The HI 201 End of Semester Report

The first semester of the Masters of Science in Health Informatics (MSHI) course was a very memorable and exciting experience for me. It was a mixture of happiness and anxiety as I was about to enter school again after years of stagnation. One thing more that made me nervous is that it is my first time to work and study at the same time and I do not know if I will be able to cope up with the changes.

Week 1

http://wheresthesausage.typepad.com/my_weblog

          

I’ve enrolled as a part time student and one of the subjects that the course required was to take the core, HI 201- Health Informatics. During the first day of our class, the subject deliverables were explained and was tackled one by one. The professors were also named ahead. I was astonished by the roster, having great names to teach us the foundations of Health Informatics like Dr. Iris Isip-Tan, Dr. Alvin Marcelo, Dr. Mike Muin and the latest addition to the field Sir Isidor Cardenas will be such an honor. As I browse the components of the subject in UVLE, I know my knowledge in the field will be enriched and the questions that I was looking forward to be satisfied will be answered. To start the course, we were asked to express our expectations through writing and blogging. This is like setting the expectations in hardcore mode. After many years of being in front of the computer and using social media, it was my first time to have and man a blog.

http://www.health.wa.gov.au/snapshots/wachs_kimberley_ehealth.cfm

Week 2

We were asked to answer the relevance of Global Health and eHealth through a concept map. Constructing a concept map is difficult because first of all, it was my first time constructing one and I do not know what tool to use for this. I looked samples in the internet and asked my higher batch for this. Luckily, they were kind enough to show me what they did for the same subject. The theme, explain the linkages between Global Health, Informatics and eHealth. Learnings from this assignment took me back to my roots, community health. I’ve engaged Informatics as an integral part of Global Health by means of its nature of creating innovative ways to make the domain easier to understand and provide solutions to known problems. I’ve described Informatics as the bridge that binds the two fields. The role of eHealth (Health through the form of informatics) is one path of achieving optimal global health.

Week 3

http://bachelordegreelink.com/how-earn-bachelor-health-informatics-degree#formPage_1

What are the factors that hinder the advancement of Health Informatics in the Philippines? This the driving question for this week’s assignment. It should be expressed using an infographic. It was my first time to create one. It looks simple but the task ws difficult. First of all you need to find the right infographic tool for the job, I’ve came across three potential tools and none of them met my expectations. First  of all, they are not that easy to use and secondly, you need o have a professional account just to use all the images and styles. So I decide to go old school and used MS Powerpoint instead. It is a bit limiting but I was able to pull it off and answer the driving question. During the presentation of our work, we enumerated various factors that affects or may be crucial reasons of bottlenecks of Health Informatics in the Philippines; we went very deep and neglected the academe part of HI. In the end, our Professor, Dr. Iris Isip-Tan reiterated the importance of the academe to the Health Informatics world.  We learned a lot with her words of wisdom and were enlightened about the broad array of the course.

  

http://www.mindmapart.com/3d-thinking-mind-map-paul-forema/

Week 4

Mind mapping is one the things that HI 201 taught me. Through the mind map I was able to think aloud and transcribe it into writing, share my thoughts to my co-students and fix my scattered ideas into meaningful map. This activity allowed us to think about the HIS sustainability in developing countries like the Philippines. We identified the factors affecting sustainability and dig further with the idea. The idea became sporadic until we were satisfied and were able to answer the driving question. Each factor grew into array of problems and possible solutions. It was a good experience for me since it was again my first time to encounter this. It is one great tool to explain the things and ideas inside an individual’s mind especially during project presentations or even just expressing your thoughts.   

http://venitism.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-american-economy-is-not-free-market.html

Week 5

Week 5 was a bit of challenge. We were asked to research on free market forces and explain if it is essential in building a National Health Infrastructure that can support the eHealth Strategic Framework being planned by the government. My stand for this driving question is that our country has too much to learn and we really need aid from the private sector in terms of infrastructure. The possible venue of a private-public partnership (PPP) should be reconsidered but terms should be introduced to avoid total private sector domination. The Government should be the initiator and the one to maintain sustainability. It should act accordingly by establishing laws and rules. This assignment was difficult in a sense that I recognized that we cannot fetter what the private sector has established and that building the government’s own will make it more complicated, meaning that our status will stand back to zero.

https://www.shrs.pitt.edu/mshis

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Week 6

The Driving Question is: If a hospital information system in one facility is a complex process by itself, how much more complex will a national health information system be? How can government manage this complexity? An information system is complex in the sense that every implementor has many factors to consider. The establishment of an IS (information system) takes a lot hardships along the way. The honest to goodness objective is not enough to properly instate a system that may change people’s lives for the better. Having an initiative is not adequate. Proper dissemination of goals and end-benefits, building a structure communication infrastructure and hand-in-hand cooperation between the private sector, government, end-users and recipients are the essentials of removing the complexity of the National Health System. Planning the early stages using frameworks that suit our country’s status will make the work easier. The most important thing is sustainability planning. We should not be satisfied of just deploying the National Health Information System, we should maintain and upgrade it for the end-users and recipients to continually utilize the system. At the end of the day, our customers, who are the health workers and patients, will matter.   

http://deadlinesandducttape.com/blog/2011/02/17/keep-enterprise-architecture-under-the-hood/

Week 7

This week’s task is to evaluate the 4 frameworks: Zachman, TOGAF, FEA and COBIT5. For me, this the most complicated but very exciting and intriguing week. I believe that the bottleneck of assignments was initiated by this area. One framework will take you 3 to 4 days to study and understand. It took me week to decide that TOGAF was I think the suitable framework for the Philippines. The flexibility nature of this framework made me decide that t can adapt to every aspect of the Philippine eHealth Strategic plan.  TOGAF brings a variety of plans that involve almost all of the agencies connected to the plan. I’ve learned a lot from this assignment, although we were forced to embed these four frameworks in our minds, I am happy to say that the basics were well absorbed and we are ready to be certified and aid in the Philippine eHealth Strategic plan even in our little ways.

http://ihealthtran.com/wordpress/2014/06

Week 8

This was Dr. Mike Muin’s week. The driving question was changed to a series of inquiries depending on the field we are currently working with. I chose the Primary Care Setting for I am part of an Information System deployment team who caters the health centers in Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Area’s (GiDA’s). The question: What are the issues and challenges in implementing an electronic health record in the Primary Care Setting? The guide questions were provided and were answered in a presentation slide. Then it was posted in the Basecamp account of Dr. Muin. He commented to each post hoping to ignite the exchange of views between the students and him. It was very fruitful, I’ve learned in the assignment that the preparations we are doing in engaging the stakeholders of the IS lacks certain components to make it more successful. I’ve also learned that sustainability is the key in implementing a successful project for these areas. Additionally, technical support is vital in maintenance and sustainability.     

Week 9

http://cheyenneregional.org/sites/

Shifting from the Global and National Health Perspective down to the specifics was a relief. On this week, the students were asked to evaluate a Personal Health Record existing on the web or in mobile market. I’ve decided to evaluate Clarus PHR, a mobile PHR designed to be portable and complete to suit the user’s need. I utilized the star rating, a common scale used for rating product and service satisfaction. I’ve based the facts from the references provided with some modifications for the rating. Overall, I’ve rated the application to have 3 stars for some of the important features such as security and patient confidentiality are lacking in the application. From this assignment, I learned how to dissect an application b means of evaluating. I’ve also learned that no application for health records is perfect and that security and privacy are the areas mostly neglected. The completeness of the application should always play second to these areas.

http://rdn-consulting.com/blog/2013/07/28/interoperability-arrested-progress/

Week 10

Week 10 was Dr. Mike Muin’s week once again. For this assignment, we were asked to choose from different scenarios and answer its underlying questions. The scenario I chose was of course on the primary health care setting data flow to the national registry. We were asked how the data from the grassroots using different systems can be passed to the national level. We were also asked the role of each system and identify the triggering factor of each information flow. Additionally, we were asked to identify the ways these facilities will communicate to each other through the use of standards and interoperability. I’ve learned a lot from this activity. I was able to lay out the interoperability of the said facilities using my knowledge in EA, Standards and interoperability that were previously tackled in this subject. Fruitful conversations between Dr. Mike Muin and some of my co-MSHI students provided me some insights that I do not usually encounter in the field. I’ve also learned that everyone has unique methodologies in attacking this domain of interoperability.

Week 11

https://one.telehealth.ph/beta/nthc-events/seminarstrainings/chits/

This is my favorite part of the subject. We were asked to evaluate a Clinical Decision Support component of the Community Health Information Tracking System (CHITS). This information system is close to my heart for the reason that this is a project component of the program our institution currently deploys. CHITS has evolved from basic modules to the different vertical programs of the Department of Health. Alongside with the evolution are clinical decision support components that can aid healthcare professionals deliver optimum care to their patients. It continues to improve to help in achieving better clinical outcomes. The most recent addition to the system is its inventory and appointment system that can aid critically to a community health center decision making. Its automatic computation of BMI, ratios, Expected date of confinement, AOG and Maternal complication risks are just some of the added features compared to the lower versions. Clinical decision support system is one important section an information system should have. It is a great help in making the lives of the health professionals and patients easier and more efficient in terms of providing interventions like treatment, counseling and referral.

http://blog.piratelufi.com/2012/08/data-privacy-act-is-finally-signed-by-aquino/

Weeks 13 and 14

The Data Privacy Act of 2012 has been existing for 2 years and yet it was not yet well implemented. In this assignment, MSHI students were asked to evaluate its adequacy as a law. As per my personal views, it is adequate for it is a customer-centered act. It penalizes mainly the controllers of data which should be the real case. Upon my review of the law, it will benefit everyone’s health data including those whose data are being processed here in the Philippines. The idea of protecting health data is critical given that we do not have adequate protection of these here in our country. The data privacy act enforces everyone to secure the data under their jurisdiction which in return has a great impact on the economic state of the Philippines. As for my insights in this case, I’ve learned how to dissect an act essential to the health informatics world, together with the Cybercrime law, this act will give patients the edge in making sure that their personal health records are safe from persons with malicious intent. For me, I am glad these laws are enacted upon. This means we are slowly gearing up to long term plans of going electronic and be interoperable.

http://www.naccho.org.au/telehealthinfo/home/

Week 15

The task is to pick and evaluate two sections of the proposed Telehealth Bill. The bill was initiated in congress by Congressman Joseph Emilio Abaya, an advocate of the initiation of telemedicine in the country. Together with lead agencies like the Department of Health, the bill was pushed further to Congressional hearings. After years of struggle, it slowly faded away. MSHI students were asked to review the bill and suggest revisions if there are any. As the reports are being presented, we have noticed that the flaw in building the National Telehealth Board and its functions and roles. During the Monday reporting, almost all noticed that the National Telehealth Board part has missing components and members and its responsibilities exceeded what a Board should really do. Learning from the week’s task, we suggested possible revisions on the act. Health informaticists should be aware of the existing laws and acts. He/she should always be vigilant and an advocate of these laws. The review of bills and acts connected to Health Informatics is a good exercise of one’s freedom and professional advocacy, for in the long run, it will not only benefit the patients and users but also profession.

PHC eTriage mock up

Week 16

The assignment for this week was very exciting. We were tasked to propose a mHealth application that does not exist in the market. It should not duplicate any idea that is out in the mobile application stores. Given the chance to propose an application that, I focused on finding a solution on a RHU’s lifelong, problem patient queuing and triaging. I’ve created a mock up to further explain my application’s functionalities.  How is it unique to other triage application? It is patterned to a Philippine Health Center standard workflow. This is definitely a new experience for me, designing and proposing an application was never my forte. Hi 201 provided me this opportunity to showcase my talent in designing and conceptualizing. This assignment was retweeted by a Doctor in Ireland. I was surprised that my blog was followed by the international community, thanks to the network PMIS and UP MSHI provided me.  

Taken from Brain Doctor game

Week 17

The last topic was about gamification for health. This was handled by Sir Isidor Cardenas, one of the recent MSHI graduate and an expert on games related to health. His “Gobbles” became the template of MSHI students who are into programming and developing serious gaming (health). On this assignment, he asked us to evaluate an existing health game application in the market. The driving question, “Can games improve health?” should also be answered. I came across a kid’s game on brain treatment and surgery called “Brain Doctor”, its target users are children aspiring to become doctors someday or individuals who just like to have a feel of doing medical activities in the brain. It is a “Clinical Training Labs” type of game. At the end of the game, it can open awareness to kids and influence them to pursue their medical dreams by means of doing similar to real activities.      

Overall, the entire HI 201 experience provided me with tools for the job and basic but critical knowledge of the course. That is why it called the “Core”, the very foundation of everything. These ideas, tools, learnings and insights will be my armament in continuing the course and even after I graduate and become a full-pledge Health Informatics professional.  Each week’s 3 hour class was worth it. We get to mingle with our co-students, exchange views and created camaraderie. We were taught not to be afraid of the Social Media, not afraid of comments and bashes. Another thing that HI 201 taught us is that we should not be afraid to cross unchartered waters and learn how to swim in our own when our boat sinks.  With the guidance of our Professors, we were able to develop the knowledge required by the course. We managed to increase our level of HI understanding and comprehension as time flies and the semester come to an end.