Information Systems Evaluation
Hello, My Name is Dana and today I will present an Information System.
Selected Information System
The Selected Information System is Salesforce Health Cloud. The type of system is Administrative. Salesforce Health Cloud is a clinical information system connecting patient-doctor relationships (MacDonald, 2023). The system ties seamlessly into the Salesforce platform, a leading name in the customer relationship management space (CRM). Through this potent interface, Health Cloud extends those features specifically for the healthcare area.
System Description
Salesforce Health Cloud not only serves as a patient database but is also a cutting-edge tool for healthcare practitioners looking to deliver tailored and comprehensive care to patients. All patient data is stored in a single repository, allowing multiple providers dealing with patients to easily access it. This includes basic demographic information, clinical data, treatment procedures, and even patient interactions. From this point of view, healthcare practitioners can take a qualitative approach that is coordinated and centered on the patient. The combination of electronic health records with Salesforce Health Cloud enables a comprehensive view of a patient’s medical history, current condition, medications, and their treatment is cumulatively facilitated. This collaboration is intended to eliminate the information silos that are typical of large hospitals. It enhances interdepartmental interaction which is paramount towards the successful implementation of collaborative care.
Purpose of the System
The key function of Salesforce Health Cloud is to empower patients and promote better patient outcomes of healthcare services. The objective here is to equip healthcare professionals with the tools that enable more customized conversations and interaction with patients. On the other hand, the system supports such tasks as the management of patient queries, appointment scheduling, and provision of personalized health reminders and educational materials all through one interface.
Impact on Workflow
By streamlining operations and facilitating seamless communication between departments, the Salesforce Health Cloud greatly changes the approach to work within health organizations. One of the methods it improves workflow is by consolidating all patient records through its central informatics system, as pointed out by Marańda and colleagues. This centralization removes the need to have multiple disparate applications for different parts of the same data, which reduces redundancy and makes fewer errors. The flow of information is faster. This is helpful especially when there is an emergency and time is of the essence.
The system also handles a plethora of menial functions, such as scheduling visits, completing follow-ups, and reminders for medication or other check-ups. Through automation, healthcare providers will get rid of the administrative work and focus on taking care of the patients. This goes a long way not just in improving the quality of healthcare services, but also the morale and motivation of the healthcare workers by relieving their excessive administrative work.
Impact on Client Outcomes
The utilization of Salesforce Health Cloud has tremendous ROI regarding the client outcome. This system focuses on the increase of patient engagement which is one of the most important factor in the healthcare quality improvement. Personalized communication is made possible and useful in fostering close relationship between the patients and health care providers through The Health Cloud. For instance, patients can access their health records, communicate with healthcare providers, and receive personal health tips from the system (Ana-Maria et al., 2024). This increased engagement allows patients to freely express themselves and actively participate in the management of their health which is believed to improve their health status.
Scholarly Article
An article published in the “Applied system innovation” accentuates the idea that integrated healthcare information systems such as Salesforce Health Cloud will augment patient outcomes. The study showed the role that data communication and complete health records played in the ability to make accurate decisions and was an important aspect of care management (Ana-Maria et al., 2024). This study also listed that such technologies go hand in hand with a reduction in medical errors and an increase in the efficiency of the processes, which are essential for improving patient outcomes.
Documentation of Client Care
Salesforce Health Cloud is the perfect companion in fostering patient care documentation in health organizations. This information system is built such that all patient data is captured and stored in a singular system that is easily accessible. Medical documentation enables health operators and physicians to document every interaction and management a patient has in the system, including; the patient’s history, treatments being offered, tests done, and notes from the patient’s consultations (Angelakos, 2022). The built-in interoperability of the Health Cloud with other existing electronic health records (EHRs) is one of its outstanding features. This interoperability ensures that when data in the Health Cloud is updated, the EHRs are also updated. Consequently, an accurate account of every patient’s care along with the Health Cloud features is available in real-time. Maintaining continuity of care in a multi-specialty clinic context is critical at this stage and this technology makes it much easier to achieve that. Having precise and comprehensive documentation assists in avoiding medical errors, enhances care planning, and guarantees that all physicians partaking in the patient’s care are apprised of the patient’s current state and previous treatments.
Communication Between Healthcare Professionals
Patient care that is of high quality necessitates competent communication among healthcare providers. Salesforce Health Cloud helps in this communication through tools that are provided for real-time sharing of information and collaboration among members of the same team. One of the features is secure messaging and shared notes that enable the team members to share patient care information and make collaborative decisions promptly. Health Cloud a care team framework also which is not only doctors and nurses but also specialists and para-professionals are included in care (Souidi et al., 2020). Every team member has full permission to all medical records of the patient through Health Cloud which allows them to review progress and treatment plans in one place. Such collaboration is especially valuable in complex issues in which multiple types of intervention are needed, as planning and roll-out of the integrated care strategies are made more efficient.
Scholarly Support
There is evidence that tools such as Salesforce Health Cloud contribute immensely to improving documentation and communication in the healthcare system. The article published by Marańda et al. (2022), showed that systems that encompass complete patient profiles and enable the real-time sharing of health information among the medical staff can significantly increase patient documentation accuracy and improve communication in care teams. The study shows that the two elements of proper documentation and communication directly correlate to better patient safety, higher quality of care, and increased patient satisfaction.
Provision of Quality Client Care
Salesforce Health Cloud contributes tremendously to quality healthcare delivery in healthcare organizations which is made possible through the integration of detailed patient data and making this data accessible to healthcare providers. This system brings the patient records into one central location, which includes his medical history, test results and treatment plans, thus enabling the healthcare providers to have a general view of the patient’s health (Sahlabadi et al., 2022). These complete sets of data provide the basis for healthcare professionals to personally customize their treatments to the individual needs of each patient. This is a critical element for high-quality care.
Support for Ethical Client Care
Ensuring ethical client care is the cornerstone of healthcare, and Salesforce Health Cloud is the ultimate solution to this through its powerful security features and compliance to privacy regulations. Privacy and confidentiality of patients are not violated with the compliance of the regulation on data protection laws such as HIPAA in the United States which is performed by the platform (Mehrotra, 2024). This compliance guarantees that Health Cloud securely holds and is accessible by authorized personnel only, which is vital since it is one of the pillars of trust and ethics in healthcare.
Enhancement of Efficient Client Care
Efficiency is the key point for both the patient experience and the operational performance of the healthcare organizations, so Salesforce Health Cloud plays an important part in this matter. With the option of automatically scheduling appointments, communicating with patients, and entering data, the system relieves healthcare providers of the need to spend more time on direct patient care. The above automation eliminates the administrative burden and makes human error less likely, simplifying the whole system of healthcare delivery.
Scholarly Support
Integrated health information systems, as the one Salesforce Health Cloud provides, according to a study published by Sunkari (2022), are essential for improving the efficiency and quality of healthcare delivery. The report highlights the fact that these systems eliminate unnecessary data entry and provide real-time availability of critical patient data at a point of care which helps doctors in better decision making and coordinated care (Sunkari, 2022). The report further indicates that these devices guarantee ethical guidelines in ensuring patient security and proper management of their consent, as set by law and ethics.
Reflection
Salesforce Health Cloud opened my eyes to how technology can impact the healthcare industry, which in turn made me ponder over my career progression as an advanced practice nurse. This system is a remarkable demonstration of the integration of technology into healthcare, which ultimately enhances the quality of patient care in terms of customization, effectiveness, and efficiency. Understanding the features and advantages of such a sophisticated information system helps me utilize the available resources intelligently, which will ultimately ensure better patient management and improved outcomes.
Understanding how the system can personalize care and manage health as a patient engagement tool was one of the most key insights. As an advanced practice nurse, I will have the ability to make more precise treatment decisions for my patients’ needs when I have access to an integrated, comprehensive system that provides up-to-date health information and treatment history. Having this ability is essential to providing client-centered nursing care, which is the core philosophy of nursing.
Conclusion
Salesforce has made notable advancements with Health Cloud, which helps improve communication and coordination among healthcare teams and facilitates efficient client-centered care. As a Nurse Practitioner, understanding and utilizing these systems are essential when delivering personalized, ethical, and timely care. These observations from the Salesforce Health Cloud emphasize the need for the integration of technology into healthcare systems for patient data handling, streamlining communication, and assisting in preventive care.
References
- Salesforce Health Cloud Official Website
https://www.salesforce.com/products/health-cloud/overview/
HealthIT.gov – Benefits of Health Information Systems
https://www.healthit.gov/topic/health-it-basics/benefits-health-it
National Institutes of Health (NIH) – Impact of Health Information Systems on Patient Care
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6479415/
American Medical Association (AMA) – Health Information Technology
https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/digital/health-information-technology
Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) – Health Information Systems and Patient Engagement
https://www.jmir.org/2020/5/e17083