The Compititive Of Data Base Management

Information Management continued to be among one of the fastest growing aspects in Medicare and other facets in the business world. The article delves into the new found necessities that are incumbent in information management. There are integrated systems that have different modules for financial aspects, marketing, clinical, etc. , however that all share the same common data elements. The article goes further to advice what makes this system effective. This method makes it where no one has to take the time to enter data repeatedly, the data is collected up front and are distributed to other modules simultaneously.

This in essence will save staff time and remove instances of possible errors. However even with positives there are negatives, Szatala (2000) does a wonderful job in this article describing the positive in the database. (Schultz, 1999) reports that there should be concern regarding financial aspects of the database. The government's chief watchdog for the year-2000 computer crisis yesterday disputed administration claims that Medicare computers would be fixed in time to prevent disruption of payments to hospitals and doctors after Jan. 1.

Joel Willemssen, director of the General Accounting Office's accounting and information management division, said, "There is a high probability of system failures" in Medicare's computers that pay approximately $288 billion worth of medical bills for 70 million elderly people. His assessment contradicted Nancy-Ann DeParle, administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), who told the House Government Reform and Oversight subcommittee on government management, information, and technology that Medicare users should not expect any disruptions in their payment or services.

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Managed care organizations want understandable, reliable information to help them decide which long-term care facility is best able to provide cost-effective care, and the facility wants to be able to profit from the contract. Meanwhile, with PPS, Medicare wants to know especially what it is paying for, and why Errors can result in a facility losing money or, worse, being prosecuted for fraud (Szatala, 2000). This important aspect shows what is viewed as necessary and warranted by Medicare.

Through the years that have been issues of what is covered and what is not covered, as well as for how long, not to mention if these processes were truly necessary. The data set incorporates so many aspects that at one time were singularly controlled. This allows the opportunity for a system to be more efficient, reduce timed errors, as well as reduce the amount of questions that are often created through all of the processes that were done individually at one time.

An important aspect in the article explains how having a system that incorporates all of these aspects, can be nothing but an asset to any business. Facilities that are able to create patient profiles can effectively communicate with managed care organizations concerning the outcomes data i. e. length of stay, re-hospitalization, resident satisfaction, and clinical outcomes (Szatala, 2000). There are aspects in the article that create a strong impact , as well as drive even further the necessary aspects of having such a compiled system.

Szatala (2000) does a great job of expressing what the database can do, as well as how much easier it makes the lives of staff and other personnel. Information systems can also support informed decision-making, as well as increase the operational efficiency of a long-term care facility. A marketing information system is most helpful in supporting decision making by tracking inquiries, actual admissions and discharges, and donors who support the facility. A facility can also use those data for trending, attempting to pinpoint the appropriate market area and customer profile.

Judson has a marketing information system that tracks inquiries, prospective residents, admissions, and discharges. It also helps correlate data from marketing activities to create customer profiles, allowing us to capitalize on our marketing dollar. (Szatala, 2000) This only supports and gives further reason as to why this data system is necessary and proficient. A system that can incorporate daily activities as well as projected timelines and proficiencies is both a necessity and requirement for proficient data collection, and retrieval.

Another program currently in use is a scheduling/staffing system that is linked to the payroll system. Employee schedules are computerized. Employees swipe the time clock with their badges, enabling the system to allocate benefits and generate payroll. (Szatala, 2000) here the writer expresses how this system is effective in another aspect of everyday business. A task that once had to handle individually can now be utilized as part of a bigger system. This also shows how this database is more efficient than current systems in use.

Another innovative clinical system combines fall prevention with monitoring incontinence. The system is an ultra thin sensor that is placed in a brief worn by the resident, so that when the resident becomes incontinent, it detects the wetness. The sensor sends a signal to a beeper that the resident assistant carries. We tie this into a fall prevention program, since data show that residents often fall because they either have to go to the bathroom or they are already wet and trying to escape the wetness.

The system also tracks the incontinence data and creates a graph tracking when the resident is incontinent, so that we can determine a pattern and develop toileting programs. (Szatala, 2000) Here is an example of how this database not only can be effective in paper processing and data compilation and retrieval. This system can give a more efficient way of helping patients, a way to make their lives a little easier as well as give caregivers an opportunity to know when certain things that are going on with their patient(s).

There is also a bar code system. All resident equipment and supplies are swiped by a hand-held scanner. The equipment used for a resident goes directly to that resident's bill. We will use this system for inventory. Collecting and analyzing outcomes for managed care can be efficient and effective with or without a complex information system. We have learned over the years, for instance, that the resident's MDS is an absolute wealth of information; we have used these data for quality improvement initiatives, as well as for discussions with managed care.

Most facilities, however, have not used these data fully. Now with the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) requiring the use of quality indicators and the fact that these data are used in surveys, everyone is getting smarter about the MDS. (Szatala, 2000) Again, this shows the versatility of the database. All of the positives depicted in the writing far outweigh the negatives. Computer malfunctions are possible in any situation; therefore, they should not be viewed as a hindrance in this situation or any others.

This article truly gives insight into the ways that the lives of caregivers and patients can be improved and better maintained. Medicare is something that has become a growing concern; it has also become necessary to create effective ways of dealing with data i. e. financial, personal, or patients. This article truly expresses how a database of this nature can do nothing else but improve all aspects of Medicare and the individual. It is time for working more efficiently instead of harder. It is time to learn how to make technology work for us instead of against us, this article shows how that is possible.

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