Dissertation Example on the Role of Electronic Medical Records in Healthcare Management

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This study was carried out to determine the role of electronic medical records (EMRs) in service quality and safety in outpatient department (OPD) in HGH. To achieve this objective, the study covered several themes in line with the experience of patients in HGH. Therefore, the research examined the importance of records in hospital patient management and the comparative nature of hospital information systems in the past and the present. The paper also assessed the significance of EMRs in the administration of healthcare centers in OPD and the role that the policy of health care in OPD play in sustaining the contribution of EMR in quality advancement. Furthermore, another area that was included in the assessment is the advantages and disadvantages of EMR in hospital OPD management. The themes provided a baseline for the appropriate recommendations on how the use of EMR can be improved in the OPD in HGH.

The interpretive case study research found out that the adoption of EMR in HGH is essential in patient management, improves the patient-staff relationship, increases utility in medical billing activities, and enhance patient security. The study also found out that the use of EMR in OPD is essential because it reduces redundancy, improves quality of patient service, and enhances the level of patient information privacy. In HGH, the use of EMR in OPD has been advantageous because it has enabled the hospital to save on floor space, improve profits, ease data access, and save time. The study also noted that the use of EMR in HGH has contributed to the increasing level of service quality and efficiency in the hospital.

The study has been divided into chapters, which aligns with the structure and flow of the content. The first introductory chapter provides the background and justification of the study as the baseline of the study. The statement of the problem and the objectives have also been aligned. The second chapter is the literature review while the third one is the methodology. The fourth chapter presents the findings while the fifth is the discussion of the results in connection with the literature review. The final chapter concludes the study and highlights the key recommendations.

Abstract

The increase in medical knowledge has impacted the delivery and management of the healthcare services and sharing of information. This paper considers the plausible adoption, implementation, and use of the EMR system in hospitals by analyzing the impact of such systems. The literature review of this study draws from several issues that contribute to the broad topic of hospital adoption of EMR; its importance, advantages, disadvantages, roles played and challenges of implementation among other issues. Using mixed methods research strategy, the actual study takes place at the outpatient department in HGH, where 14 of the staff members were purposively selected for a case study. The analysis of findings draws for the literature review with the aim of augmenting the primary research with past studies. The study concludes by suggesting that hospitals adopt EMR because of its positive impact on improving service delivery and safety of patient data. Finally, it gives recommendations, most of which touch on the protection and preservation of patient data through better technology adoption.

Keywords: EMR, Healthcare services, Outpatient department, Patient data

Acknowledgment

To begin with, I would like to pass my sincere thanks to my research advisor [Insert title and name of your professor here] for his unparalleled support in writing this dissertation. He has been patient with me, taking me through every step of the writing. During all this time, he was a motivation that I needed to continue with the challenging task. His enthusiasm and expansive knowledge notwithstanding, I could not have had a better mentor than him.

Apart from my advisor, I also take the opportunity to pass my gratitude to the thesis committee led by [Insert title and name of Panel head] and supported by [mention all the other members of the thesis committee in order of seniority] for their support in all the stages of writing this dissertation. In particular, I want to thank them for the hard questions since they made me think harder to get better solutions to the research question.

My other sincere thanks go to the CEO of HGH for allowing me to take an internship at the hospital and even conduct this study. I learned a lot during my stay at HGH, and I can relate to best practice wherever I work in future.

Lastly, I thank my colleagues in this course: [Mention few- Up to a maximum of 5]. He had stimulating discussions most of the time we met in academic circles. We also had lots of fun when time allowed.

Lastly, I pass my family members for the encouragement throughout the course. The financial and spiritual support they granted me cannot be underestimated.

Dedication

This dissertation is dedicated to [insert the name of the person you want to devote to] for [indicate the reason why you are devoting it to them].

Structure of the Study

Chapter one has provided the background associated with the research. The paper has offered the preliminary overview regarding the adoption, implementation, and use of the EMR system in hospitals. The section also includes a highlight of the historical perspective characterizing the use and adoption of EMR in healthcare management. The statement of the problem, as well as the justification of the study, has also been featured in the first chapter of this paper. The second chapter has been dedicated to the literature review. The section has evaluated scholarly perspectives regarding the topic to determine the current dimensions in knowledge. Diverse publications have been appraised based on their interrelation to the objectives associated with this study. The third chapter is dedicated to the methodology where the design, philosophy, and method related to the procedures of attaining the designated objectives have been expounded. Chapter four and five have presented the findings and results and offered a comprehensive discussion of the emerging themes. The debate has been founded on the scope of the research questions as well as the objectives that guided the assessment of the topic. The last chapter is associated with the conclusions from the discussion as well as the recommendations based on the reflection on the themes of the results. The paper has incorporated the dimension of emerging trends and future considerations while establishing the recommendations. Therefore, the study is characterized by six major sections to enhance the process of presentation.

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

The increase in medical knowledge has impacted the delivery and management of the healthcare services and information. The advancement in technology has enhanced the collection, processing, storage, retrieval, and use of data (Bello-Orgaz, Jung and Camacho 2016). One of the critical areas in patient care that have been associated with diverse and complex transformations over the recent decades is the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) management. Changes in the investigation and treatment of the various health complications have impacted the need to keep in touch with progress and deviations in patient care. Therefore, transforming the record-keeping process in health practice to electronic-based form is one of the remarkable management changes in healthcare (Castillo, Martinez-Garciaa, and Pulido, 2010; Cowie et al., 2016; Fields et al., 2015). While the need for efficiency in customer service is depicted in all sectors of investment, addressing patient needs goes beyond the customer experience since evidence-base...