Health Information Technology (HIT) and their Elements

Health Information Technology (HIT) and their Elements

Differences between strategic and tactical planning

A strategic plan is a simple outline of steps put in place concerning an organization’s goals. Strategic planning, therefore, is the process of putting in place measures that give an overall picture of what the organization must achieve and the order in which they should be performed (Strata Decision Technology, 2018). The process proceeds further to include how the system used to make the overall goals should be organized. A tactical plan, on the other hand, concerns itself with the responsibilities of lower management units and, at the same time, allocates individuals who can head the units (NCBI, 2014). They are mainly concerned with time frames that are shorter and usually have scopes that are much narrow compared to strategic plans. Tactical planning, therefore, includes actions and unit elements that are intended to achieve every single objective. It can also be done before an event; however, it must be adjusted depending on the circumstances accompanying the event.

Importance of developing a strategic business plan for HIT and Technology planning

The health Information system plan is usually a reflection of an organization’s strategic business plan (Balgrosky, 2015). Therefore, the technology plan and Health information system (HIS) plan supports an organization’s policy regarding its business structure and the clinical services provided. The HIS further assist the organization to strategize around its values, vision, and mission. The strategy developed then guides the organization to set yearly goals, prioritize projects, and budgets. Failure to have both the business plan and the strategic technology and HIS plan may lead to HIS misalignment, which is costly and would hinder an organization’s accomplishment no matter the effort. If the organization does not have a HIS plan, then the HIS planner must take charge and develop a strategic business plan through a consultation process. The planner must gather information about current operations, possible future improvements, and adequately document all their finding to guide the development of the HIS plan in the future.

Quadrants of the conceptual HIS planning

Conceptual HIS planning has four quadrants organized as follows. Quadrant I includes transactional activities to the patient during care and the organization’s mission. Quadrant II has day-to-day transactional activities related to the business and standardized processes in the organization. Quadrant III involves clinical activity analysis and reports with the outcome of the entire organization’s operations. Quadrant IV has activity analysis and reports associated with management and administrative duties in the organization (Balgrosky, 2015). These quadrants are arranged in this manner to ensure a seamless operation between different departments and levels of management. A balanced HIS echotexture means that computerized support must be provided in an even manner to various departments. It should be able to provide a way of documenting which support activities in the organization while aligning itself to the organizational strategy.

Key HIS and technology elements

For any HIS plan to be successful and the organization to achieve its long-term goals, the HIS planning process must take into account six major HIS components. These include resources, indicators, data sources, data management, information product, and dissemination and use (United Nations Development Programme, 2018). Resources include the planning and regulatory consisting of financing, personnel, and technology needed for a fully functional plan. The rest of the components must be contemplated to ensure that the program is not only efficient but meets the target set at the beginning of the year.

Arguments for and against in response to HIS and strategic planning

Arguments arise both for and against strategic business planning in the healthcare. In the first case, proponents opine that strategic planning is essential, and any care provider must develop one as it allows the organization to think about the future by studying it and carrying its simulation. They suggest that the process helps reveal hidden opportunities while at the same time, highlight possible threats allowing the managers to take timely actions. The argument further shows that having a strategic business plan and a HIS plan helps establish a clear framework for day-to-day activities and decisions. Additionally, the process through which the strategic plan is developed encourages the active participation of all healthcare stakeholders hence promoting the achievement of better results and improved institutional cohesion.

The second case comprises of those who argue against strategic planning by highlighting some of the disadvantages and drawbacks it may cause. First, the opponents highlight the expenditure in carrying out the process and that in most cases, results do not justify time and money invested at every level of management and by each member of the organization. Secondly, the process might uncover some issues in the organization that had been dormant; for example, there may be issues hidden, and members of the organization might have been learned to live with, however, uncovering them may make the situation worse. Lastly, they argue that even with a strategi plan, some organizations have still ended up failing.