Medical Data Essays

Medical Data Essays Medical Data Paper Medical Data Paper Medical data collectively represents information that was or is being obtained from individuals who have consulted medical professionals or have been admitted to health care facilities due to health and medical problems and concerns. The types of medical data include narrative data or textual data, which includes personal information (name, date of birth, occupation, medical history, family or social background, etc. ) and written remarks of medical professionals (codes that represent the status of patients, etc. ), numerical data (measurements such as vital signs, various measurements conducted, etc.  ), recorded signals in the form of Mammography, ECG, and such, and data in the form of pictures (x-rays, radiologic images, and sketches or drawings). (Charette, 2006) Medical data differs from business, corporate, or organizational data because it is utilized to provide health solutions, remedies, and preventive action that will benefit patients or clients. Business, corporate, or organizational data, on the other hand, is focused on obtaining and keeping information in order to sustain the needs and requirements of the company for growth and development. Therefore, medical data is utilized outwardly as a means to serve the people, while organizational data is utilized inwardly, such that the results of gathering and storing data benefits businesses or corporations more than their clients. Moreover, while organizational data are mostly based on accurate information or figures, medical data requires the expertise of medical professionals to interpret and obtain information relevant to the concept of gathering medical data. Perhaps the number and complexity of utilizing technology to digitize medical data make it difficult for health care facilities to computerize them. Apparently, digital imaging for medical data requires the utilization of new technologies that were designed for this specific purpose. However, the problem is that it is expensive. Health care facilities are left with the decision whether to spend funds for technological systems for storing data or to allocate it for health care service purposes. (Renner, 1996) Moreover, medical data are numerous. It would not be easy to computerize them in just a couple of hours. Doing so will require much time and effort. Of course technological gadgets being used to store medical data necessitate knowledge of how to operate them. Medical professionals agree that utilizing technological systems for obtaining and storing medical data requires that they learn how to operate these gadgets. (Funke, 2008) References Charette, R. N. (2006). Electronic Medical Records: Dying for Data. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from IEE Spectrum Online. Website: spectrum. ieee. org/feb08/4589 Funke, O. (2008). Electronic Medical Records and Privacy: Purpose, Benefits and Problems. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from All Academic Incorporated. Website: allacademic. com/meta/p281245_index. html Renner, K. (1996). Cost-Justifying Electronic Medical Records. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from CNET Networks, Inc. Website: http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_m3257/is_n10_v50/ai_18794085