Stage 1: Organizational Analysis and Requirements
OVERVIEW
Before you begin work on this assignment, be sure you have read the Case Study Background document. Refer to the System Recommendation Report – Table of Contents – below to see where you are in the process of developing this report.
As a professional medical consultant, you have been asked to conduct an analysis, develop a set of system requirements and propose an Electronic Health Records (EHR) system to improve the Red River Family Clinic’s processes. This work will be completed in four stages, and each of these four stages will focus on one section of an overall System Recommendation Report to be delivered to the Red River Family Clinic.
The sections of the System Recommendation Report will be developed and submitted as four staged assignments. In stages 2, 3 and 4, you will also incorporate any feedback received when the previous stage is graded to improve the effectiveness of your overall report and then add the new section to your report. At the end of the course, you will submit a complete System Recommendation Report that includes all the sections and changes that resulted from previous feedback. A key to successful business writing is quality and conciseness rather than quantity.
The sections are described below and the graphic that follows provides the detailed outline and Table of Contents for this report:
Introduction – Provides background and sets the stage for the rest of the document. To be written and submitted as part of Stage 1.
Section I: Organizational Analysis and Requirements (Stage 1) – The first step is to look at the organization and explain how an EHR system could benefit the Red River Family Clinic’s processes.
Section II: Data Sharing (Stage 2) – Next you will explain, the types of data that need to be shared with other organizations, and what data interchange standards should be used.
Section III: Ethical, Legal and Regulatory Policy Issues (Stage 3) – Then you will analyze the ethical, legal and regulatory policy issues that impact the EHR solution for the Red River Family Clinic.
Section IV: System Recommendation (Stage 4) – Finally, you will identify a certified EHR system for the Red River Family Clinic, and explain what improvements the Clinic can expect, how it meets the requirements, and what needs to be done to implement the system at the Clinic.
Conclusion – Summarizes the document. To be written and submitted as part of Stage 4.
References – List of references. A separate page developed as part of Stage 1 with references added (in alphabetical order) as other sections are added to the report.
Begin by creating a title page to include your name, course information and date; followed by a page break.
On a separate page, create the Table of Contents, which you will update as you add the sections of the Report.
Note that each section has its own introduction and summary.
| System Recommendation Report Table of Contents Report Introduction (completed as part of Stage 1) II. Organizational Analysis and Requirements (Stage 1) A. Introduction B. Strategic Use of Technology C. Components of an Information System Functional RequirementsSummary II. Data Sharing (Stage 2) A. Introduction B. Need to Share Data C. Types of Data to be Shared D. Data Interchange Standards E. Summary III. Ethical, Legal and Regulatory Policy Issues (Stage 3) A. Introduction B. Table of Ethical, Legal and Regulatory Policy Issues C. Addressing the Most Difficult Issue Summary IV. System Recommendation (Stage 4) A. Introduction B. Proposed IT solution C. How the Proposed IT Solution Meets the Requirements Improvements from Proposed IT Solution E. Implementation Considerations Summary Report Conclusion (completed as part of Stage 4) References (updated in each stage) |
System Recommendation Report (SRR),
Section I – Organizational Analysis and Requirements
Section I of the SRR document contains an organizational analysis and identifies ways in which an Electronic Health Record (EHR) system can help the Red River Family Clinic to meet its strategic goals. The next step is to identify data and functional requirements for the EHR system. This analysis lays the ground work for the rest of SRR, as the recommendation for an EHR must support the Clinic’s strategic goals and meet its functional and data requirements.
Stage 1 Assignment Instructions
Using the case study, the overview above, Course Content readings, and external resources, develop your Introduction and Section I: Organizational Analysis and Requirements. Recommended lengths for each section are provided and you should be sure to include all pertinent information.
Introduction– briefly describe (at a high level) the organization in the Case Study; provide a context for the rest of the document. (one to two paragraphs)
- Organizational Analysis and Requirements
- Introduction – Introduction to this section describing what is included. (3-4 sentences)
- Strategic Use of Technology – Using the Strategic Goals section of
the Case Study, list three strategic goals that have been identified by the Red
River Family Clinic, and
that can be supported with an EHR system.
For each, explain how an EHR system can be used to support the goal. (Introductory
sentence and list of three strategic goals with one to two strong sentences
that explain how an EHR system would support the strategic goal and justify
your position with specifics from the Case Study.)
- Strategic Goal 1 and explanation:
- Strategic Goal 2 and explanation:
- Strategic Goal 3 and explanation:
- Components of an Information System – An information system is comprised of
people, technology, processes (or organizational components), and data. Explain each of the following in relationship
to an EHR system to support the Red River Family Clinic:
- People – List the people who would use the new EHR system by name and role, and identify two things that person needs (functions) the system to do to help them with their job. Consider our discussion on people involved in an information system. (Provide an introductory sentence for Section C, and a sentence on people followed by a list of the people who will use the system and their roles.)
A. Person 1 and role, and two functions
B. Person 2 and role, and two functions
C. Person 3 and role, and two functions
- Organizational Processes – List three processes that are used at the Clinic that would be supported by an EHR system and explain how the processes would be improved using an EHR system. (Provide an introductory sentence and list/explanation of three processes.)
A. Process 1 and how it would be improved
B. Process 2 and how it would be improved
C. Process 3 and how it would be improved
- Data – The new EHR system will need to collect, store and process data. An example of needed data is “Name of Patient.” The case study provides insight into the kinds of data that will be needed. First, insert an introductory opening sentence for this section. Then identify ten (10) critical data items for this EHR system solution. (Provide an introductory sentence and copy the table and insert information within.)
| Data Items Needed for EHR System |
- Functional Requirements – The next step is to identify the essential requirements for the EHR system. Review the processes and data items you listed above and create a list of ten (10) requirements. Each requirement is one sentence in length and addresses one specific thing the system SHALL or MUST do. The requirements are documented in a table, as shown below.
For a full requirement specification, there will be many requirements statements; you only need to provide ten. The requirements should be derived from the Case Study; an analyst should not “invent” requirements. Provide an introductory sentence and copy the table and insert information within.
| Functional Requirements of EHR System |
- Summary – briefly summarize the content of this section and tie the information together for the reader. (3-4 sentences)
Formatting Your Assignment
For academic writing, the writer is expected to write in the third person. In third person, the writer avoids the pronouns I, we, my, you, your, and ours. The third person is used to make the writing more objective by taking the individual, the “self,” out of the writing. This method is very helpful for academic writing, a form in which facts, not opinion, drive the tone of the text. Writing in the third person allows the writer to come across as unbiased and thus more informed. The Report is to be written for the Red River Family Clinic, and reference should not be made by name to individuals who own or work in the Clinic.
- Write a short concise paper: Use the recommendations provided in each area for length of response. Content areas should be double spaced; table entries should be single-spaced. It’s important to value quality over quantity. The body (Introduction to the report and Section I) of the assignment should not exceed 6 pages.
- Ensure each section has an introductory sentence or two that sets the stage for the information to follow.
- Ensure that each of the tables is preceded by an introductory sentence that explains what is contained in the table, so the reader understands why the table has been included.
- Use at least two resources with APA formatted citation and reference. Use at least one external reference and one from the course content.
- Compare your work to the Assignment Instructions above and the Evaluation Criteria/Grading Rubric below to be sure you have met content and quality criteria. Do not overlook this step. Read your work out loud or have your computer read it to you. Fix the grammar and other areas identified.
- Submit your paper as a Word document, or a document that can be read in Word.
- Your submission filename should be as follows: Lastname_firstname_Stage_1
EVALUATION CRITERIA/GRADING RUBRIC:
| Criteria | 90-100% Far Above Standards | 80-89% Above Standards | 70-79% Meets Standards | 60-69% Below Standards | < 60% Well Below Standards | Possible Points |
| Report Introduction | 5 Points Describes the organization and provides an effective introduction to the Report; is clear, logical, derived from the Case Study; and demonstrates a sophisticated level of writing. | 4 Points Describes the organization and provides an introduction to the Report; is clear, logical, and derived from the Case Study. | 3.5 Points Describes the organization and provides an introduction to the Report; is adequate, and derived from the Case Study. | 3 Points Not clear, logical and/or derived from the Case Study. | 0-2 Points Not included, or demonstrates little effort. | 5 |
| Section Introduction and Summary | 5 Points Provides effective introduction and summary to Section I; is clear, logical, derived from the Case Study; and demonstrates a sophisticated level of writing. | 4 Points Provides an introduction and summary to Section I; is clear, logical, and derived from the Case Study. | 3.5 Points Provides an introduction and summary to Section I; is adequate, and derived from the Case Study. | 3 Points Not clear, logical and/or derived from the Case Study. Or, either the introduction or summary is not included. | 0-2 Points Not included, or demonstrates little effort. | 5 |
| Strategic Goals How the system will support three of the organization’s strategic goals | 13-15 Points The explanation is clear, logical and fully supported using a sophisticated level of writing. | 12 Points The explanation is clear, logical and supported. | 10-11 Points The explanation is provided and supported. | 9 Points The explanation is not clear, logical and/or supported. | 0-8 Points The explanation is not included or demonstrates little effort. | 15 |
| Components The 3 people, 3 processes, and 10 data items | 31-35 Points Fully and logically explained, are clearly related to the Case Study, and demonstrate a sophisticated level of analysis and writing. | 28-30 Points Logically explained, are related to the Case Study, and demonstrate analysis and effective writing. | 24-27 Points Explanation provided and relates to the Case Study. | 21-23 Points Not all clearly explained and/or are not related to the Case Study. | 0-20 Points Not all addressed or little effort is demonstrated. | 35 |
| Requirements 10 functional requirements | 18-20 Points Correctly identified and sourced; clearly derived from the Case Study; demonstrates sophisticated analysis. | 16-17 Points Identified and sourced; requirements are derived from the Case Study; demonstrates effective analysis. | 14-15 Points Identified and sourced; requirements are related to the Case Study. | 12-13 Points Less than 10 requirements are identified and sourced; and/or information provided is not correct; and/or requirements are not all related to the Case Study. | 0-11 Points Few or no requirements are listed; sources are incorrect; and/or requirements are not related to the Case Study. | 20 |
| Research Two or more sources–one source from within the IFSM 305 course content and one external (other than the course materials) | 9-10 Points Required resources are incorporated and used effectively. Sources used are relevant and timely and contribute strongly to the analysis. References are appropriately incorporated and cited using APA style. | 8.5 Points At least two sources are incorporated and are relevant and somewhat support the analysis. References are appropriately incorporated and cited using APA style. | 7.5 Points Only one resource is used and properly incorporated and/or reference(s) lack correct APA style. | 6.5 Points A source may be used, but is not properly incorporated or used, and/or is not effective or appropriate; and/or does not follow APA style for references and citations. | 0-5 Points No course content or external research incorporated; or reference listed is not cited within the text | 10 |
| Format | 9-10 Points Well organized and easy to read. Very few or no errors in sentence structure, grammar, and spelling; double-spaced, written in third person and presented in a professional format. | 8.5 Points Effective organization; has few errors in sentence structure, grammar, and spelling; double-spaced, written in third person and presented in a professional format. | 7.5 Points Some organization; may have some errors in sentence structure, grammar and spelling. Report is double spaced and written in third person. | 6.5 Points Not well organized, and/or contains several grammar and/or spelling errors; and/or is not double-spaced and written in third person. | 0-5 Points Extremely poorly written, has many grammar and/or spelling errors, or does not convey the information. | 10 |
| TOTAL Points Possible | 100 |
Red River Family Clinic Case Study
In 2006, Dr. Jaxson Scherzer opened the Red River Family Clinic, a small family medicine practice, in an area with an increasing number of new family residences. Dr. Scherzer has been the owner and manager of the medical practice, as well as its only practitioner. He has two nurses, Tamara and Sophie, to help him. Usually, one nurse takes care of the front desk responsibilities while the other nurse assists the doctor during the patient visits. They rotate duties each day.
Front desk duties include all administrative work from answering the phone, scheduling appointments, taking prescription refill requests, billing, faxing, and so on. If on Monday, Tamara is helping the doctor, then it is Sophie who takes care of the front desk and all office work. On Tuesday, they will switch duties. The two nurses are constantly busy and running around, and patients are now accustomed to a minimum 1-2 hour wait before being seen by the doctor. If one nurse is absent, the situation is even worse in the Clinic. The Clinic has three examination rooms, so Dr. Scherzer is now considering bringing a new physician or nurse practitioner on board. This would help him grow his practice, provide better service to his patients, and possibly reduce the patients’ waiting time. Dr. Scherzer knows that this will increase the administrative overhead, and he knows that the two nurses will not be able to manage any additional administrative work. He faces several challenges and cannot yet afford to hire any additional staff, so Dr. Scherzer has to optimize his administrative and clinical operations. The practice is barely covering the expenses and salaries at the moment.
Dr. Scherzer’s practice operation is completely paper-based with traditional paper medical records filling his front office shelves. The only software the doctor has on his front office computer is a stand-alone appointment scheduling system. Although the medical practice has the one PC with the scheduling software and an Internet connection, it does not have a Web site or any other technology, and essentially still operates the same as it did in 2006.
Even billing insurance companies is done in a partially-manual way. For billing insurance, the front office nurse has to fax all the needed documentation to a third party medical billing company at the end of the day. The medical billing company then submits the claim to the insurance company and bills the patient. The Clinic checks the status of the claims by logging into the medical billing system, through a login that the medical billing company has provided the Clinic to access its account. There is no billing software installed at the practice, but the nurses open Internet Explorer to the URL of the medical billing company and then use the login provided by the third party medical billing company. Of course, the medical billing company charges the Clinic a percentage of the amount that the Clinic is reimbursed by the insurance.
One problem that is immediately noticeable is that there is no quick way to check patients in. If the front desk nurse is on the phone while a patient tries to check in, then the patient has to wait until she has completed her call. The doctor could be also waiting for the patient to be checked in, wasting the doctor’s valuable time. Many patients experience long waits on the phone when they are trying to schedule an appointment, while the front desk nurse is checking in patients or responding to another patient’s request in the office. In addition, every year the Clinic requires its patients to complete a form with their personal and insurance information, rather than have them just verify what is currently in their file. This form completion annoys some of the parents when they have to fill out all this paperwork, especially if they are taking care of their sick young child in the waiting room.
When a patient’s laboratory test results are received in the office, the paper copy has to be filed in the patient’s folder. Lost and misfiled reports are a big concern to Dr. Scherzer, as is his inability to quickly and easily share patient data when he makes a referral to a specialist. He believes that he and his staff are spending too much time handling paper and not enough time improving patient care.
All of the medical records, lab results, and financial and payroll accounts are kept on paper. There is not a quick way to look up a patient’s history or current prescriptions during office visits, or when the doctor gets a call while he is away from the office. At the beginning of each day, the nurses pull the files for all patients who have appointments scheduled for that day. However, the Clinic also accepts walk-in patients.
At a recent medical conference Dr. Scherzer learned about how Electronic Health Records (EHR) can be shared among health care providers to improve patient outcomes. After attending several demonstrations by the different vendors, including ClinicalWorks, AthenaHealth, and Cerner, he realized how inefficiently his practice is running and realized many of the opportunities that EHR systems can bring.
Dr. Scherzer recognizes many of the benefits of moving to electronic medical records but feels very overwhelmed about how to start and what to do. He is also concerned about disruption to his practice which may negatively affect his patients’ care experience. Moreover, neither the doctor nor the nurses have any knowledge or experience when it comes to information technology. Upon the recommendation of a fellow doctor, Dr. Scherzer has decided to hire an independent EHR consultant to help him select the best EHR for his practice.
Dr. Scherzer’s friend also advised him that the Clinic should not just buy any package from a vendor but should have the EHR consultant analyze the workflow processes at the practice first, then optimize the processes, and then look at various EHR systems. The new EHR system needs to work with the optimized processes of his practice. Dr. Scherzer needs to get his staff’s acceptance and involvement in the EHR adoption process from Day 1, if the process is to succeed. Dr. Scherzer realizes that EHR adoption may add significant costs to his practice, which he cannot afford. Therefore, he will go for the EHR adoption at this point only if he can find an affordable system.
Based on his fellow doctor’s recommendation, Dr. Scherzer has contracted with an independent consultant, who is not associated with any vendor, to advise him through this process. Throughout this course you will be the professional EHR consultant.
STRATEGIC GOALS
Dr. Scherzer has several strategic goals in mind that he shares with you during your first meeting with him as his consultant.
Primarily, he would like to see his medical practice operate more efficiently to enable him to meet these goals. This effort will allow him to make some financial profit that could be invested into the Clinic to upgrade and expand it. In a few years, he will need to invest some funds in a major renovation, primarily in the examination rooms and the waiting area. If he had extra money, he could also rent the apartment next to his Clinic and open up the space to make a larger Clinic. More space could let him expand the Clinic into a 3-physician group practice or allow him to rent out some space to a physical therapy physician to generate some additional income. After much discussion with fellow MDs, he realizes that he can use technology to improve the quality of care, safety, and financial management decisions of his practice, while also meeting the legal and regulatory requirements for health care and health care systems. Implementing an EHR system for these purposes has now become another strategic goal for the practice.
Your task is to help Dr. Scherzer understand the process that occurs during a patient visit to the practice, how that process should be improved to make it more efficient, and then recommend a certified EHR system for him to implement. You are not expected to solve all of the problems identified or address all improvements that could be made at the Red River Family Clinic.
The following is an example of how a process is identified and optimized using a technology solution: Last year, the medical practice had no effective way to schedule appointments. The front desk nurse used a paper calendar to write in appointments. Obviously, as appointments were cancelled and re-scheduled, the paper calendar became almost unreadable. It was also taking a long time for the nurse to record the patient name, phone number, and other critical information. That was when Dr. Scherzer and his nurses decided to implement the scheduling system on the PC. Now, the patients are all listed in the system, with the pertinent information, and the scheduler can quickly search for an open time and enter the patient’s appointment on the schedule. This has significantly improved the scheduling process, but it has done nothing to help with all of the other activities involved with a patient visit to the Clinic.
As you approach the case study assignments, you will find it helpful to think about your own experiences with a medical practice. Some things work well, others are frustrating, and some desperately need improvement. Visiting a small medical practice may help you think about the processes, challenges, and opportunities.
STAGED ASSIGNMENTS
The case study and assignments address the Course Outcomes to enable you to:
- Evaluate the organizational environment in the health care industry to recognize how technology solutions enable strategic outcomes
- Analyze the flow of data and information among disparate health information systems to support internal and external business processes
- Evaluate technology solutions in the health care industry to improve the quality of care, safety, and financial management decisions
- Examine the implications of ethical, legal, and regulatory policy issues on health care information systems.
Upon completion of these assignments you will have performed an array of activities to demonstrate your ability to apply the course concepts to a “real world situation” to:
- (Stage 1) Analyze an organization’s strategies and processes to determine how a technology solution could help
- (Stage 2) Analyze the data flow among a Clinical practice and external organizations
- (Stage 3) Identify and explain the legal, ethical and regulatory considerations for a system
- (Stage 4) Propose an appropriate certified EHR technology solution
As explained in the Stage 1 assignment document, you will create a System Recommendation Report (SRR) for Dr. Scherzer, using each stage to develop a section of the report. The staged assignments are designed to follow the relevant readings in the course content, and they are due on the dates assigned in the class schedule. These assignments are designed to help you identify how to effectively analyze and interpret information to improve a medical practice using technology. This is an opportunity for you to apply critical thinking skills and think like a professional medical consultant.
