Health Informatics: CDSS, Telehealth, and SOA System Analysis

This assignment solution explores the concepts of Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) and Telehealth within the field of Health Informatics. The solution begins with an analysis of the Quick Medical Reference (QMR) system, detailing its function as a large database used by healthcare professionals for diagnosing adult illnesses, minimizing clinical errors, and aiding in the identification of emerging diseases. The solution highlights the benefits of QMR in improving diagnostic accuracy and patient care. The assignment then transitions to discuss Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), explaining its role in facilitating the smooth sharing of information and resources across healthcare organizations. The solution emphasizes how SOA enhances patient-centered care by enabling accurate information flow and supporting interoperability. The benefits of SOA include improved clinical workflow, reduced time spent per patient, and the ability for healthcare providers to make decisions beyond their organizational boundaries.

Running head; CDSS AND TELE HEALTH IN HEALTH INFORMATICS 1
CDSS and Tele health in Health Informatics
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CDSS and Tele health in Health Informatics 2
Part 1 QMR
A clinical decision support system refers to technology put in place to analyse data to
assist health care workers to make sound clinical decisions. Examples of CDSS in place include
MYCIN and QMR. The Quick Medical Reference (QMR) refers to a large information database
of diseases, symptoms, laboratory tests, physical signs and medical history (Nøhr Kuziemsky
Elkin Marcilly and Pelayo 2019). QMR is used by doctors and especially interns to diagnose
adult illnesses in an environment that has various diseases which may have contrasting clinical
manifestations. QMR provides electronic access to the diseases which makes it easy for health
workers to quickly identify and diagnose a disease while also minimizing clinical errors. In
addition, the QMR may also help in the identification of a new or emerging disease.
QMR is widely used by health workers due to the numerous challenges that it helps to
solve. In the clinical practice, diagnostic errors are common with new workers and in the
presence of emerging diseases. In addition, physicians also consult the database to help make
accurate clinical judgements and evaluations which helps to minimize errors, to improve
physician skills and to improve the quality of care. In the past, QMR has also been used to
provide several treatment options to a disease which helps physicians to assist patients in making
health choices (Miller 2016).
Part 2 SOA
The Service Oriented Architecture refers to systems and principles that allow smooth
sharing of information and resources across the healthcare organization. The SOA is efficient in
providing patient centred care and support services due to sharing of accurate information and
guidelines on patient support systems and procedures. SOA is more efficient in patient care and

CDSS and Tele health in Health Informatics 3
service provision as it incorporates internet applications with patient safety taking a central
theme in service provision. SOA assists in implementation of security directives and semantic
interoperability in the health care system which allows health workers to work together beyond
organizational boundaries to provide patient centred care through smooth and accurate sharing of
patient information. The system allows patients to receive services from several health facilities
due to the smooth and accurate information flow which helps patients to make sound financial
decisions based on their location. A fully functioning SOA system re uses information and
creates a library of information that helps to facilitate interoperability without incurring
additional costs (Avila, Sanmartin, Jabba and Jimeno 2017..
The service oriented architecture allows room for constant changes geared towards the
improvement of services, clinical data management and incorporation of technological
advancements in the management of diseases Gazzarata, Giannini and Giacomini 2017). Service
integration allows health care providers to also make decisions that are not limited to the health
organization. This may include making referrals or scheduling of patient visits and appointments
in other hospitals, outsourcing staff as well as accessing information without the need to
synchronize data in distant health facilities. Clinical workflow is also reduced as the clinical
work is significantly reduced by the increased data access. The amount of time spent on each
patient is also significantly reduced creating more time for other patients as well as quality
improvement.

CDSS and Tele health in Health Informatics 4
References
Avila, K., Sanmartin, P., Jabba, D., & Jimeno, M. (2017). Applications Based on Service-
Oriented Architecture (SOA) in the Field of Home Healthcare. Sensors, 17(8), 1703.
Gazzarata, R., Giannini, B., & Giacomini, M. (2017). A SOA-based platform to support clinical
data sharing. Journal of healthcare engineering, 2017.
Miller, R. A. (2016). Diagnostic decision support systems. In Clinical decision support
systems (pp. 181-208). Springer, Cham.
Nøhr, C., Kuziemsky, C. E., Elkin, P. L., Marcilly, R., & Pelayo, S. (2019). Sustainable Health
Informatics: Health Informaticians as Alchemists. Studies in health technology and
informatics, 265, 3-11.