A hospital information system (HIS) is an element of health informatics that focuses mainly on the administrational needs of hospitals. In many implementations, a HIS is a comprehensive, integrated information system designed to manage all the aspects of a hospital's operation, such as medical, administrative, financial, and legal issues and the corresponding processing of services.
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Architecture
Hospital Information System architecture has three main levels, Central Government Level, Territory Level, and Patient Carrying Level. Generally, all types of hospital information system (HIS) are supported in client-server architectures for networking and processing. Most work positions for HIS are currently resident types. Mobile computing began with wheeled PC stands. Now tablet computers and smartphone applications are used.
Enterprise HIS with Internet architectures have been successfully deployed in Public Healthcare Territories and have been widely adopted by further entities. The Hospital Information System (HIS) is a province-wide initiative designed to improve access to patient information through a central electronic information system. HIS’s goal is to streamline patient information flow and its accessibility for doctors and other health care providers. These changes in service will improve patient care quality and patient safety over time.
The patient carries system record patient information, patient laboratory test results, and patient’s doctor information. Doctors can access easily person information, test results, and previous prescriptions. Patient schedule organization and early warning systems can provide by related systems.
Functional split
HIS has data warehousing as the main topic, hence a more static model of information management. HIS is often composed of one or several software components with specialty-specific extensions, as well as of a large variety of sub-systems in medical specialties from a multi-vendor market. Specialized implementations name for example Laboratory Information System (LIS), Policy and Procedure Management System, Radiology Information System (RIS) or Picture archiving and communication system (PACS).
Architecture is based on a distributed approach and on the utilization of standard software products complying with the industrial and market standards must be utilized (such as: UNIX operating systems, MS-Windows, local area network based on Ethernet and TCP/IP protocols, relational database management systems based on SQL language or Oracle databases, C programming language).
Portable devices such as smartphones and table computers may be used at the bedside.
Aim
Hospital Information Systems provide a common source of information about a patient’s health history. The system has to keep data in a secure place and controls who can reach the data in certain circumstances. These systems enhance the ability of health care professionals to coordinate care by providing a patient’s health information and visit history at the place and time that it is needed. Patient’s laboratory test information also includes visual results such as X-ray, which may be reachable by professionals. HIS provide internal and external communication among health care providers.
The HIS may control organizations (a Hospital in this case), official documentations, financial situation reports, personal data, utilities and stock amounts. The HIS also keeps in a secure place: patients' information, patients' medical history, prescriptions, operations and laboratory test results.
The HIS may protect organizations, handwriting errors, overstock problems, conflict of scheduling personnel, and official documentation errors like tax preparations errors.
IT Administrators
The systems administrator-database administrator is responsible for systems administration to ensure the high uptime of the system and for handling all database back-up and restoration activities.
Application specialist and trainer
The hospital’s application specialist together with the software vendor is involved in all the activities required for implementing the application software. Trainers train and retrain new employees in the hospital.
Hardware/network engineers
Hardware/Network engineers are responsible for maintaining the hardware and network systems in the hospital. They undertake all troubleshooting activities that may be required to keep the system online and patient data available to doctors and nurses.
Standardization
There is no standardization, except for data formats and for data interchange, as with the HL7 initiative supported by ISO.