Information Management System

Submitted by Dr.Abhaysing Bainade (Norwich Business School; UK)

Contact details : abhaybainade@gmail.com

Contents:

1. Background...........................................................................2

1a. Requirement, opportunities and challenge of IS in NHS......................2

1b. Opportunities associated with precise IS of NHS................................3

1c. Challenges associated with precise IS of NHS......................................3

2. The key components of the NHS's external information strategy.........3

2a. Patients..............................................................................................4

2b. Five Key Information Exchanges within patients and NHS...................5

2c. Suppliers.............................................................................................5

2d. Five Key Information Exchanges within Suppliers and NHS..................5

2e. Stakeholders.......................................................................................6

2f. Five Key Information Exchanges within Stakeholders and NHS.............6

3. Implications of External components on Information System of NHS.....7

3a. Demonstration of Implications of external components on IS..............7

4. References............................................................................................9

5. Glossary of Terms.................................................................................10

6. Appendix 1...........................................................................................10

7. Appendix 2...........................................................................................11

Figures:

1. Figure 1: Flow of Information within Internal and External Components' of NHS's Activities......................................................................................4

2. Figure 2: The components of the Information System (IS) and their role while implementing the Information process..........................................8

NHS (NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICES)

(1) Background1:

NHS is world's largest publically funded healthcare organization with over 1.7 million employees which includes 1,20000 hospital doctors, GPs more than 40000 , ambulance staff of around 25000 and more than 400000 nurses 1 In 2009 NHS received the funding of more than £100 billion. NHS also caters to almost 1 million patients every 36 hours. And looking at the vast number of people; processes happening through all the departments; NHS needs to have a robust Information system in place so as to deliver high quality healthcare services.

(1a). Requirement of IS, the opportunities and challenges in NHS (Internal and External Components of NHS's Information System):

NHS represents interesting and massive system model of vast services and huge amount of information flow; to and fro within below mentioned working groups

1. Policy makers and Stakeholders: Department of Health, NHS Trustees, Strategic Health authorities

2. Professional Bodies: GPs, Nurses, Pharmacists and paramedical staff, Clinical research and pharmaco-vigilance department, Ambulance staff

3. Education and training departments

4. Administrative Departments: Logistics, property administrators, maintenance, waste management department, Security Department, Finance and accounts

5. Legal department, Marketing, Public Relation etc.

6. Suppliers: technology, Medical devices, equipments, power and electronic equipments, materials.

7. Most importantly the recipients of NHS's services; the patients

While all these working group function in order to deliver the NHS's objective; the large pool of data and information is exchanged and generated; the challenge is to effectively maintain, transform, build analyse and store the data in a systematic manner and that's where the role of effective and systematic Information Systems (IS) is important and needed. Considering the Value chain2; Information system of NHS should involve vast number of processes so as to fulfil requirements of government, regulators and law, Strategy and planning, structure and performance management and Infrastructure and IT Management. The value of all these processes is realized only when the intended services are delivered to end users. During the entire cycle of process; there are several steps; value of which can not be realized immediately but they are of importance (e.g. data handling) However it is important to eliminate un-necessary processes than non value adding process. E.g. instead of putting large staff on data management it would advisable to build the effective technological structure for data management. It would help to reduce the unnecessary costs.

(1b). Opportunities associated with precise Information System (IS) of NHS:

* Possibility of creating a Technical information System: Better delivery of the services by means of effective process and advanced technology

* People empowerment with prompt solutions, effective flow of information through NHS's organizational structure so as to develop and progress the motive of the firm and develop new effective processes

* Enhancement in transactional and transformational capabilities

* Chances of inventing new effective processes

(1c). Challenges associated with precise Information System (IS) of NHS:

* To establish; how management, public and clinical needs be met effectively

* Integration of IT, Healthcare services and social responsibilities

* Confidentiality, Security and control