Business and technology Essay

The second issue centered on the impact of distance-delivery on the effectiveness of health care. The third issue involved a determination of the effects that the use of electronic communications have on health care delivery today. The fourth issue required a projection of the likely affects that the continued use of electronic communications will have on health care delivery. These interrelated issues are addressed in separate discussions in this paper. Electronic Communications as an External Delivery Mechanism When considering the ways in which electronic communications may be applied effectively as an external delivery mechanism in the communication of patient- pecific information, it is useful to first (a) identify the parties who will likely be involved in such interchanges and to (b) determine the types of information most likely to be exchanged. Further, depending upon of types of information likely to be exchanged it is also useful to consider how and in what form such information is developed (Committee on Redesigning Health Insurance Performance Measures, Payment, and Performance Improvement Programs, 2006; Committee on Public Health Strategies to Improve Health Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice, 2012; World Health Organization, 2008). The party-pairs most likely to be involved in electronic communications exchanges are (a) provider-to-patient, (b) patient-to-provider, (c) provider-to-provider, and (d) provider-to-parties other than patients and other providers (Committee on Redesigning Health Insurance Performance Measures, Payment, and Performance Improvement Programs, 2006; Committee on Public Health Strategies to Improve Health Board on Population Health and Public Health Practice, 2012; World Health Organization, 2008). In these instances especially so in provider-to-parties other than patients and other providers, the ssues of patient privacy and the integrity of patient-specific data must be an important tocal point (McGraw, 2 The types ot patient-specific intormation likely to be exchanged between providers and patients, regardless of the direction of the initial contract in such exchanges, are (a) patient symptoms and concerns, (b) provider care directions and queries to patients concerning their clinical conditions. The types of patient-specific information most likely to be exchanged among providers are (a) requests for the conduct of examinations and other procedures and b) consultations concerning the appropriate treatment protocols for specific patients. The types of patient-specific information most likely to be exchanged between providers and parties other than patients and other providers are (a) patient-specific data required by administrative personnel for scheduling and billing purposes and (b) patient specific data required by health care funders for purposes of specific treatment authorizations (Committee on Redesigning Health Insurance and Public Health Practice, 2012; World Health Organization, 2008).