The Clinician's Guide to Surviving IT

by Alan Gillies

Overview

The NHS is currently in the middle of the biggest information technology project in Western Europe, which will fundamentally change the working practices of all NHS staff over the next five years. This book explains to ordinary clinicians why they should be bothered with IT, and what their responsibilities are in making it work. This book provides an enlightening and reassuring read that dispels ignorance and suspicion. The user friendly style is helpful, and friendly panels with tips, warnings, reflective pauses and key points highlight important details. It is also suitable for use as a student textbook. The Clinician's Guide to Surviving I.T. is a must for every doctor, nurse and midwife in the NHS.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781857757972
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	02/15/2006
Pages:	156
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.50(d)

Table of Contents

What can informatics do for me? Informatics is important, honest. Why should we care about informatics? Why do our leaders care about informatics? Does it really work? Informatics can improve patient care. Keeping better records. Preventing harm to patients. How having better information available would save lives. Not just about preventing harm. Improvements means change. Informatics can help with professional practice and development. Informatics can help you find information. Resources to help you find information. Informatics can help you present information. Informatics can help you record your professional development. Informatics can facilitate integrated care. Joined up care needs joined up information. A case study from mental health. NPfIT: from jigsaw to trainset: the vision. NPfIT: from jigsaw to trainset: the reality. Conclusions. Informatics can empower patients. The patients: remember them? Facilitating self management. Informing patient decisions: beyond paternalism. What do I need to do for informatics? Be Professional. Your professional responsibilities. Codes of conduct. Record keeping. New consultation skills. What do I need to know? Data Standards. Boring but important. The bits someone else will worry about. The bits you have to worry about. What type of problems are there and how do we spot them? SNOMED: the future (?). Keep information safe. Information governance. Data protection. Confidentiality. Freedom of information. What are the risks? Involve the patients in decision making. Consent. Accessibility to information for patients.

Editorial Reviews

Reviewer: Abby N Agulnek, DO (Northwestern Memorial Hospital)
Description: This book cleverly aims to help clinicians feel more at ease with information technology (IT) by learning its benefits, not only for themselves, but also for patients. It also helps clinicians recognize their responsibility in the revolution of information technology. It is easy to read with many amusing pictures and graphics written with a U.K. frame of reference.
Purpose: The purpose is to shed light on the value of IT in clinicians' daily practice. In the new age of health informatics, the rapid technological changes can be overwhelming enough to deter physicians from its use. The book aims to encourage clinicians to play an active role in medical informatics.
Audience: The target audience is all clinicians both current and in training. It can also be useful for nurses and other allied health professionals. The book is a bit basic and would be most valuable to those with minimal comfort with the use of computers and the Internet in general.
Features: The book addresses the role informatics plays in the current healthcare system and the responsibilities of physicians within it. It includes topics such as how informatics can improve patient care, help with professional practice, and facilitate integrated care. The author is British, which places its frame of reference in the U.K. and its healthcare system. Although the overall objectives are met, the references and examples used are not from the U.S. and therefore are somewhat limiting. A mime artist appears throughout the book to provide tips, warnings, and things to consider. This is a clever way to highlight key points but one may argue offers a bit too much illustration. There are many diagrams and figures which add humor and help reinforce the author's ideas.
Assessment: This book offers an enlightening read and explains to all clinicians and those in healthcare why IT is essential. It helps clinicians overcome the fear of information technology and explains what their responsibilities are in making it work. Although the author focuses on the changes in medical informatics in the U.K., the book offers key points that can be generalized to the U.S. healthcare system and its informatics revolution.

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