Use of ICT in Health and Social Care: Benefits, Legal Considerations, and Impact

This article discusses the use of ICT in health and social care, including the benefits for patients, care workers, and organizations. It also covers legal considerations and the impact of ICT on health and social care. The article provides examples of standard software packages used in health and social care, such as electronic health records and bar-code verification technology. The importance of security and confidentiality of medical data is also discussed.

Running head: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author’s note

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Access and use of standard ICT software packages to support work in health and social
care
With the increasing complexities of the health care and the increasing roles of the
health care professionals, the care workers are using various standard software packages for
supporting work in health and social care (Andreassen et al. 2015). A wide array of the ICT
applications are being used now starting from “clinical imaging processing, e-therapy, use of
the electronic health records, mobile health apps.
One of the example of the use of the standards ICT software package is the use of a
premium health care scanner. The DS8100-HC Series premium handheld medical scanner for
healthcare environments. It can work on virtually every barcode in any situation, providing
maximum protection against the spread of the bacteria.
Link: https://www.zebra.com/ap/en/products/scanners/healthcare-scanners.html#mainpar-
productseries_43f3

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Health care scanner
Benefits of using ICT in health and Social care
Health and social care is benefitted by the use of the ICT due to a large number of
factors. Its reliability, flexibility, effectiveness and less time consumption makes it an effective
tool in the delivery of a safe care (Finkelstein et al. 2014). It is used for patient admission,
medication administration and specimen collection.
From perspective of a user
1. Patients can communicate with the physicians through the internet without direct in-office
visits. Clients will reduce the instants to go for an actual visit to the clinic, saving time and
money.
2. Users using ICT such as Email and electronic remainder via SMS and mobile application are
less likely to miss hospital appointments or vaccination shots (Pimmer et al. 2012). Diabetic
patients can use electronic devices to check their readings and keeping electronic log books
for future use.

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Care worker
1. Use of ICT in health care reduces the chance of occurrence of the medical errors and helps the
providers to diagnose the patients effectively. Serious medication errors can be reduced by using the
bar-code verification technology within the electronic medication-administration system (bar-code
eMAR (Poon et al. 2010). It allows the nurses to document the administration of the drugs with the
help of the bar-code scanning, as medication verification using the barcode at the bed side imports the
medication order directly from the order entry of the physician or the pharmacy system (Poon et al.
2010).
2. One of the appropriate example in this context is the use of the Electronic health records (HER).
EHR can be referred to as an electronic version of the medical history of the patients, where all the
medical information regarding the patient in compiled in one set of records. The medical information
might involve diagnostic test results, medical imaging and more (Núñez-Naveira et al.2016). It
provides an accurate, updated and complete information regarding the patient and enables secure
sharing of the medical information between the members of a multidisciplinary team under privacy
and confidentiality. A bulk of patient’s information can be stored on a computer, rather than hard
copies that occupies lots of space and can be easily misplaced. All the information can be accessed at
once in less time (Button et al. 2014).

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For the organization
1. Use of software packages such as spreadsheets helps in an accurate and streamlined
coding and billing procedure.
2. When a care provide offers test by computer, it can automatically display the information
that promotes cost effectiveness testing and treatment (Gagnon et al. 2013). The work
stations that used electronic medical records have shown reduced cost. The total charges
used per admission were reduced by several hundred dollars, when the work stations were
used to electronic medical records rather than writing all the patient information. The
paperless information system has not only helped to reduce costs but have also helped to
decrease the paper waste.

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Legal considerations in the use of ICT and impact on health and social care
1. Various legal considerations comes in to play while using ICT in health and social
care. It has to be remembered that the success of an ICT depends on how relevant
the application is as per our culture. All cultures does not imply ICT in health
care field (Collste et al. 2006).
2. The internet pharmacy are now in vogue to provide health care services. One
important legal issues involving the internet pharmacies is whether the medical
pharmacists or the practitioners providing the online services have the proper
license to practice in that respective jurisdiction , where they or the consumers
resides, or whether the drugs prescribed to the patients are legally accepted in
the concerned jurisdiction (Collste et al. 2006). Online consultations are also
provided by the internet pharmacies that can be used as the bases for prescribing
the medicines can raise important legal issues, specially related to civil liability
and confidentiality. The patient will not be able to know if the online consultations
are bring watched by a third party.
3. The information system that is used to store, access and transmit the health care
medical data by the use of the computer databases. Inadequate security can lead
to unauthorized access and interception of the communication. This can raise may
arise many legal concerns such as sustaining the confidentiality of the data, the
dependability and the quality of the records of the patient (Wilkowska and Ziefle
2012). The security of the medical data is important as medical information
disclosure can affect a patient (discrimination, stigmatization). Doctor patient
confidentiality can be breached in case of using emails as emails are also subjected

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to being intercepted at the time of transmission and can be read by others.
Furthermore unauthorized access directly breaches the Data protection Act, which
involves the protection of the patients’ medical records and limitations on the
disclosure of the information without consent (Fernández-Alemán et al. 2013).
4. Another important legal concern is the possible liability for the malpractices for
the transmission of wrong or inappropriate telemedicine. Questions may arise as
to how one can legally address the medical errors related to telemedicine or the
incompetence of the doctor in using the technology properly (Fernández-Alemán
et al 2013).
Conclusion
Although ICT can give benefits to health and social care , but the benefits depends upon
the broad adoption of the ICT by the one who are technologically aware , but special attention
should also be given to the simplification of the information technology such that it is accessible
to all. In addition the health and the social care professionals should also consider the ethical and
the legal issues related to the use of the ICTs in health care setting and ensure a proper
channelization of the health information.

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