ICT in Health and Social Care: Benefits, Software, and Implications

This report provides a detailed analysis of the implementation and impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) within health and social care settings. It begins by highlighting the various benefits of using ICT, such as increased efficiency, improved accuracy in record-keeping, and enhanced patient care through technologies like patient monitoring systems. The report then outlines several software applications used in healthcare, including those for medication management, diagnostics, electronic health records, laboratory management, and patient portals. It also examines the legal considerations associated with ICT, emphasizing the importance of data privacy, security, and the prevention of unauthorized access to sensitive patient information. Finally, the report concludes by emphasizing the significant role of ICT in modern healthcare, supporting better service delivery and improved outcomes for both patients and healthcare providers.

Communication in Health and Social Care
Use of ICT and its benefits in health and social care
Introduction
There are several information and
communication technology that are used in
health and social care organizations. These
helps to make various operations easier,
faster, reliable and effective. There are
several kinds of ICT software packages that
supports the functionalities in the health and
social care organisations.
Purpose Software
Bar-coding Bar Code Medication Administration
Database ACP Smart Medicine, Lexicomp, Micromedex
Diagnostics 3D slider, Drishti, GIMIAS, Xebra, Bestbets, EuResist,
Cybermed
Electronic health
and records
cTAKES, AHLTA, COSTAR, INPS Vision, Vista,
SmartCare, ZEPRS, Datix, NHS connecting for health
Laboratory
management
Elab, STARLIMS, webLIMS
Patients portal MyChart, athernaCommunicator
Personal health
record
Dossia, Microsoft HealthVault, Google Health
Practice
management
Practice Fusion Billing, ClearHealth, OpenHospital,
Dentrix
Research PsychoPy, PEBL
Surgical HipNav
Transmission Microsoft Amalga, Mirth Connect
There are several benefits of using ICT in Health and social care.
Its benefits ranges for providing technical support to the users of
these firms as well as providing assistance to the staffs, nurses and
doctors. There is use of several software that are beneficial in
managing the operations of health care units. It makes the whole
process faster as well as reliable. It increases the efficiency,
standard of service and effectiveness of the whole operations. For
example, the software that can be used for monitoring the patients’
health alarms when there will be any kind of problem, this reduces
the necessity of any medical staff to be present there and all the
medical details of theirs can be obtained from time to time. One of
the primary benefits of using ICT is that it reduces the errors that is
generated while treating the patients while ensuring that there is
clarity in record management and can easily be accessible by the
use of computers. The disadvantage is that if the system crashes
then there could be loss of vital data, this advantage can be reduced
by the use of modern innovations like the cloud storage facility.
There is one more problem that is associated with it is that any
unauthorised person can get access to data for this there must be
proper privacy protocols. It is beneficial in the sense that all the
receipts can be generated electronically. All the X-ray and various
other diagnostic reports can be generated and accessed using
electronic devices. Patients suffering from diseases like Diabetes
can check their sugar level or can manage drug timings using
technology reminder.
There are several implications that are posed
by the use of technology in the health and
social care centres. Providing assistance
using ICT can have impact on the Limbs of
the staff which can cause by the posture that
is maintained at the workplaces or there can
be irritation the eyes. There are several other
issues that needs to be tackled while using
ICT which can be illegal. Like the privacy
right should not be breached i.e. there
should not be any monitoring system that
takes the personal privacy of staffs as well
as service users. Use of these ICT systems
increase the threat to the personal data of the
organisation as confidentially related to
patient’s problems needs to be maintained.
Any kind of breach should result in
monetary or custodial punishments.
Conclusion
The use of ICT is very much beneficial for
the organizations that are working in the
health and social care. This makes the work
easier, effective and helps firms in providing
better assistance to the service users.
Benefits of using ICT Standard ICT software packages
Legal considerations in
use of ICT