Impact of ICT on Quality of Care

Running head: QUALITY OF CARE
Impact
of ICT
on
Quality
of Care
July 16
2019

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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction..............................................................................................................2
1.1 Conceptual Background...................................................................................................2
1.2 Research Aim and Objective............................................................................................2
1.3 Research Question............................................................................................................3
1.4 Research Rationale...........................................................................................................3
Chapter 2: Literature Review.....................................................................................................4
2.1 Introduction..........................................................................................................................4
2.2 Concept of Information and Communication Technology..............................................4
2.3 Role of Information and Communication Technology in Modern Healthcare................4
2.4 Improvement of Patient Safety.........................................................................................6
2.5 Improvement in access to the services of health care with telemedicine.........................7
2.6 Evolving Models of Care based on Telemonitoring........................................................9
2.7 Summary........................................................................................................................11
Chapter 3: Research Methodology...........................................................................................11
3.1 Introduction........................................................................................................................11
3.2 Research Philosophy - Interpretivism Philosophy.........................................................12
3.3 Research Approach – Inductive Approach....................................................................12
3.4 Research Design - Descriptive Research Design...........................................................12
3.5 Research Strategy – Literature Review..........................................................................13
3.6 Data Collection Methods – Secondary Method.............................................................13
3.6.1 Sampling Method – Probability Sampling..............................................................14
3.6.2 Data Analysis Method - Statistical Analysis Method.............................................14
3.7 Ethical Consideration.....................................................................................................14
3.8 Summary........................................................................................................................15
Chapter 4: Time and Cost Frame.............................................................................................15
References................................................................................................................................17

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Chapter 1: Introduction
1.1 Conceptual Background
The combination of information and communication technology tools with the medical
practice results not just in creating opportunities in relation to increasing accessibility of
services and enhanced quality of the services but it also results in the transformation of the
care delivery model. Increasing utilization of computer applications in the healthcare segment
is driven by the rising citizen’s expectations related to the quality of medical care
(Frontenders, 2016). Besides this, the modern system of healthcare majorly depends on the
notions of patient’s empowerment, service continuity, and shared care. Meeting these
requirements could be possible by introducing a well-developed e-health environment which
enables safe contacts through “electronic medium” between patients and physicians. In
return, the utilization of the telemedical applications enhances the procedure of the exchange
of information between the specialists demonstrating diverse referential stages and extents of
medicine. The increasing awareness related to the fact that the errors in the medical sector are
the cause of mortality and morbidity has resulted in increasing the search for effective
countermeasures (Rouleau, Gagnon and Cote, 2015). The utilization of information and
communication technology is considered as the most effective therapies. The intent of this
paper is to explore the impact of information and commination technology in the quality of
care.
1.2 Research Aim and Objective
The research aims to identify the impact of information and communication technology on
the quality of care. In order to achieve this aim, the researcher has framed some of the
objectives that are presented below:

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 The objective of the research is to through light on the concept of information and
communication technology.
 The role of information and communication technology in the vision of modern
healthcare
 To identify improving patient safety due to Information and Communication
Technology
 To identify the Improvement of access to health care services with telemedicine
 To discuss the evolving models of care depending on telemonitoring
1.3 Research Question
 Explain the concept of information and communication technology?
 What is the role of information and communication technology in modern healthcare?
 How information and communication technology contributes to improving patient
safety?
 How telemedicine helps in increasing access to health care services?
 Explain the evolving models of care depending on telemonitoring?
1.4 Research Rationale
Information and communication technologies perform an important part in enhancing the
health care for communities and individuals. By offering new and efficient ways of
retrieving, communicating, and storing the data or information, ICT could support in bridge
the data gulfs that have arisen in the sector of health care in the world between professionals
and communities that are being served and between the practitioners and health research
producers. With the development of different database and applications, information and
communication technology can offer the capability to enhance the system of health,
efficiencies and avert medical errors (Health Connect International, 2014).

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Chapter 2: Literature Review
2.1 Introduction
The literature review chapter is also known as narrative review which is a kind of review of
the 1article. A literature review is a scholarly paper that is comprised of a current concept
comprising functional findings, theoretical and methodological contributions to the specific
subject or topic (Ridley, 2012). The literature review chapter is very beneficial and
supportive to the researcher as it provides the perceptions, opinions, and findings of different
authors and researchers presented on a specific topic. This chapter helps the researcher in
presenting current as well as past knowledge and helps in providing the findings of the
research.
2.2 Concept of Information and Communication Technology
According to Zammuto, Griffith and Faraj, (2007), information and communication
technology is the extended term for the information technology that allow integrated
communications and the incorporation of the telecommunications and computers along with
required enterprise software, audio-visual software, and middleware system, that allow
operators to store, spread, and manipulate information. The information and communication
technology is also utilized to refer to the merging of audio-visual and telephone networks
with the networks of the computer by a link system. There are several economic incentives
for merging the network of telephone with the network of a computer system by using a
single combined system of management, signal distribution, and cabling (Kamani, 2015).
2.3 Role of Information and Communication Technology in Modern Healthcare
According to the Royal Society (2006), the healthcare segment is developing from the time
when human beings initiated to adopt conscious actions for disease treatment and preserving
health. The methods depending on the unreasonable opinions or experience of physicians

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were relieved by evidence-based clinical exercise in the 20th century. Concurrently,
fundamental alteration in the nutrition and lifestyle had an intense influence on the duration
of life and life quality. The healthcare expenditures remain an essential portion of the national
products in the industrialized nations. Augmented awareness related to health led to increased
expectations regarding healthcare performance among people. The augmented life duration,
the focus on handling high-quality service of healthcare, increased chronic situations in
modern societies and refined medical technology contribute to the increasing healthcare
expenditures. The development in computer science and telecommunication resulted in
significant alterations in other domains. The high outlook regarding the opportunities for
augmented cost-effectiveness and service quality is also available in the healthcare segment
(Gulavani and Kulkarni, 2010). Information and communication technology opens the
opportunities for reassuring suitable healthcare quality attained at rational prices. Mainly,
increasing development of the Internet community is professed as the influences that will
drastically alter the model of the delivery of the health services. The traditional method to
medical care needs significant variations if vigorous needs related to the health of the
advanced societies need to be met.
As per the reports of the office of the National Coordinator for Health Information
Technology (2013), the information and communication technology has offered the
opportunity of interaction between the health professionals and patients which has
significantly improved the doubts regarding the diseases asked by the patients without
visiting the office of the physician. The digital communication platform provides a more
flexible approach to healthcare professionals. The applications based on the internet also
holds the possibility to enhance the clinical practice services by better timing, modification as
per the needs of the patient and addition of the guidelines based on evidence in the
information and communication systems, for instance, tools of decision support. After the