HL7 in Healthcare: Understanding the Standard for Interoperability Contemporary healthcare relies much on the effective flow of information among systems, providers, and organizations. Electronic health records can be transferred to billing platforms, laboratory systems, and so on; data should be relocated correctly and safely. It is in this point where health level seven (HL7) is very critical. HL7 is an internationally standardised system of standards that enables healthcare systems to interact effectively with one another. HL7 helps enhance patient care, operational efficiency, and data-driven decision-making across the healthcare ecosystem by promoting system and device interoperability. What Is HL7? What is HL7? HL7 is short form of Health Level Seven which is an international organization that establishes standard exchange, integration, sharing and retrieval of electronic healthcare information. The level seven is actually the application layer of the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) model that is concerned with the communicative nature of the applications. HL7 standards are used to define the structure and transmission of healthcare data in a manner to ensure that various systems understand the information in a similar manner. These standards are popular within the hospitals, laboratories, clinics, and health information exchanges. Why HL7 Is Important in Healthcare? Healthcare settings are based on various software systems that are required to be in synergy. In the absence of standardized data these exchanges will be patchy and prone to errors. HL7 is important because it: Allows HL7 interoperability among different healthcare systems. Minimizes data entry and reentry. Ensures patient information accuracy and consistency. Assists in making clinical decisions on time. Improves provider care coordination. Organizations will be able to provide safer and more efficient care by facilitating the reliable HL7 healthcare data exchange. Key HL7 Standards HL7 is not necessarily one standard but a family of standards that have got various uses. Major HL7 standards include: 1. HL7 Version 2 (V2): Clinically popular, e.g., lab results, admissions, and discharge notifications. It is also adaptable and encompasses real-time HL7 messaging. 2. HL7 Version 3 (V3): A more formal, model-based standard that aims at enhancing uniformity, but which is less widely used than V2. 3. Clinical Document Architecture (CDA): Can be used to write structured clinical records such as discharge summaries and clinical reports. 4. FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources): Another current standard that includes a web-based API and mobile health applications is frequently discussed as HL7 vs FHIR. All HL7 standards serve a specific purpose. How HL7 Works? HL7 operates on the basis of creating message formats and data models that are used by healthcare systems to interact through information sharing. HL7 workflow normally entails: A source system that produces an HL7 message. Sending of the message via an HL7 integration engine. Checking and routing of the message. To the receiving system delivery. Handling and data storage of the data. By way of illustration, an HL7 message is delivered to the EHR as a laboratory completes a test, which in turn automatically updated the record of the patient. However, this process facilitates the HL7 clinical messaging and real-time data availability. Benefits of Using HL7 The benefits of HL7 in healthcare cut across the clinical, operational and administrative sectors. Key benefits include: Better accuracy and consistency of data. Quickened communications across the systems. Few clinical mistakes due to missing data. Increased EHR-lab and imaging integration. Increased patient safety and continuity of care. Analytics and population health Support. HL7 integration also enables organisations to expand their systems without redesigning data exchange processes. Book Free Demo Challenges in HL7 Implementation HL7 implementation in healthcare can be problematic even though it has a number of benefits. Common challenges include: Difficulty in message formats, particularly in HL7 V2. Differences in implementation between vendors. Costly set up and maintenance. Requirement of technical specialization. Problems of data mapping and transformation. HL7 compliance must be planned, tested, and monitored in the long run. HL7 Vs FHIR: Understanding The Difference The HL7 vs FHIR debate is widespread in the present day healthcare IT. HL7 V2 and V3 are messages and are commonly applied in communication within the system. Instead, FHIR is resource-oriented and is intended to be used on a modern web application. Although FHIR is becoming popular, HL7 interfaces are still very critical in most healthcare institutions. Instead of ousting HL7, FHIR supplements the currently existing standards and enhances interoperability to other forms of digital health solutions. HL7 In EHR Systems HL7 in EHR systems is guidepost to healthcare functions. EHR Software rely on HL7 standards to: Accept laboratory and radiological findings. Inward and outward patient data of admission and discharge. Provide medication and allergy information. Interchange with billing and scheduling systems. The EHRs would not be effective without the HL7 integration to act in isolation. Future Of HL7 In Healthcare HL7 has a future that is based on flexibility and innovation. With the shift towards value-based care, remote monitoring, and digital health solutions, HL7 standards continue to develop. Future trends include: Reduced resistance to FHIR-based APIs. Better care setting interoperability. Increased support of real-time data exchange. Combination with AI and high-order analytics. Widened HL7 standards usage in the world. These innovations will enhance the HL7 integration and make more healthcare systems connected. Conclusion HL7 is important in facilitating interoperability in the healthcare systems. HL7 enhances the exchange of information, efficiency, and patient outcomes by offering standardized structures to communicate data. Although HL7 may have a problem implementation, the advantages of the system in healthcare greatly outnumber the constraints. With the growing use of technology, HL7 standards will continue to enable secure, accurate, and seamless exchange of healthcare data throughout the care continuum. FAQs What is HL7 used for in healthcare? HL7 is an exchange standard of clinical and administrative data among healthcare systems. Is HL7 mandatory? HL7 has no legal binding but is popular in the form of an industry standard. How does HL7 differ from FHIR? HL7 is message-centric, whereas FHIR employs the modern APIs and the web technologies.
Data Breaches in Healthcare: Causes, Consequences, and Prevention Medical facilities have giant amounts of sensitive patient data, such as health history, insurance records, and patient identifiers. With the growth of digital systems, patient privacy and organizational credibility have become threatened by healthcare data breaches as one of the most severe risks. The reason why healthcare is targeted by cybercriminals is that patient data is very valuable in the black market, and most healthcare systems are yet to upgrade to a more advanced infrastructure. It is crucial to understand the reasons, effects, and ways of prevention to enhance the security of data in healthcare. What Is Data Breaches In Healthcare? Healthcare data breach is a situation where sensitive information regarding patients or an organization is accessed, stolen, or disclosed by unauthorized parties. Such incidents can concern the electronic health records, billing systems, or paper-based documents. Cyberattacks, human error, system failure, or mismanagement of patient data can lead to patient data breaches. Such breaches in various nations are perceived to be healthcare privacy violations and should be reported within some regulatory frameworks such as HIPAA. Types Of Healthcare Data Breaches Healthcare breaches may be done in different channels depending on the method of data storage and access. Common types include: Breach of electronic health records through hacking or unauthorized access to the system. Ransomware attacks in healthcare that encrypt the data and require payment. Breach of physical records like stolen laptops or paper records. Employee misuse of access privileges by insiders. Misconfigured storage systems result in cloud data breaches. Both types have various risks and need to be prevented in a specific way. Common Causes Of Healthcare Data Breaches Healthcare data breakage is caused by either technical issues or human errors. A combination of poor security controls and user behavior is a cause of many breaches. Key causes of healthcare data breaches include: DDoS and other attacks, such as phishing and malware. Healthcare ransomware attack in critical hospital systems. Poor password and authentication errors. Insider threats or negligence of the employees. Obsolete software and unpatented software. Vulnerabilities of third party vendors. Incorrect handling of hardware or documents. Knowledge of these causes is the key to developing an effective healthcare information security plan. Impact Of Data Breaches In Healthcare Data breaches may have a severe and lasting effect on health care organizations and patients. Major impact of data breaches on healthcare include: Losses of money due to fines, legal suits, and system recovery. Patient distrust and reputation loss. Incident of clinical operations and patient care. Patients and identity theft and fraud. Penalty regulations on failure to comply with data protection regulations. The healthcare data breach statistics indicate that healthcare is one of the top targeted industries because of the high price of medical and personal data. High-Profile Healthcare Data Breaches A number of significant breaches have brought out the weaknesses of healthcare systems. These breaches have revealed millions of patient information and paved the way to more stringent regulations and security changes. The high-profile breaches include: Hospital network ransom attacks of large scale. Violation of data of millions of policyholders by insurance providers. Cloud misconfigurations that lead to electronic health record breaches. These events prove that the measures to increase healthcare compliance and data protection policies are required. Detecting And Responding To Data Breaches Quick response and early detection is important in minimizing the effects of breaches. Response plans on the issue of healthcare data breach should be clear and often drilled. Key healthcare data breach response steps include: Detecting and incurring the intrusion. Evaluating the extent and the data involved. Informing the patients and the regulatory authorities. Recovering systems and data of safe backups. Forensic analysis to avoid repetition. Having a structured response plan will lead to the reduction of organizational risk as well as the adherence to the regulations. Book Free Demo Role Of Technology In Preventing Breaches Technology is an important aspect in preventing data breach in healthcare by enhancing the security of the systems and tracking the threats. Such crucial technologies comprise: Data encryption Data encryption Data encryption in transit Data encryption at rest. Multi-factor authentication (MFA). Intrusion detection and prevention mechanism. Threat monitoring and analytics using AI. High security cloud infrastructure and controls. Frequent vulnerability scanning and patch. The tools assist healthcare agencies in safeguarding sensitive patient data and ensuring regulatory compliance. Future Of Healthcare Data Security Further developments of data security in healthcare will be directed to automation, artificial intelligence, and zero-trust security frameworks. With the rise in digital health technologies, companies should proceed to embrace proactive security models in order to minimize vulnerabilities. Future trends include: Automated cybersecurity surveillance. Safe sharing of patient data with blockchain. Zero-trust access models Better international data security laws. More investment in workforce training in cybersecurity. These innovations are supposed to enhance the security of healthcare information and safeguard the data of patients in more digital settings. Conclusion Healthcare data breaches are critical to patient privacy, clinical practice, and organizational integrity. As cyber threats are on the increase, healthcare organizations need to focus on cybersecurity, employee education, and compliance policies. Knowledge of the causes, consequences and data breach prevention in healthcare measures enables healthcare providers to develop strong systems and safeguard confidential patient data. The health care compliance and data protection should be enhanced as the key to preserving the trust and providing the care safety in the digital era. Frequently Asked Questions What are healthcare data breaches? Healthcare data breaches refer to the case when sensitive patient or organizational information is accessed or disclosed by people who are not authorized to do so. Why do hackers attack healthcare organizations? Healthcare data is desirable as it is comprised of personal, financial and medical data that can be utilized in frauds and identity theft. What is a HIPAA data breach? A HIPAA data breach is the illegal access or transmission of protected health information that contradicts the HIPAA laws.
Is Patient Record Management Worth Using? One of the essential tasks during clinical practice is proper record keeping. You must have a detailed record of your patients when they visit your place. Managing records is a problematic task, but it can be made easier by using a patient record management system. This software helps you in storing essential information and the history of your patients. It is a part of the healthcare operation and is responsible for the whole life cycle of record keeping. The life cycle of record-keeping includes: Create/ recieve Use/ modify Maintenance/ protection Disposal/ destruction Archive/ preserve The answer to the question, that is patient record management is worth using is for efficient and reliable health care practice, a patient record system is necessary. A few benefits of the patient management system is as follows: Benefits of patient record management Fewer errors Imagine if you have placed two people’s files, having the same name together. There is a huge chance of mixing those files, hence resulting in a big medical blunder. If you would save the patient’s record in a patient record management software, you would assign a separate medical record number to each patient. No matter if they have the same names, the medical record number is unique for each person. Assigning a medical record number helps in reducing errors and lets the processes move smoothly. Errors in clinical practice can lead to fatalities, therefore it is important to recheck before doing anything during clinical practice. Easy access and time-saving How if a patient has visited your hospital four or five years back, and you have to take out their file from the stock of files. It would take a long time and a lot of effort to reach their medical records. While if you store their information in a patient record management system, you can access their record in minutes. Moreover, it will help save your time and energy. Furthermore, it saves the healthcare provider’s time as well. Since everyone can access the patient’s data with a single click, they do not need to wait for the file. They can evaluate and read the patient’s detail in a very short time. Also, they do not need to send someone in person to bring the file from a different department. Cost-saving You can save money by using electronic patient record management. You would be needing fewer types of equipment, papers, stationery, photocopies, fax, and printing. Since all these things cost money, you can save that amount by shifting your record to electronic management of data. Also, you would be needing a staff who would retrieve the file from the pile and bring it to you. If you would be using a patient record management system, you would not need that as well. Therefore, you can save the amount you would invest in hiring someone. Moreover, you would not need to devote a place for the storage of files, everything will be stored electronically, safely, and securely. You can utilize that space for some better purposes rather than record-keeping. Easy billing Electronic patient record management makes it much easier to check out for patients from the hospital. People do not need to wait for long hours for bill generation and payment. When everything is stored in an electronic system, a bill can be made with a single click. Otherwise, manual billing takes a lot of time and effort. Commonly, people have to wait many hours before getting discharged from hospitals because manual billing creates a lot of hassle and is time taking. Progress monitoring Through patient record management software, the patients can enter and update their day to day progress by themselves. In this way, healthcare providers can also get an insight into the patient’s progress. Moreover, they can also update the prescription and add notes that are vital for the patient’s health. A proper record is stored that helps in the future in making the diagnosis, ruling out causes of illness, prescribing medicines, etc. Conclusion Finally, patient record management software is worthy and a must-have tool nowadays. It keeps a complete detailed record of the patient’s history that is so important in clinical practice. Electronic medical record software has revolutionized clinical practice. Keeping records was never this easy and fast before its evolution. Now the healthcare providers can access their patient’s information from anywhere, anytime. Additionally, the patient can also access their records and make changes as they feel. In this way, the patient and the healthcare professionals keep connected with each other. The doctor can virtually monitor their patients and the patients feel satisfied and comfortable in being in touch with their consultant. InstaCare is providing a low cost and easy to use patient record management system. You should consider using it for making record keeping easier, faster, and hassle-free in your clinic or hospital. For more information, please contact InstaCare.
Disasters Due To Medication Errors And How To Avoid These? Everyone has to take medicines at different stages of their life. They take the medicine or receive it to recover soon, but sometimes these medications can cause them serious damage or even cause death. In this article, we are going to discuss the causes, case studies, and prevention of medication errors. According to an estimate, a medication error is the third leading cause of people’s death, after heart disease and cancer. Over 250,000 people in the United States die annually because of medication errors. The consequences of medical error include 2.4 million extra hospital days and increased costs of approximately $17 to $29 billion per year. The United States National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention defines a medication error as: “Any preventable event that may cause or lead to inappropriate medication use or patient harm while the medication is in the control of the health care professional, patient, or consumer. Such events may be related to professional practice, health care products, procedures, and systems, including prescribing, order communication, product labeling, packaging, and nomenclature, compounding, dispensing, distribution, administration, education, monitoring, and use” Causes Of Medication Errors The causes that result in medication errors occur at different sites. It can occur due to accidents by the pharmacist, doctor, nurse or consumer. Some errors that eventually result in medication errors are; Error in prescribing the dose, route, patient, time, frequency and drug. Ambiguous prescription by the doctor. Prescribing drugs to which the patient is allergic or any drug interaction is there. Not reading the prescription properly. Dispensing the wrong preparation or an expired drug. Labeling errors. Administration errors in route, dose, time, drug, frequency and patient. The drug is not administered or double-checking omission. Wrong setting of the infusion pump. Lookalike sound-alike drugs. The patient not seeking proper counseling by the doctor or pharmacist. Case Studies Regarding Medication Errors CASE #01. A case study reveals a medication error when a 71-year-old recently widowed female was hospitalized for uncontrolled hypertension and acute kidney injury. She improved clinically and upon discharge, her prescription included Norvasc 10mg twice daily, metoprolol 50mg twice daily, doxazosin 2mg daily and torsemide 30mg daily. After that, they readmitted her in the hospital because she began experiencing worsening fatigue, slow movements, personality changes, and uncontrolled blood pressure. This time they admitted her due to chest pain, and the doctor diagnosed her with anxiety and depression. The doctors prescribed her citalopram and alprazolam for anxiety and depression. She was then re-hospitalized following a fall due to lightheadedness. An admission medication reconciliation revealed that the patient was taking Navane (thiothixene), an anti-psychotic drug, instead of the Norvasc. After further investigation, they came to know that the pharmacy has accidentally dispensed the wrong medication upon the prescription that was clear enough to be read. CASE #02. Another case study reveals the accident likely of ‘confirmation bias’. This medication error case happened at a public school clinic in Missouri and was discovered from an investigation from the Saint Louis County Department of Public Health. The nurse administered Humalog U-100 insulin to the people instead of an influenza vaccine. After administration, the first two patients complained about sweating and lightheadedness. The other two patients required hospitalization for their symptoms. One of them had a blood glucose level of 23mg/dl. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the influenza vaccine vial and the 10ml vial of Humalog U-100 insulin were kept together in the nurse’s office refrigerator. They were not stored in separated, labeled containers or bins. The influenza vaccine manufacturer conducted a detailed analysis of their product. They tried to rule out the error that could have occurred due to the quality control problem. CASE #03. Another case study showing administration error is discussed. This medication error occurred when a 40-year-old female was rushed to the emergency room after eating seafood. She was complaining about shortness of breath and had rashes on the body. Upon examination by the doctors, they found that she was having edema on the throat with mild stridor upon inspiration. Her body temperature was 98.7 F, blood pressure was 100/69 mm Hg, and pulse was 70 bpm. The doctors placed her on supplemental oxygen and ordered the nurse to administer a 0.5mg (1:1000) dose of epinephrine. After receiving IV epinephrine, she started complaining about chest pains on her left side along with tingling fingertips. The ECG showed ST elevation and serum creatine kinase levels were increased consistent with myocardial infarction. The doctors gave her two doses of 0.4mg sub-lingual nitroglycerin over the next ten minutes until her heart rate and blood pressure became normal. Her ECG then showed that the ST levels have returned to baseline. Upon investigation, they concluded it, while the doctor ordered 0.5mg (1:1000) dose of epinephrine, the route of administration was unspecified. The nurse administered the epinephrine intravenously instead of intramuscular route. The patient should have received intramuscular epinephrine as she was suffering from anaphylaxis. The doctors reserve intravenous epinephrine normally for the patients with myocardial infarction. How Can The Consumers Prevent The Medication Errors? AT HOME: Maintain a list of all the medications you are taking. Keep that list with you when you are going for a review to the doctor. Read the educational material from a reliable internet source. AT CLINIC/ OUTPATIENT CARE: Ask the prescriber about the drug, its effect and side effects. Recheck the drug’s name and also the indications after the doctor has prescribed it. AT PHARMACY: Re-check the name (brand or generic) on the container. Seek pharmacist’s counseling, even if you already know about it. Ask for written literature of the drug. Recheck the drug’s name and indications after the pharmacist has dispensed. AT HOSPITAL/ INPATIENT CARE: Ask the doctor or nurse about the drug and its reason for administration. Give a proper history regarding every medication you have been taking. Also, tell them about your prior health conditions. Before the discharge from the hospital, make sure to ask
How Fatal Are Medication Errors Worldwide, And In Pakistan? How To Avoid These Nearly everyone, especially in Pakistan has gone through, bad experiences in the health sector. Things like the wrong diagnosis, disasters due to doctors’ negligence – even if it is bad handwriting, ill prescription, false mention of dose timings so on and so forth. These kinds of instances are prevalent among government hospitals. Though these ill practices are present worldwide, in Pakistan, these are up to an alarming frequency. Just to quote one instance, Umer Farooq Bajwa died at Sheikh Zaid Hospital due to a medication error during his liver transplant. Another unfortunate incident happened last week. Umer Farooq Bajwa went to hospital for a liver transplant for his mother and died due to a medication error that occurred due to human error. Wish we could save an innocent soul. #Instacare #healthcareforall #HealthCareTech pic.twitter.com/0qU2qg90zl — InstaCare (@InstaCarePk) February 7, 2020 There are innumerable cases of such treatments. The irony is most of these can be avoided without any excessive measure. What is a Medical Error? Simply put, a medication error is a difference between what the doctor intended and what he carried forward. In this definition, the quacks haven’t been considered because the whole treatment of quacks is a medication error since they don’t know what they are doing most of the time. A scholarly definition is given by Grober and Bohnen which says that a medical error is “the failure of a planned action to be completed as intended (an error of execution) or the use of a wrong plan to achieve an aim (an error of planning) (Reason, 1990). An unintended act (either of omission or commission) or one that does not achieve its intended outcome (Leape, 1994). Deviations from the process of care, which may or may not cause harm to the patient (Reason, 2001).” Types of Medical Errors: There are several types of medication errors. One problem in listing down all of these is that in different situations, certain kinds of error might or might not occur. For example, while using a digital platform for medicine management (like EMR or EHR), there are far fewer chances of the wrong prescriptions in terms of handwriting (as doctors are notorious for their handwriting). But just to name a few, the following is the list based on a study done by US National Library of Medicine and National Institute of Health: Diagnostic: Error or delay in diagnosis Failure to employ indicated tests Use of outmoded tests or therapy Failure to act on results of monitoring or testing Treatment: Error in performance of an operation, procedure, or test Error in administering treatment Error in the dose or method of using a drug Avoidable delay in treatment or in responding to an abnormal test Inappropriate care Preventive: Failure to provide prophylactic treatment Inadequate monitoring or follow-up of treatment Other: Failure of communication Equipment failure Other system failures Medical Errors around the world: As said before, medication errors are prevalent all around the world. In the US, 1.3 million people are injured annually due to medication errors. Around 9,000 to 24,000 people die annually in Canada. due to negligence of hospital administration. According to a study by the European Commission, the prevalence of medication errors in Latvia is 32%, in Denmark, it is 29%, and in Poland, it is 28%. Journal of Anesthesiology reports that in India, medication errors occur around 5.2 million times annually. And only in Delhi, 82 out of every thousand prescriptions contain an error. Medical Errors in Pakistan According to a study done by the Journal of Pakistan Medical Association, quotes a prescription error of 39.28%. It is found that 5.5% of pharmacists, 2.6% nurses, and 1.1% of physicians are negligent towards their practices. Only a handful of medical errors get attention in our media. And in fact, thousands of cases go without the attention of even the patient himself. No one will question that the deterioration of their health even after a check-up by a doctor, can be the result of a medication error. People make statements like this doctor doesn’t have shifa and that’s all. Only a handful of people understand that the negligence of the system could result in this unfortunate event, not the doctor himself. Abdul Latif Shaikh, president of the Pakistan Society of Health-System Pharmacists (PSHP), quoted that 5,00,000 people die annually due to some kind of medication error in Pakistan. Can we avoid Medical Errors? These errors cannot be removed over nightly but can be reduced significantly in a day just by employing a reliable and efficient Electronic Management Record system (EMR). By using an EMR software, issues like prescription errors, dosage errors, and wrong diagnosis will be reduced considerably. Plus, the efficiency that comes is additional. A lot of errors occur because of the workload on doctors. When an EMR software will share their managerial workload, they will be easily able to put more effort into diagnosis and spend more time with the patient. And hopefully, save a few beautiful lives.
