Health Care Information Systems

Module 5: Networking and Telecommunications

The following objectives should be met by the end of this module:

  1. Understand the role and function of computer networks
  2. Understand how computer networks can be applied to healthcare and which networks are ideal for this type of organization
  3. Discuss the media involved in networks
  4. Gain an understanding of the technology associated with the Internet

These notes are intended only to supplement your readings. The best way to ensure each module is absorbed is to complete all the readings prior to reviewing these lecture notes. I will try to highlight what I believe to be the most important topics from your module readings. If you have any questions or concerns or there is something you do not understand, please ask me. You can either post on the webboard the question you have (that way others can benefit from the response), or you can e-mail me if you want a more private response. Either way it is extremely important that you have a complete and thorough understanding of the material for the module.

Adding onto the information we read in chapters 3 and 4, we will now progress to networking and telecommunications. I am sure (again) that most of you have some basic understanding of this subject as well. But... we must go into this topic in a little more detail. As healthcare systems become more integrated, both horizontally and vertically, networking and communication of data is essential. For the continuum of care to be exist in a healthcare system, the information systems must be integrated... this is done with telecommunications.

The field of data communications, which is a subset of telecommunications, deals with data that are transmitted to and from computer systems. As healthcare managers, we must understand the general concepts of networking and telecommunications. The actual expertise is delegated to those in communications engineering, computer hardware and software specialists, and programming experts. The goal for an IS manager is to have sufficient understanding of the field to work intelligently with the functional experts.

Prior to networking, it became clear in health care organizations that something was needed to allow the separate computer systems in the facility to communicate. In a hospital setting data from any given patient must be used by many other departments, such as the laboratory, billing, and the pharmacy. Data must flow across a large area and many times information must come from a variety of areas (lab, wards, medical records) to arrive at a solution to the problem. This linkage needed "to facilitate the exchange of data and sharing of resources is accomplished through the construction of a network." Networks can be located within a relatively close proximity (Local Area Network, LAN) or can be extended into a broad geographical region (Wide Area Network, WAN).

Centralized networks are totally concentrated into a mainframe computer and the user is dependent upon a separate entity. Examples of types of networking systems are (in order of degree of centralization, from greatest to least):

Each alternative has its own strengths and weaknesses, with the organizations strategy dictating the appropriate configuration.

To function properly, networks must be assembled with several hardware and software components. These include:

Transmission media refers to "the means used to carry the signal being transmitted from one location to another." There are several types of media to choose from with varying degrees of expense, speeds, and multi - media capability. Examples include copper wire, coaxial cable, fiber optics and radio. Network interface cards (NIC), modems, multiplexers, gateways and bridges are types of devices used to connect systems and allow for transmission and receiving of data. Network controllers are used to "direct" the communication traffic between the host and the terminals. Local and wide area network systems use network-operating systems that coordinate and support the operation of the system itself. This is similar to the function of the operating system in a PC. Network topology is the configuration used to connect computers and peripheral devices in a LAN. The three most widely used are bus, ring, and star topologies. When choosing network software and operating systems, the healthcare manager must consider several factors which are listed below.

  1. the number of existing or potential users
  2. the type of network hardware available
  3. the type of applications software programs needed
  4. available human and equipment
  5. network configuration costs

An internet is formed when LANs are connected on a large scale. The largest network available today is known as the Internet. It began as a project in 1969 by the Defense Department, but was soon recognized as an important public information tool. The World Wide Web (WWW) was developed in 1991 and is "a collection of electronic resources distributed over the Internet that combine text, graphics, sound, and video." We will investigate the role of health care and the Internet in greater detail in a later module.

 

That is it for notes for module #5! E-mail me with any questions.

 

Home | Information | Syllabus | Students