The most important idea employed in integrating health interested organizations and providers is for hospitals, clinics or any other type of healthcare provider to realize that greater information integration and use will be built on the information integration and use within their specific institution. Only through greater institutional integration can a provider expect to become responsive to the many changes occurring within the healthcare industry.
As illustrated by the figure institutional integration involves all aspects of the institution. Each area 1 described on the figure (i.e., business office, medical records, departments, pharmacy, etc.) attempt to collect data about a patient, both from the perspective of a specific event but also over time. Generally, financial and clinical data is being captured.
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Legend for Institutional Integration of Information
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Numerical Key |
Description |
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1 |
Unique areas within the institution contributing data and/or needing information on the history of a patient. |
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2 |
Technology (i.e., computer hardware, software, telecommunications, lab equipment, or departmental specific technology) that serves as the means for collecting data, providing information or integrating the areas in an institution. |
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3 |
Collection of data that describes the financial aspects of providing care to a patient. |
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4 |
Collection of data that describes the clinical aspects of providing care to a patient. |
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5 |
Integration among the clinical areas of the institution reflected by the shading between these areas. As greater integration occurs a user has access to the entirety or breadth of the clinical repository. The integration across clinical areas can be contrasted to the depth of patient history described in #9. |
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6 |
Integration between the clinical aspects of providing care and the financial description of the care. |
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7 |
The entirety of an institution's ability to describe the history of a patient's care. |
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8 |
Standards that define the exchange of data between institutional systems or between the institution and another external institution (i.e., hospital, clinic or payer). |
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9 |
The extent of a patient's history retained by an area. The depth of a patient's history is determined by the number of events that can be described about a patient (i.e., inpatient or outpatient visits, lab orders/results, radiology images). |
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10 |
A software program that accepts data in one format and converts that data to another form (i.e., patient name and id are received as the first and second pieces of data from one system and is changed so that id precedes patient name for another system). |
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11 |
Integration is supported based on accepted standards between two systems. The sending system structures the data based on the form in the defined standard and the receiving system converts this standard data into the form unique to its use. |
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12 |
A software architecture that accesses databases maintained by other systems and presents an integrated view of patient data to a user. |
Several steps are included within the NISAPP Workbook on Institutional Integration of Health Information process. The process is based on an understanding of the existing technologies employed within an institution and the goals and measures of accomplishing these goals. To adequately address the information integration needs implied by the institution's goals and outcomes, the Institutional Integration of Health Information process brings together the key individuals concerned with the uses of information and the technology response to those needs.
The following are brief descriptions of each step in the Institutional Integration of Health Information process and who is responsible for completing the step.
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Step |
Description |
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1 |
Identify the individuals within the organization interested in identifying the goals and outcomes for an institution that will lead to greater information integration and use. |
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2 |
Identify the individuals within the organization that can assess the current technologies within an institution and can determine the impact on these technologies of the institution's goals and outcomes. |
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3 |
Examine the existing uses of technology. Assess the use of information technology including systems, integration among systems, telecommunications, Telemedicine, and management of patient specific data. |
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4 |
Define the goals that identify the direction of the institution in the context of patient access, resource utilization, regulations, and the overall mission of the institution. |
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5 |
Define outcome measures that can be used to determine the satisfaction of the institution's goals. |
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6 |
Determine the technology impact of the goals and outcome measures identified. Identify technology responses for each goal and outcome measure. |
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7 |
Develop a plan of action for both the institution and its use of information technology that allows the institution to accomplish it's goals. |
As can be seen by each description it should be clear that the Institutional Integration of Health Information process is sensitive to the investment made by an institution and will be responsive to the unique needs of a particular institution.
For additional information contact Kelli Schneider @
(970) 207-9798 or
