Using Information Technology

1
Using Information Technology

• Introduction to Information Technology
• Your Digital World

2
Parts of Information Systems

• Hardware
• Software
• Data
• Communications
• Polices and Procedures
• Users

3
Information Systems Hardware

• Input
• Processing
• Storage
• Primary
• Secondary
• Output
• Communications

4
Input Output

• Input hardware - devices that translate data into
  a form the computer can process.
• Output hardware - devices that translate
  information processed by the computer into a form
  that humans can understand.

5
Input Hardware Keyboard

• Keyboard - a device that converts letters,
  numbers, and other characters into electrical
  signals that can be read by the computers
  processor.

• Types of Keyboards
• Traditional computer keyboards
• Specialty keyboards and terminals
• Dumb terminals
• Intelligent terminals (e. g. ATMs)
• Internet terminals

6
Input Hardware Pointing Devices

• Pointing devices - control the position of the
  cursor or pointer on the screen.
• Mouse
• Trackball
• Pointing Stick
• Touchscreen
• Touchpad
• Pen/stylus input
• Digitizing tablet

Mouse
7
Input Hardware Pointing Devices
Trackball
Touchscreen
Pointing Stick
Pen/Stylus input
Touchpad
Digitizing Tablet
8
Input Hardware Scanning and Reading Devices

• Source data-entry devices create
  machine-readable data.
• Scanners - use light-sensing equipment to
  translate images of text, drawings, photos, and
  the like into digital form.

9
Input Hardware Scanning and Reading Devices

• Bar-code readers
• Bar codes - photoelectric scanners that translate
  the symbols in the bar code into digital code.

10
Input Hardware Scanning and Reading Devices

• Mark-recognition and character-recognition
  devices sense marks or characters
• Types
• MICR - character recognition system that uses
  magnetic ink and special characters
• OMR - uses a device that reads bubble marks and
  converts them into computer-usable form.
• OCR - converts scanned text from images to an
  editable text format that can be imported into a
  word-processing application and manipulated

11
Input Hardware Scanning and Reading Devices

• Fax machine scans an image and sends it as
  electronic signals over telephone lines to
  areceiving fax machine.
• Types of fax machines
• Dedicated fax machine
• Fax modem

Dedicated fax machine
Fax modem circuit board
12
Input Hardware Audio-Input Devices

• Audio-input device - records analog sound and
  translates it for digital storage and processing.
• Digitizing an audio signal
• sound board
• MIDI board

13
Input Hardware Webcams and Video-Input Cards

• Webcam a video camera attached to a computer to
  record moving images that can be posted on a
  website in real time.

14
Input Hardware Digital Cameras

• Digital camera - uses a light-sensitive processor
  chip to capture photographic images in digital
  form and store them on a small diskette.
• Smartphone most smartphones include a digital
  camera, as does the iPad

Digital cameraattached to a computer
15
Input Hardware Speech-Recognition Systems

• Speech-recognition system - converts a persons
  speech into digital signals.

16
Input Hardware Sensors

• Sensor an input device that collects specific
  data directly from the environment and transmits
  it to a computer.

17
Input Hardware Radio-Frequency Identification
Tags

• RFID tags based on an identifying tag bearing a
  microchip that contains specific code numbers.

A tollbooth with RFID readers
RFID tag in a car for paying toll
18
Input Hardware Human-Biology-Input Devices

• Biometrics - the science of measuring individual
  body characteristics.

Palm print recognition reader
Screen of face recognition system
19
Processing

• Taking the input and converting it to output
• Related definitions
• Data The raw facts and figures that are
  processed into information
• Information Data that has been summarized or
  otherwise manipulated for use in decision making
• Knowledge Application of experience, ability,
  etc. to information

20
Processing Hardware

• Central Processing Unit (CPU) the brains of
  the computer
• Control Unit directs activity
• Arithmetic/Logic Unit does math and logical
  comparisons

21
Storage

• Primary main computer memory
• Types of primary storage
• ROM (Read Only Memory) Programmed into chip by
  manufacturer contains instructions for start-up.
• RAM (Random Access Memory) Holds everything open
  and currently being worked on.

• Secondary permanent storage saving a file
• Types of secondary storage
• USB drive
• Hard drive
• CD/DVD
• Cloud

22
Output Hardware

• Softcopy - data that is shown on a display screen
  or is in audio or voice form.
• Hardcopy - printed output.

Hardcopy
Softcopy
23
Output Hardware Display Screens

• Display screens - output devices that show
  programming instructions and data as they are
  being input and information after it is processed.

24
Output Hardware Display Screens

• Pixel (picture element) - the smallest unit on
  the screen that can be turned on and off or made
  different shades.

25
Output Hardware Display Screens

• Factors affecting screen clarity
• Dot pitch (dp) - the amount of space between the
  centers of adjacent pixels the closer the dots,
  the crisper the image.
• Resolution - the image sharpness of a display
  screen the more pixels there are per square
  inch, the finer the level of detail
• Color depth - the amount of information,
  expressed in bits, that is stored in a dot
• Refresh rate - the number of times per second
  that the pixels are recharged so that their glow
  remains bright

26
Output Hardware Display Screens

• Two types of monitors
• CRT - a vacuum tube used as a display screen in a
  computer or video display terminal.
• Flat-panel display - made up of two plates of
  glass separated by a layer of a substance in
  which light is manipulated

CRT vs. Flat-panel
27
Output Hardware Display Screens

• Active-matrix versus passive-matrix flat-panel
  displays
• Active-matrix display - each pixel on the screen
  is controlled by its own transistor
• Passive-matrix - a transistor controls a whole
  row or column of pixels

28
Output Hardware Display Screens

• Color resolution standards for monitors

29
Output Hardware Printers

• Printer - an output device that prints
  characters, symbols, and perhaps graphics on
  paper or another hardcopy medium.
• Dpi - a measure of the number of rows and columns
  of dots that are printed in a square inch.

30
Output Hardware Printers

• Impact printer - forms characters or images by
  striking a mechanism such as a print hammer or
  wheel against an inked ribbon, leaving an image
  on paper.

• Non-impact printer - forms characters and images
  without direct physical contact between the
  printing mechanism and paper.

31
Traditional Hardcopy Output Printers

• Types of nonimpact printers
• Laser printer - creates images on a drum which
  are treated with a magnetically charged toner,
  and then transferred from drum to paper
• Ink-jet printers - spray small, electrically
  charged droplets of ink from four nozzles through
  holes in a matrix at high speed
• Thermal printers - use colored waxes and heat to
  produce images by burning dots onto special paper
• Multifunction printer - output device that
  combines several capabilities, such as printing,
  scanning, copying, and faxing

32
Traditional Hardcopy Output Printers
Replacing a laser toner cartridge
Multi-function printer
Ink-jet printer
33
Output Hardware Sound, Voice, and Video

• Sound output devices - produce digitized sounds,
  ranging from beeps and chirps to music
• Voice output devices - convert digital data into
  speech-like sounds
• Video output - photographic images which are
  played at 15-29 frames per second to give the
  appearance of full motion

34
Communications

• Communications devices- electromagnetic devices
  and systems for communicating over long distances
• Networks means of connecting computers and
  communications devices
• LAN Local Area Network
• WAN Wide Area Network
• WiFi Wireless Network
• VPN Virtual Private Network

35
Communications Networks

• Parts of a Network
• Nodes or workstations
• Server/file server
• Network interface cards (NIC)
• Network Operating System (NIS)
• Communications Media
• Cabling
• Wireless networks
• Satellites

36
Communications Networks

• Types of networks
• Client-server network in which some computers
  (end-user computers) make requests for
  data/processing and other computers fulfill these
  requests
• Clients make requests
• Servers fulfill requests
• Peer-to-peer network in which computers are
  able to access each other directly

37
Software

• Instruction for the computer
• Types
• Systems software allows the computer to perform
  essential operating tasks and enables the
  application software to run
• Applications software allows user to perform
  specific tasks--solve problems, perform work, or
  entertain yourself

38
Healthcare Information Technology
39
Hospital Information Systems (HIS)

• Also called clinical information system (CIS) is
  a comprehensive, integrated information system
  designed to manage the administrative, financial
  and clinical aspects of a hospital.
• This encompasses paper-based information
  processing as well as data processing machines.

40
Hospital Information Systems (HIS)

• As an area of medical informatics the aim of an
  HIS is to achieve the best possible support of
  patient care and administration by electronic
  data processing.
• It can be composed of one or few software
  components with specialty specific extensions as
  well as of a large variety of sub-systems in
  medical specialties (e.g. Laboratory Information
  System, Radiology Information System).

41
Clinical Information Systems (CIS)

• CISs are sometimes separated from HISs in that
  the former concentrate on patient- and clinical
  state- related data (electronic patient record)
  whereas the latter keeps track of administrative
  issues.
• The distinction is not always clear and there is
  contradictory evidence against a consistent use
  of both terms

42
Radiologic Information Systems (RIS)

• used by radiology departments to store,
  manipulate and distribute patient radiological
  data and imagery.
• The system generally comprises of patient
  tracking and scheduling, result reporting and
  image tracking capabilities.

43
Basic Features

• Laboratory Information Systems commonly support
  the following features
• Patient Registration
• Patient Tracking
• Result(s) Entry
• Reporting

44
Additional Features

• In addition a RIS often supports the following
• Appointment booking
• Faxing and emailing of reports
• Custom report creation
• HL7 interfaces with a PACS
• Billing
• Rule engines

45
Picture Archiving Communication Systems (PACS)

• In medical imaging, picture archiving and
  communication systems (PACS) are computers or
  networks dedicated to the storage, retrieval,
  distribution and presentation of images.

46
Types of PACS

• Full PACS handle images from various modalities,
  such as
• Ultrasonography
• Magnetic
• resonance imaging
• positron emission tomography
• computed tomography
• Endoscopy
• Mammography
• radiography (plain X-rays).

47
Uses of PACS

• PACS replaces hard-copy based means of managing
  medical images, such as film archives.
• It expands on the possibilities of such
  conventional systems by providing capabilities of
  off-site viewing and reporting (distance
  education, tele-diagnosis).
• Additionally, it enables practitioners at various
  physical locations to peruse the same information
  simultaneously, (teleradiology).
• With the decreasing price of digital storage,
  PACS systems provide a growing cost and space
  advantage over film archives.
• PACS is offered by virtually all the major
  medical imaging equipment manufacturers.

48
Digital Imaging And Communications In Medicine
(DICOM)

• A comprehensive set of standards (polices and
  procedures) for handling, storing, printing, and
  transmitting information in medical imaging
• It includes a file format definition and a
  network communications protocol
• The communication protocol is an application
  protocol that uses TCP/IP to communicate between
  systems
• DICOM files can be exchanged between two entities
  that are capable of receiving image and patient
  data in DICOM format

49
Digital Imaging And Communications In Medicine
(DICOM)

• DICOM enables the integration of scanners,
  servers, workstations, printers, and network
  hardware from multiple vendors into a picture
  archiving and communication system.
• The different machines, servers, and workstations
  come with DICOM conformance statements which
  clearly state the DICOM classes they support.
• DICOM has been widely adopted by hospitals and is
  making inroads in smaller applications like
  dentists' and doctors' offices

50
Examples of Modalities supported in DICOM are

• AS Angioscopy
• BI Biomagnetic Imaging
• CD Color Flow Doppler
• CF Cinefluorography (retired)
• CP Culposcopy
• CR Computed Radiography
• CS Cystoscopy
• CT Computed Tomography
• DD Duplex Doppler
• DF Digital Fluoroscopy (retired)

51
Examples of Modalities Supported in DICOM (cont.)

• DG Diaphanography
• DM Digital Microscopy
• DS Digital Subtraction Angiography
• DX Digital Radiography
• EC Echocardiography
• ES Endoscopy
• FA Fluorescein Angiography
• FS Fundoscopy
• HC Hard Copy

52
Examples of Modalities Supported in DICOM (cont.)

• LP Laparoscopy
• LS Laser Surface Scan
• MA Magnetic Resonance Angiography
• MR Magnetic Resonance
• MS Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
• PT Positron Emission Tomography (PET)
• RF Radio Fluoroscopy
• RG Radiographic Imaging (conventional film
  screen)
• RTDOSE Radiotherapy Dose
• RTIMAGE Radiotherapy Image

53
Examples of Modalities Supported in DICOM (cont.)

• RTPLAN Radiotherapy Plan
• RTSTRUCT Radiotherapy Structure Set
• ST Single-photon Emission Computed Tomography
• TG Thermography
• US Ultrasound
• VF Videofluorography (retired)
• XA X-Ray Angiography
• XC eXternal Camera
• ECG Electrocardiograms

54
Impact of Healthcare Information Technology

• Video Teleconferencing
• Synchronous face to face communication over long
  distances.
• Distance Consultations Diagnosis
• Allow patients in remote areas to consult
  specialists
• Virtual Communities
• Collaborate and exchange ideas through either
  synchronous or asynchronous communication.

55
Concerns Raised by HIT

• Privacy
• Accuracy
• Security
• Accessibility

56
Privacy

• A major concern is adequate confidentiality of
  the individual records being managed
  electronically
• According to the LA Times, roughly 150 people
  (from doctors and nurses to technicians and
  billing clerks) have access to at least part of a
  patient's records during a hospitalization
• 600,000 payers, providers and other entities
  that handle providers' billing data have some
  access also
• Multiple access points over an open network like
  the internet increases possible patient data
  interception
• In the United States, this class of information
  is referred to as Personal Healthcare Information
  (PHI) and its management is addressed under the
  (HIPAA) as well as many local laws Health
  Insurance Portability and Accountability Act

57
Accuracy

• Data is correct and complete
• According to the Institute of Medicine in 1999,
  between 44,000 and 98,000 deaths occur in
  hospitals that are preventable data inaccuracy
  contributes to this number

58
Security

• Policies, procedures, software, and/or hardware
  designed to insure that data in information
  systems are protected against accidental or
  inappropriate destruction, alterations, or
  access.

• Security controls
• Firewalls
• Network Intrusion Detection and Prevention
  Systems
• Authentication
• Authorization
• Audit logs
• Encryption

59
Accessibility

• Information is available where and when it is
  needed