SubmlLLed by Pareem Parls (7912) Malra

lzhar (7639) Saman Maqsood (7484)

Shayan 8asool (8093)
SubmlLLed Lo Mr Sarwan Abbasl
11/20/2011
Repoit Abstiact, Intiouuction
anu Refeiences
Abstract
Aga khan ls one of Lhe blggesL hosplLals ln aklsLan 1hey have recenLly launched Lhelr onllne sysLem
Lhrough whlch Lhe paLlenLs can check Lhelr reporLs onllne afLer Lhe full paymenL 1hey already have an
lnLernal daLabase whlch keeps Lhe paLlenL record and ls also used by Lhe employees Lo access Lhe
lnformaLlon 1hey also have dlfferenL Lypes of sofLware for speclflc uses llke for example Lhey have
sofLware [usL for Lhelr welfare deparLmenL Aga khan ls Lhe flrsL hosplLal whlch glves Lhls faclllLy Lo lLs
paLlenLs Lo check Lhelr reporL sLaLus onllne as well as look for Lhe appolnLmenLs and oLher lnformaLlon
We wlll focus on Aga khan's cusLomer servlce Lhrough Lhelr onllne sysLem as well as Lhelr lnLernal
daLabase and Lhe Lypes of sofLware Lhey use Lo compleLe Lhelr day Lo day Lasks We wlll analyze Lhe
performance of Lhelr webslLe and Lhe level of paLlenL saLlsfacLlon Lhrough our research we wlll flnd ouL
Lhe problems wlLh Lhe webslLe and whaL dlfference lL ls maklng Lo make Lhe healLh lndusLry e
commerce frlendly

Cur PypoLhesls Aga khan's webslLe and lnLernal daLabase sysLem wlll lmprove paLlenL managemenL and
seL a Lrend for oLher hosplLals Lo lmprove healLhcare lndusLry We wlll conducL our prlmary research
Lhrough quesLlonnalres














troduct|o

Aga khan unlverslLy PosplLal ls a coeducaLlonal Leachlng hosplLal LhaL ls spread across 7 dlfferenL
counLrles lLs maln campus ls locaLed ln karachl aklsLan Aku ls open Lo everyone regardless of
rellglon gender eLhnlclLy or naLlonal orlgln
1hls unlverslLy provldes hlgher educaLlon and develops research based on aklsLan and oLher
developlng counLrles lLs overall ob[ecLlve ls Lo promoLe Lhe welfare of aklsLan and Lhe developlng
world Aku sLresses on sclenLlflc research and malnLalns an advanced and organlzed lnfrasLrucLure Lo
supporL Lhls efforL lL has a separaLe 8esearch Cfflce LhaL provldes consLanL guldance and supporL Lo Lhe
research conducLed aL Lhe unlverslLy AfLer a Lhorough revlew process funds are granLed by a unlverslLy
8esearch Councll
CharLered by Lhe CovernmenL of aklsLan Aku ls an lnLernaLlonally acclalmed unlverslLy havlng Lhe
auLhorlLy Lo operaLe programs and campuses anywhere ln Lhe world
SLudenL enrollmenL ls among Lhe mosL compeLlLlve ln aklsLan and Lhe unlverslLy currenLly has 2236
sLudenLs wlLh a 21 female Lo male raLlo lL has over 11000 faculLy and sLaff members wlLh a 11 female
Lo male raLlo
lLs exLenslve llbrary neLwork lncludes 90000 books ln prlnL 60000 e8ooks 40000 bound volumes of
scholarly [ournals and 12000 e[ournals avallable from 23 dlfferenL onllne daLabases











Article# 1
Running Head: Health Care and US







Healthcare in the United States

Customer Inserts His/her Name

University Name
Healthcare service and delivery has been one oI the better characteristics in the United States oI
America. Even though, it has come to the Iore with some objectionable policies in the present times, such
as less Iocus on the elderly, it is still sound and comparable to any standards in the world. Here, as the
healthcare service oI the US is assessed, it must be done so by diIIerentiating and distinguishing between
the diIIerent components oI the healthcare delivery in totality. This is because each and every step or
component is vital in adding value to healthcare delivery. SuIIice to say, there are three vital components
in healthcare delivery; Iirst is the access to healthcare, second is the health seeking behavior oI the
population and third is the behavior oI the healthcare provider.
Access to healthcare
This is one oI the most Iundamental aspects oI healthcare delivery. It is all about the availability
oI healthcare service when it matters. It is the Iirst step and lynchpin oI healthcare service. This is because
discrepancies in the access to healthcare delivery can have potentially great consequences (UCSC). II a
patient or someone who needs healthcare does not have access to healthcare, the healthcare service is
useless no matter how good the healthcare provider may be. Looking at the United States oI America, it is
hard not to notice that in a country that is the sole superpower in the world, there are approximately 35
million people who are usually employed but they do not have any basic Iorm oI healthcare coverage
given to them in the Iorm oI healthcare insurance (Millman). ThereIore, as Iar as access to the healthcare
service is concerned, many people in the US today are losing their deserved access. Moreover, the
worrying aspect is not just this. In Iact, the more worrying part is that the number oI people vulnerable to
the decreasing access keeps on growing and increasing slowly but surely. People`s access to healthcare in
American society, thereIore, is surely taking a downward trend where increasing numbers oI people are
not getting the healthcare service due to lack oI timely access to the service. Moreover, the ever
increasing costs oI the health care services are taking an unyielding upward trend all the time and this
means that many oI the residents in towns and rural areas have to strive endlessly and against the wind to
ensure that the basic emergency services and healthcare are provided in their vicinities.
Health seeking behavior
Health seeking behavior is the second step towards successIul delivery oI healthcare. This is a
step that purely concerns the patient or the person who wants the healthcare service. This behavior is
extremely important to eIIective healthcare delivery because as long as a person does not seek out
healthcare, the accessibility and provision components are oI no use. This means that iI a person living in
downtown New York has access to healthcare and the providers are also good, still, as long as the person
does not make the active eIIort oI seeking out and actively engaging themselves in the process oI
healthcare acquisition, the healthcare delivery can do him or her no good. II one analyzes the population
oI the United States oI America, the health seeking behavior amongst the adults is diIIerent Ior diIIerent
people. For example, the health seeking behavior oI minorities is less active than that oI the whites.
However, there are several reasons that can be cited Ior the variations in health seeking behaviors. For the
people in USA, the Iirst oI these issues concerns trust. II one considers minorities, let there be the
example oI AIrican Americans. It is likely that AIrican Americans would cite timelessness, Iear oI
hospitals and Iear oI treatment as major reasons Ior not accessing healthcare. These Iears are akin to
mistrust. Second, stigma is another reason why the health seeking behavior is altered. Many in the US do
not seek healthcare citing the embarrassment they would get Irom being known as a person seeking`
healthcare. This, coupled with cultural aspects entices the person to opt Ior Iamilial or traditional methods
in improving and bettering their health. There are other Iactors that modiIy health seeking behavior in
America as well; cost and clinical bias. In times oI recession, the high costs encourage individuals to not
seek health service. Moreover, clinical bias also makes it diIIicult Ior people to seek out healthcare
service (General)
Health provider`s Behavior.
Health provider`s behavior is the last step and the single most important link oI the healthcare
delivery service. One may be having an access to healthcare service, one may possess the customer
behavior to go out and seek healthcare service. However, when an accessible and willing person goes out
to acquire healthcare in real, the customer gets a surprise at times as the healthcare provider is not willing
to take some patients in the emergency ward Ior example. This is one aspect that is completely in the
hands oI the healthcare provider and not the seekers. America does well in this part. The behavior oI
healthcare providers is good as long as one can pay the bills and everything. This is because, say Ior
example, the Iact that the health insurance coverage is declining; there are still approximately a thousand
(J.B. Learning) health insurance companies through which one can acquire insurance.






References
General, S. Mental Health. A Report of the Surgeon General. Retrieved October 21, 2011, Irom Surgeon
General: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/chapter2/sec8.html
J.B. Learning. Mafor Characteristics of US Health Care Delivery. Retrieved October 21, 2011, Irom J.B.
Learning: http://www.jblearning.com/samples/0763763802/63800CH01Final.pdI
Millman, M. Access to Health Care in America. Retrieved October 21, 2011, Irom National Academic
Press: http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?recordid2009&page19
UCSC. Access to health care. Retrieved October 19, 2011, Irom US Atlas oI Global Unequality:
http://ucatlas.ucsc.edu/access.php








Art|c|e# 2





Running Head: InIormation System BrieIing







InIormation System BrieIing

Customer Inserts His/her Name

University Name

nformation System Briefing
iabetes was a killer disease up until the 1920s (Think Quest Library) but advances in health care
brought about an end to people losing their lives to it. Similarly, in the modern world, scientiIic and
technological advances present men with unique opportunities in health care today and in the near Iuture
such as using inIormation systems in the Iield oI healthcare. It`s interesting to assess and evaluate such
options and analyze, and evaluate the impact that such possibilities have on the world today. It is when
analyzing these possibilities that the impact oI an inIormation system Ior our health care organization
cannot be ignored. Not only do inIormation systems have a part to play in the current scenario, they also
have a very, very important Iuture.
A healthcare organization`s role is laid out pretty clearly on what they need to do; save lives and
increase healthiness in the society Ior those who need it. With the same pivotal role in mind, each oI the
stakeholders beneIit extremely well Irom inIormation systems. At the same time, a goal is to ensure that
the stakeholders are satisIied. The employees, the customers and the shareholders all reap the beneIits iI
the healthcare system IulIills their respective goals each. However, beIore we dwell on the how the
inIormation system would help the pursuit oI organization`s goals, by eIIectively pursuing stakeholder`s
goals, it is important to explain how the inIormation system would be selected and acquired. Plus, what
are the roles that each oI the stakeholders would play in the selection process is also a pertinent question.
Selection oI new healthcare systems is a mighty task Ior healthcare organizations (LG., 2010).
First, the process oI the acquisition oI inIormation system would include the decision oI selecting whether
to buy, lease or outsource the required hardware and soItware oI the inIormation system (Rahardjo, 2006).
This would be Iound out through a Iinancial and operational Ieasibility study that is result oriented.
Last, let us now dwell on why and how the organization`s goals drive the selection process. A
basic goal oI health care organization is to ensure the best possible and prompt communication between
those that need it. ThereIore, the selection would have to ensure the choice oI an inIormation system
which can serves as an external source to communicate patient speciIic inIormation. Imagine a situation
in which one needs to receive medical attention that is not currently available or is not up to the mark at
the place where the patient is currently living. Imagine a person living in a place like Pakistan where most
people have a low income and health care is not aIIordable Ior the common man (OneWorld, 2009) and
neither does the state provide the best healthcare. Further, there is also a big lack in health care
Iacilities (IRIN, 2007) too. This means that even iI a person can aIIord health care, it would still be very
diIIicult Ior him or her to receive the best care. Here, inIormation systems can Iacilitate by relaying and
communicating patient speciIic inIormation to and Iro whoever requires it.
Another goal oI healthcare includes providing medical advice oI specialists Ior patients Irom any
corner oI the globe. Here, inIormation systems can have a big impact and the selection oI a system must
be one which can connect eIIectively. A hospital in Pakistan can connect to a hospital in U.S.A or Canada
in real time. Experts can give opinions and advice to the patient or local medical team. Files and records
oI patients can then easily be transIerred through Internet to the doctors and experts in better hospital and
a better advice can be acquired. By the impact oI an inIormation system thus, submission oI patient
speciIic inIormation becomes easier
The same situation can work the other way round too. II a person who previously lived in a place
with underdeveloped healthcare now lives at a place like Canada or U.S.A, doctors may at times ask the
patient to Iurnish a history oI the patient`s medical Iile. It would be unwise iI the doctors were simply to
trust the patient into telling his complete history and the complications that he may be having. For a
complete and eIIective assessment thus, electronic communication can help again. The medical
authorities can contact the previous hospital oI the patient and legally request the hospital to present the
current hospital with the patient`s medical records. Once the Iormalities Ior the acquisition oI the records
are met, the current doctors can move ahead and decide their next course oI action with the patient.
The world we live in today is called as the age oI specialization (Law, 2007). SuIIice to say, the
use oI distance delivery and electronic communication aIIects healthcare services today by providing an
excellent platIorm Ior the exchange oI inIormation between medical specialists and related experts Irom
diIIerent plains oI medicine. In this world, the importance oI reliable, accurate and precise inIormation in
the Iield oI health care cannot be ignored. And this is where one oI the Iundamental aims oI healthcare
organization comes in; the role to serve as an organization that gives reliable, precise and accurate
treatments and solutions. Medical errors made by human negligence are today, sometimes the root or big
cause Ior mortalities and deaths in hospitals. Thus, the use oI inIormation systems Ior accurate delivery
and communication oI inIormation today presents us with an improved perIormance and quality oI
healthcare provision (uplaga, 2004).
ThereIore, as Iar as the goals oI the organization are concerned, it is pretty apparent the way they
would contribute to the selection process by the selection oI an inIormation system that is best Ior
communicating patient speciIic inIormation and delivery transIer and by the choice oI a system that is
Iaster and reliable with how that inIormation is communicated. Further, it can serve to increase the
cooperation between healthcare units all over the world as the communication would be in real-time iI
wanted.














References
LG., G. (2010, January). Selecting healthcare information systems provided by third-party vendors. a
mind map beyond the manuals. Retrieved September 28, 2011, Irom
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20302435
Rahardjo, E. (2006, November 29). Decision Making in Information Technology Acquisition. A system
Analysis approach. Retrieved September 28, 2011, Irom University oI Missouri - St. Louis:
http://www.umsl.edu/~sauterv/analysis/I06Papers/Rahardjo/
uplaga, M. Z (2004). Springer Link - Abstract. Retrieved February 7, 2011, Irom SpringerLink:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/mlc0atymr41lllq3/
IRIN (2007, October 17). IRIN Asia , Pakistan. Lack of healthcare access keeps child mortality high in
Pakistan. Retrieved February 7, 2011, Irom IRIN:
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId74825
Law, S. I. (2007, September 24). The Age of Speciali:ation (article) by Stan I. S Law on Authors Den.
Retrieved February 7, 2011, Irom Authorsen:
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewArticle.asp?id33324
OneWorld (2009, February 10). Healthcare in Pakistan too expensive to afford. Retrieved February 7,
2011, Irom OneWorld: http://southasia.oneworld.net/todaysheadlines/healthcare-in-pakistan-too-
expensive-to-aIIord
Think Quest Library. The Roaring Twenties - The 1920s - Science and Technology. Retrieved February 7,
2011, Irom Think Quest Library:
http://library.thinkquest.org/C005846/categories/science/science.htm







Article# 3

Healthcare in the modern world - An overview
The modern world has presented mankind with a whole new array oI possibilities that could not
have been thought possible beIore. It has made possible and Iacilitated communication and transIer and
brought gadgets and other Iorms oI technology that one cannot imagine to live without today. Further,
through interconnectivity and interdependency among and within nations, it has warped the phenomenon
oI Globalization.
This has resulted in the dissemination oI many cultures and technologies. One aspect oI human
liIe that has been inIluenced by technology and globalization is health care`. Where previously, iabetes
was a killer disease up until the 1920s (Think Quest Library) but advances in health care brought about an
end to people losing their lives to it. Similarly, in the modern world, scientiIic and technological advances
present men with unique opportunities in health care today and in the near Iuture such as using electronic
communication as an external delivery source in communicating medical inIormation and Iacilitating
distance delivery. It`s interesting to assess and evaluate such options and analyze, and evaluate the impact
that such possibilities have on the world today and may have in the very near Iuture, say Iive years.
iscussion:
The task is to elaborate how electronic communication serves as an external source to communicate
patient speciIic inIormation. Imagine a situation in which one needs to receive medical attention that is
not currently available or is not up to the mark at the place where the patient is currently living. Imagine a
person living in a place like Pakistan where most people have a low income and health care is not
aIIordable Ior the common man (OneWorld, 2009) and neither does the state does not provide Ior it.
Further, there is also a big lack in health care Iacilities (IRIN, 2007) too. This means that even iI a person
can aIIord health care, it would still be very diIIicult Ior him to receive the best care.
Here, electronic communication in the modern world can become eIIective and have a big impact.
A hospital in Pakistan can connect to a hospital in U.S.A or Canada in real time. Experts can give
opinions and advice to the patient or local medical team. Files and records oI patients can then easily be
transIerred through Internet to the doctors and experts in better hospital and a better advice can be
acquired. By the impact oI electronic communication thus, submission oI patient speciIic inIormation
becomes easier
The same situation can work the other way round too. II a person who previously lived in a place
with underdeveloped healthcare now lives at a place like Canada or U.S.A, doctors may at times ask the
patient to Iurnish a history oI the patient`s medical Iile. It would be unwise iI the doctors were simply to
trust the patient into telling his complete history and the complications that he may be having. For a
complete and eIIective assessment thus, electronic communication can help again. The medical
authorities can contact the previous hospital oI the patient and legally request the hospital to present the
current hospital with the patient`s medical records. Once the Iormalities Ior the acquisition oI the records
are met, the current doctors can move ahead and decide their next course oI action with the patient.
The world we live in today is called as the age oI specialization (Law, 2007). SuIIice to say, the
use oI distance delivery and electronic communication aIIects healthcare services today by providing an
excellent platIorm Ior the exchange oI inIormation between medical specialists and related experts Irom
diIIerent plains oI medicine. Further, medical errors today are sometimes the root or big cause Ior
mortalities and deaths in hospitals. The use oI electronic solutions Ior delivery and communication oI
inIormation today presents us with an improved perIormance and quality oI healthcare
provision (uplaga, 2004).
Thus today electronic communication can have an impact on patient speciIic inIormation and
delivery transIer by creating the Iacility oI a Iaster and reliable Iorm oI communication between medical
experts. Further, it can serve to increase the cooperation between healthcare units all over the world as the
communication would be in real-time iI wanted. Not only that, it creates a big impact by providing
access to inIormation that is vital Ior decision-making by the medical experts (C, PC, , B, KN, & VL,
1998).
So Iar the eIIect oI electronic communication and distance delivery on health care has been
analyzed in context to the present. Focus will, at this point, be shiIted to what is to be expected in the near
Iuture and the impact electronic communication and distance delivery will have on healthcare and patient
assessment in the coming years, say the next Iive years.
II electronic communication and distance delivery is utilized in health care and patient assessment
as it is expected to, it would mean that interdependency and interconnectivity between medical experts
will increase. This will make distance delivery no issue at all in the coming years. Patient assessment will
be no hassle at all whether the patient`s records are miles apart or in the next room. Wait! Next room? Is
assessing a patient in the next room a diIIicult task?
No. However, electronic communication is likely to make an impact by Iacilitating micro
communication in healthcare, and can take it on the next level as well. This is because electronic
communication will not only make easy interconnectivity between doctor and patient Ior patient
assessment but also intra-connectivity as well. It is meant that one can turn practically every room in a
hospital into an intensive care unit (NCBI Book ShelI, 2005). Let us look at how.
In the near Iuture, where patient population grows geometrically compared to the arithmetically
growing numbers oI medical experts, it becomes incumbent that the quality oI monitoring and diagnosing
will have to improve maniIold. To maintain high quality, yet detailed communication between the
patients and doctor Ior assessment and delivery, eIIorts have been put into produce sensors using IC
technology. This has led to the production oI micro electric communication systems. Combining these
systems with wireless Microsystems creates wireless integrated Microsystems`. These WIMS can be
used extensively in healthcare delivery. In the very near Iuture, even Iive years, combining WIMS with
sensors integrated with microcomputers and transceivers that would operate at little power levels is
possible.
The eIIect that such a device would have is that it would easily provide Ior nonstop surveillance
oI critical physiological Iunctions, which will practically turn every hospital room into an intensive care
unit. Fitted in a way that they can be comIortable worn and communicating automatically using a bedside
receiver these devices would be acting as an ICU physician in an ICU room. The system is still rare;
however, Iive or 10 years down the line, it could make a tremendous impact on patient assessment.
Further, electronic communication is also expected to make an impact Ior patient assessment and
delivery through mobile phones. Wireless Healthcare, a wireless communication, reports a staggering 101
health care assessment-related activities where mobile phones can prove useIul (Impact Lab, 2009). Many
new opportunities are present through electronic communication in the Iorm oI mobile phones. For
example, reminders about patients and their medications can be programmed. Further, medical data can
be stored in a SIM card. This is oI special importance because in the case oI accident or emergency,
where the patient itselI has been rendered unconscious or is not able to communicate Ior any reason, a
SIM card could easily be used to assess the patient`s record and provide quick inIormation to the medical
experts Ior the next course oI action
Conclusion:
Thus it can be said that various Iorms oI electronic communication are inIluencing our healthcare
by producing Iaster and reliable communication between medical experts. They are also increasing the
quality oI cooperation between medical experts and giving an easy way oI providing access to vital
inIormation. Further, in the Iuture, say Iive years, electronic communication is not only expected to help
interconnectivity between patient and doctor but also intra connectivity. Whether by the use oI the
complex wireless sensors turning every room into an ICU or by the use oI a device as common as a cell
phone, there are many beneIits in distance delivery and patient assessment.
ReIerences:
C, S., PC, J., , R., B, B., KN, C., and VL, P (1998, February). lectronic communication and
collaboration in a healthcare practice. Retrieved February 7, 2011, Irom PubMed:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9520221
uplaga, M. Z (2004). Springer Link - Abstract. Retrieved February 7, 2011, Irom SpringerLink:
http://www.springerlink.com/content/mlc0atymr41lllq3/
Impact Lab (2009, September 29). How Mobile Phones impact Healthcare Delivery. Retrieved February
7, 2011, Irom Impact lab: http://www.impactlab.net/2009/09/29/how-mobile-phones-impact-
healthcare-delivery/
IRIN (2007, October 17). IRIN Asia , Pakistan. Lack of healthcare access keeps child mortality high in
Pakistan. Retrieved February 7, 2011, Irom IRIN:
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId74825
Law, S. I. (2007, September 24). The Age of Speciali:ation (article) by Stan I. S Law on Authors Den.
Retrieved February 7, 2011, Irom Authorsen:
http://www.authorsden.com/visit/viewArticle.asp?id33324
NCBI Book ShelI (2005). Information and Communication Systems. The Backbone of the Health Care
Delivery System. Retrieved February 7, 2011, Irom NCBI:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22862/
OneWorld (2009, February 10). Healthcare in Pakistan too expensive to afford. Retrieved February 7,
2011, Irom OneWorld: http://southasia.oneworld.net/todaysheadlines/healthcare-in-pakistan-too-
expensive-to-aIIord
Think Quest Library. The Roaring Twenties - The 1920s - Science and Technology. Retrieved February 7,
2011, Irom Think Quest Library:
http://library.thinkquest.org/C005846/categories/science/science.htm