Week 8

In all honesty, I thought that writing a paper is writing a paper no matter which way you spin it. I tend to stick what works for me—which was research and write as I go. When focusing on one part of my paper, I would research and learn what I needed to know in order to complete the portion. It might sound a little backwards to the way some people work, but it is easier for me to have the knowledge fresh in my mind and make everything cohesive. However, the last 7 weeks had us researching various sources and summarizing as we went. I picked up quite a few pointers that made data searching more efficient. In the process of gathering data from the various sources and documenting the process, it really made the final paper effortless. Admittedly, this would be the longer route in completing a paper overall, but it would even out the workload throughout a project or assignment. In researching how medical informatics benefits process improvement within managed healthcare, I gained a deeper understanding to the do’s and don’ts. Working in the industry, I think this research will provide a deeper understanding of the bigger picture of healthcare rather than just my portion that I work with daily. The industry is constant changing guidelines, regulations, requirements, so it will always pose a challenge to have all the answers to all the questions, but I feel more equipped with what I’ve gathered throughout this course. 

Week 7

How can the use of Medical Informatics be used to improve the processes throughout the healthcare industry in the United States?

In this week’s research, I found additional information pertaining to my research question. With Healthcare Reform, there are quite a few incentivized programs to encourage data efficiency. The data is utilized to analyze and determine growing trends among patients and effectively manage a patient’s care. In order to do so, information needs to be readily available, easily accessible, detailed, and properly stored based on the type of data. The sources this week are all credible, as they are either provided by government agencies, or healthcare providers currently involved in the creating of administrative guidelines, and government standards for healthcare management. The industry is ever changing, which only makes sense to head towards information technology to be able to accommodate the change in the shortest amount of time possible—as to not interrupt any process of a patients care. The industry has made strides in managing data today, but this is still a work in progress. 

Week Six

This week’s reading material reiterated the importance of citing sources. Plagiarism, regardless of intent is serious. Other people put in the work, the research, and provide information for others to utilize, so credit is due to the original owner. Without citing the original works referenced, you are essentially taking credit for work that is not yours. Additionally, it is important to protect your own work for the same reasons. Shared information and findings is crucial when conducting research. It shaves off time by utilizing the work or research that someone prior has conducted—allowing you to build on and further develop on your topic. Not providing the original source and crediting the original author can also lead others to believe they are citing the correct person(s) when they are not. When in doubt, look it up!