Post #5 – Computers in the Workplace

"In Post #5, you will describe the functions of computers in your chosen industry, based on your
current understanding of IT, your experience with that industry, and any additional research as
necessary. Explain why it is important for employees in this type of environment to be computer
literate. Considering the historic trends of computing, forecast how evolutions in computer
hardware, operating systems, and networking will impact your chosen industry over the next ten
years."

I have chosen to use Information Technology in the Health Care field, as this is something I am very familiar with. When it comes to Healthcare IT, it is becoming more and more important for individuals to be computer literate as time goes by.  Gone are the days of learning on the fly, as you tend to patients on the floor, writing down your vitals, events, or tracking of patient care. Providers no longer have the option to call out orders to their nurses or medical assistant or call up the pharmacy for a dropped dose of medication. Everything must be kept track of in the Electronic Medical record, this includes orders, notes, vitals, patient information and other data. If a medication is dropped or wasted, it must be documented as such, right down to if it is a waste that is charged to the patient, or a cost the hospital will cover. Most hospital policies are to “document in real time”, meaning you bring a computer to the bedside, and speak with your patient and chart on the computer, as if it were writing in the paper chart. Often, this is not possible, so times entered will be changed to reflect the time a task was performed, or time data was taken. Even changing the date to reflect this information on the screen, will not change the actual time entered into the system, as all this data is stored on the backend, unable to be seen, or changed by the users. This is helpful in court cases to prove or disprove medical malpractice, and often saves the lives of patients, while protecting hospital staff if they followed proper procedures. It is very important to be computer literate because using the EMR goes beyond simply being able to surf the web or write a document in word. They need to be able to understand the difference between right and left mouse clicks, logging out of the systems versus suspending the application. Many facilities use Single Sign On, which allows them to tap on to the workstation computer, and sign into all of their work applications including their email, payroll, EMR and others. Simply logging off of the EMR does not log them off the workstation, they need to “tap out”, if they do not, they risk all of their personal work applications being tampered with. Spelling also counts in most EMRs, knowing how to use spell check can really help, especially if you are using acronyms.