Information Technology for the Health Professions, 4th Edition

Introduction to Information Technology— Hardware, Software, and Telecommunications 1 Information Technology and Computer Literacy Information technology includes: Computers Networks Computer literacy Computer Literacy Computer literacy includes: Knowledge of basic computer concepts The ability to use computers to make tasks easier The ability to use the Internet and World Wide Web Computer An electronic device which: Accepts data as input Processes that data according to instructions stored in memory Produces information as output Stores the results Figure 1.1 Desktop computer. Source: Oleksiy Mark/Shutterstock.com Computers and Health Care It is especially crucial for allied health students to have a knowledge of computers and networks The federal government is attempting to make the use of the electronic health record (EHR) and integrated hospital information technology systems universal by 2014 Computer Classifications Supercomputer Largest and most powerful at any time Used for scientific applications such as weather forecasting and simulations Computer Classifications Mainframes Used by large institutions (businesses, hospitals, universities) Powerful, multiuser computer; many users access mainframe through terminals Used for data processing tasks, e.g., generating a payroll, processing insurance claims Computer Classifications Minicomputers Scaled-down mainframe Multiuser Used in small businesses Microcomputers (PCs, desktops) Used by individuals Computer Classifications Netbooks Scaled-down microcomputers Light and easy to carry Provide a link to the Internet, and support common application software Computer Classifications Personal digital assistants (PDAs) Small, handheld computers Used throughout the health care system for references, to gather information, and to write prescriptions Smartphones and tablet computers have been embraced by health care providers Computer Classifications Smartphones Cell phone with built-in applications and Internet access Provide phone service, text messaging, e-mail, Web browsing, still and video cameras, MP3 players, and video viewing There are many health-related apps for smartphones Figure 1.2 Touchscreen smartphone. Source: Oleksiy Mark/Shutterstock.com Computer Classifications Tablet computers Wireless touchscreen computers which may use a stylus or digital pen to input information Tablet computers have become widely used by health care providers Figure 1.3 Tablet computer. Source: iQoncept/Shutterstock.com Computer Classifications Embedded computers Single-purpose computers on chips inside appliances or human beings May be used to regulate a heartbeat or dispense medication, among other uses Hardware Includes all the physical parts of the computer, the parts you can see and touch Input Hardware Includes all devices used to digitize and input data into the computer Figure 1.4 Hardware. Source: Beekman, George, and Ben Beekman. Digital Planet Tomorrow’s Technology and You. 10th ed. New York: Prentice Hall, 2011. Input Devices Keyboards Direct-entry devices Pointing devices Mouse Microphones Cameras Input Devices Scanning devices Bar-code reader—scans universal product codes Kurzweil scanner—text is input; voice reading the text aloud is the output Input Devices Scanning devices MICR (magnetic ink character recognition) OCR (optical character recognition) OMR (optical mark recognition) RFID (radio frequency identification) tags Processing Hardware Processing hardware comprises the brains of the computer Central processing unit Memory Central Processing Unit Control unit directs operation following instructions of programs Arithmetic-logic unit performs arithmetic operations and logical operations (comparisons) Memory Random access memory (RAM)—temporary work space, holds current work Read-only memory (ROM)—permanent, firmware, holds startup instructions Output Devices Soft copy Monitors Voice synthesis Hard copy Printers Impact Nonimpact Plotters Secondary Storage Devices Magnetic media Hard disks Diskettes have been replaced by high-capacity media Secondary Storage Devices Optical media CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW DVD Solid-state high-capacity memory devices Flash memory Software System software manages the hardware Operating system Utilities Software Application software does tasks for the user Word processors Spreadsheets Database management systems Graphics Communications Specialized packages Networking and Telecommunications Connectivity—the fact that computers can be linked for sending and receiving data Telecommunications—involves the linking of computers Media Data must follow some path between connected computers Connections can be high bandwidth or low bandwidth, wired or wireless Hospitals use fast T1 lines for moving images Hospitals can use slow connections for e-mail Protocols Communications software includes: Technical standards Rules that govern communications between computers Networks Allow the sharing of hardware, software, data Classified by size: LANs, WANs, personal networks Expansion of Wireless Technology Cell phones GPS WiFi PDAs Smartphones Tablet computers The Internet The Internet is an interconnected network of networks that spans the world Originated as ARPAnet (1969); subscribes to TCP/IP protocols Services: exchange of text, data, programs; research; e-mail; MEDLINE; telemedicine; telecommuting World Wide Web Part of the Internet that allows the linking of multimedia documents (Web sites) You must have an Internet connection and software called a browser The World Wide Web The Web is the graphical part of the Internet Comprised of pages with hyperlinks to other pages Can be searched using a search engine Finding Information Every document has an address URL (uniform resource locator) which you can enter if you know it Browsing: start anywhere and click on links to other sites Search Tools Search engines Allow the user to enter a search expression to find documents with the matching phrase Subject guides or directories Organize information into categories Evaluating Information There are no standards governing the quality of information on the Internet; much of it is unreliable Evaluating Information Some questions to ask when judging reliability of information: Is the site maintained by an educational (.edu), nonprofit (.org), or government (.gov) institution? Is the site maintained by an individual (address may include ~)? Is the site maintained by a commercial organization (.com) that is trying to sell you something? Evaluating Information Does the page have an author? Has the page been updated recently? Does the information make sense and can it be supported by other sources? Be careful of conflicts of interest on any site, even the FDA. For example, much of the drug budget for the FDA comes from the drug companies it regulates.