of the gross national product. FDA oversees foods,
drugs, biologics, and medical devices that the American public uses every day (Policies and
Procedures, paragraph 1). While FDA has a great need for outside scientific advice, it is critical
that the advice be free from conflict of interest and potential bias. If the advice FDA receives is
biased or is seen as biased, it is of little value to the agency. Federal statutes enacted by
Congress create conflict of interest rules applicable to all Federal employees, including special
Government employees (SGEs) serving on advisory committees. Regulations issued by the
Office of Government of Ethics (OGE) and the Department of Health and Human Services
(HHS) create additional standards of ethical conduct and provide interpretive guidance
concerning the Federal conflict of interest statutes (Policies and Procedures, paragraph 6).
I believe conflict of interest necessarily corrupt information because corruption cannot exist
without a conflict of interest. A conflict of interest exists where an individual could misuse his or
her status for private gain, while corruption exists where an individual does abuse his or her
status for private gain. Each and every corrupt act is compelled by an underlying conflict.
Therefore, even though a conflict of interest does not always end up in corruption, corruption
always necessitate a conflict of interests.
2. What are the differences between the EMR and the EHR? How are they interdependent?
The data on a patients Electronic Medical Record (EMR) forms the foundation of the
Electronic Health Record (EHR) thereby making them interdependent on each other. Even

MODULE 2 ASSIGNMENT

though the terminology EMR and EHR are substitutable, their definitions are not similar. As
stated by the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society, an organization that
promotes the expansion of the use of information technology in healthcare, [t]he Electronic
Health Record (EHR) is a longitudinal electronic record of patient health information generated
by one or more encounters in any care delivery setting. Included in this information are patient
demographics, progress notes, problems, medications, vital signs, past medical history,
immunizations, laboratory data, and radiology reports. The HER automates and streamlines the
clinicians workflow. The EHR has the capability to create a complete record of a clinical patient
encounter, as well as supporting other care-related activities directly or indirectly (Burke &
Weill, 2013, page 23).
There are particular differences between the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and
Electronic Health Record (EHR). The EMR pertains to solely the healthcare institutiona
doctors medical office or hospital; it should be interoperable (have the ability to interconnect
information with the other computers and information systems) within the healthcare institution.
Preferably, the Electronic Health Record (EHR) is not the asset of solely one institution. Finally,
it needs to be interoperable on the national and international level. It is therefore the property of
the patient who can retrieve the record and add information. It should include data from all the
medical providers as well as healthcare institutions that provide care to the patient. It simplifies
the consultation between many practitioners and institutions. It is the basis of research in clinical
areas, healthcare services, patient outcomes, public health, and an educational source. A fully
developed Electronic Health Record sends an alert to a doctor right away, for instance, to caution
of any adversative drug interactions. It would also send notices to a patient who requires a

MODULE 2 ASSIGNMENT

particular lab test. Electronic Health Records offers decision support in the form of medical
references as well (Burke & Weill, 2013, page 23).
3. Define the following:
a. Hospital Information Systems (HIS): Attempts to integrate the administrative and
clinical functions in a hospital. Ideally, the HIS includes clinical information systems,
financial information systems, laboratory information systems, nursing and pharmacy
information systems, picture archiving and communication systems, and radiology
information systems (Burke & Weill, 2013, page 323).
b. Laboratory Information Systems (LIS): use computers to manage both laboratory
tests and their results (Burke & Weill, 2013, page 323).
c. Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN): the infrastructure that would allow
communication between RHIOs (Burke & Weill, 2013, page 325).
d. Nursing Information Systems (NIS): are supposed to improve nursing care by using
computers to manage charting, staff scheduling, and the integration of clinical
information (Burke & Weill, 2013, page 325).
e. Picture Archiving and Communication Systems (PACS): manage digital images.
Digital images are immediately available on the monitor and can be shared over a
network (Burke & Weill, 2013, page 326).
f. Pharmacy Information Systems (PIS): monitor drug allergies and interactions and fill
and track prescriptions. They also track inventory and create patient drug profiles
(Burke & Weill, 2013, page 325).
g. Radiology Information Systems (RIS): manage patients in the radiology department
including scheduling appointments, tracking film, and reporting results (Burke &
Weill, 2013, page 326).

MODULE 2 ASSIGNMENT

References
Burke, L., & Weill, B. (2013). Information technology for the health professions (4th ed.). Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
Conflict of interest in medical research, education, and practice. (2009). Retrieved September 04,
2016, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22937/

MODULE 2 ASSIGNMENT
Policies and Procedures for Handling Conflicts of Interest with FDA Advisory Committee
Members, Consultants, and Experts. (2004, August 13). Retrieved September 04, 2016,
from http://www.fda.gov/oc/advisory/conflictofinterest/policies.html