Week 7....

The semester is almost halfway over. I don't know where the time id going, but I feel a bit overwhelmed still will the class load I am carrying this semester. I didn't mind the quarters so much...not as many classes at a time. I keep telling myself next semester is only 4 classes and then I can breathe a bit (4 is much better than the 7  have right now!).

So, this week we are really covering secondary data and the role data stewards play in the role of handling this information. Secondary data is usually aggregate date and does not contain personal information that can identify the patient, thus protecting their identity. But this data is equally important to be protected as any other data that contains names and other demographic information about the patient  Secondary data can be used for many purposes such as research and disease and illness tracking. Data stewards have the responsibility to know how to disclose and protect all data, including secondary data. With all of the changes going on with EHR's data stewards have a very important role in protecting the data whether it be primary data or secondary data....it all has to be protected to the highest security levels.

We also learned more about clinical information systems. There are a great deal of clinical IS's available to help in the health care industry. Some will help make decisions based on the information that is input into the system, some will help will during patient registration, and some make it possible for health care provider to access medical files of their patients from home, a smartphone, a laptop, or a table so they may be able to watch their patient off site and make decisions for care from anyplace 24/7. There are so many different types of clinical IS's, I could go on and on and only scratch the surface as to what these can do and how they help in patient care on many different levels.

Another huge topic we discussed this week was the difference of how alcohol/drug abuse, psychiatric care, HIV/AIDS, and people with genetic records are handled. These types of records have an extra layer of protection per state laws on them. HIPAA doe snot differentiate, so it reverts to state laws to give the extra protection to people who may be shunned,  or adversely affected from society if these types of illnesses/ disorders would be made public. The records of some undergoing psychiatric care do not even have to be released to the patient is psychoanalysis notes are included in the record. Now if this person has stated they are going to commin some type of physical harm to another individual, or if another individual may be in some type of danger, it is the responsibility of the mental health care provider to report this information to let the possible endangered person be aware they may be in danger.

There are so many different rules and regulations pertaining to various types of care...like people with HIV/AIDS are very protected because of the stigma that goes along with these viruses. People are uneducated and with that comes fear....the fear of just not knowing. So, these people have that extra protection of privacy to protect them from other people, basically.

There was a lot of information covered and I have just touched on some of it. I have learned a lot, yet, still have a lot to learn. Some of that will come with the remainder of my education, and some will come with just working in the health care industry in the day to day experience I will get by being on the job.

Thanks for popping in....until next week!..
.....Sharon