Unit 5: HEALTH INFORMATICS and HEALTH CONSULTING

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Aims and Objectives

In this unit you will learn and practise vocabulary related to helth informatics and health consulting.

You will practise the following skills and functions:

  • reading for information
  • summarising written information
  • writing a cover letter

The grammar of this unit includes:

  • Use of the gerund
  • Recognition and diferentiation of short forms
  • Prepositions

Health Informatics

Exercise 1: Selections

Chose the correct answer.

Read the following text:

The modern discipline of health informatics is still relatively young, and the work carried out by many different groups in this field is not always well co-ordinated. Health informatics can, however, be defined as the study of information and communication systems in healthcare, and focuses particularly on:

  • Understanding the fundamental nature of these information and communication systems, and describing the principles which shape them.
  • Developing interventions which can improve upon existing information and communication systems.
  • Developing methods and principles which allow such interventions to be designed.
  • Evaluating the impact of these interventions on the way individuals or organizations work, or on the outcome of the work.

Specific specialities of health informatics include clinical informatics, where the focus is on the use of information in support of patient care, and bioinformatics, which focuses on the use of genomic and other biological information.

Modern healthcare has moved away from seeing disease in isolation, to understanding that illness occurs at a complex system level. Infection is not simply the result of invasion by a pathogenic organism, but the complex interaction of an individual's immune system, nutritional status, environment and genetic structure.

The challenges for healthcare are to put together rational structures for the way clinical evidence is pooled, communicated and applied to routine care, and to develop organisational processes and structures that minimise resources and maximise benefits. The role of health informatics is to develop a system that provides a rational answer to these challenges and its scope is therefore enormous. It finds application in the design of support systems for clinical decisions and administration, in the development of computer tools for research, and in the study of the very essence of medicine - its corpus of knowledge.

  1. a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  2. a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  3. a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  4. a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  5. a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?

Exercise 2: Exposed Cloze

Use the correct word or expression from the list below to fill in the gaps in the sentences.

  • achieve
  • benefit
  • challenges
  • designed
  • disease
  • focus
  • knowledge
  • pool
  • research
  • resources
Transcript:

Modern healthcare faces many challenges.

In this presentation I would like to focus on healthcare.

What is the main benefit of the new treatment?

In order to achieve our goals we must spend more money.

It's a very poor country with no natural resources .

This system is designed to be used by people with basic computer skills.

The hospitals in the area decided to pool their IT resources.

A knowledge of first aid is always useful in case of accidents.

Malaria is not a contagious disease .

Dr Jones works in the research and development department.

  1. Modern healthcare faces many .
    ?
  2. In this presentation I would like to on healthcare.
    ?
  3. What is the main of the new treatment?
    ?
  4. In order to our goals we must spend more money.
    ?
  5. It's a very poor country with no natural .
    ?
  6. This system is to be used by people with basic computer skills.
    ?
  7. The hospitals in the area decided to their IT resources.
    ?
  8. A of first aid is always useful in case of accidents.
    ?
  9. Malaria is not a contagious .
    ?
  10. Dr Jones works in the and development department.
    ?

Exercise 3: Listening

Now listen and repeat the sentences from the previous exercise:

Recording:

Exercise 4: Cloze

Complete the following sentences by putting the verb into the gerund form.

Explanation:

Here is an example from the text of the use of a gerund, or '---ing' form:

  • Health informatics focuses on understanding information and communication

systems.

A verb after a preposition always takes the gerund form.

Transcript:

Modern healthcare has moved away from seeing disease in isolation. (see)

After arriving at the hospital they had to wait for two hours. (arrive)

Take one tablet before going to bed. (go)

You can't get a job in health informatics without studying. (study)

I look forward to hearing from you. (hear)

  1. Modern healthcare has moved away from disease in isolation. (see)
    ?
  2. After at the hospital they had to wait for two hours. (arrive)
    ?
  3. Take one tablet before to bed. (go)
    ?
  4. You can't get a job in health informatics without . (study)
    ?
  5. I look forward to from you. (hear)
    ?

Exercise 5: True/False Statements

For each of the statements below, choose True or False.

Read the following text:

A new computer network is going to link up GPs, hospitals and chemists, to improve sharing of patients' records. It will eventually allow patients to look at their own health records from home. Health care records, appointment details, prescription information, and up-to-date research into illnesses and treatment will be accessible to patients and health professionals whenever they need it to make decisions. Access controls will be strict and people will have different views of the record based on their role in the patient's care.

In the past, much essential patient information was written down and filed away. In recent years some information has been kept on computers in an individual organisation but has only been accessible to staff working in that organisation. Now, it will become part of the Records Service - stored securely, but available to the right people when it is needed. It will even be possible to see images of the patient's X-rays and scans. There are other benefits too. Patients will be able to book hospital appointments at a time and place of their choice. Prescriptions may also be sent electronically from the GP to a local chemist.

It is an enormous and very complex task to enable the secure and appropriate sharing of health information of about 50 million individuals. There will be difficulties along the way, but patients, the public and the NHS need to work together to bring about these vital changes.

  1. GP means General Practitioner, a primary care doctor in Britain.


    ?
  2. Chemists will not be included in the network.


    ?
  3. Healthcare records will be open to anybody who is interested.


    ?
  4. X-rays and scans will also be stored electronically.


    ?
  5. Patients will not be able to access this service.


    ?
  6. NHS refers to the British National Health Service.


    ?
  7. Doctors will be able to send prescriptions direct to the pharmacy.


    ?

Exercise 6: Exposed Cloze

Use the correct word or expression from the list below to fill in the gaps in the sentences.

  • appointment
  • file away
  • link up
  • prescription
  • records
  • research
  • share
  • staff
  • store
  • task
Transcript:

What time is your appointment?

Health centres in different places will be able to share information.

It will be a very difficult task to set up the new network.

Do people in your country have to pay for a prescription?

I'll be ready in a moment. I just need to file away these documents.

Originally she wanted to do research but now she's a GP.

It's an enormous hospital with a very large staff.

Will the system be able to store X-rays?

Where are the records kept?

Health informatics systems make it possible to link up different health centres and hospitals.

  1. What time is your ?
    ?
  2. Health centres in different places will be able to information.
    ?
  3. It will be a very difficult to set up the new network.
    ?
  4. Do people in your country have to pay for a ?
    ?
  5. I'll be ready in a moment. I just need to these documents.
    ?
  6. Originally she wanted to do but now she's a GP.
    ?
  7. It's an enormous hospital with a very large .
    ?
  8. Will the system be able to X-rays?
    ?
  9. Where are the kept?
    ?
  10. Health informatics systems make it possible to different health centres and hospitals.
    ?

Exercise 7: Listening

Now listen and repeat in the spaces provided:

Recording:

Exercise 8: Gap Filling

Choose the best option to fill the gaps in the following sentences.

  1. I'm sure the system will work ____ .
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  2. Will the system ____ me to book an appointment?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  3. He took the doctor's ____ to the chemist's.
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  4. Access to information will be based ____ a person's role in the healthcare system.
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  5. Will records be ____ to anyone?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?

Exercise 9: Multiple Choice Questions

Chose the correct answer.

Read the following text:

Patrick has 20 years' experience as a nurse and is a firm believer in the use of technology to support healthcare. He helps to develop the training courses that people need to use new IT systems. A recent taxi ride confirmed his belief that IT is a good thing for the health service. Patrick explains: "The taxi driver was unusually chatty for 6am and asked where I was going at this time on a Monday. I told him I was off to a workshop in London. I told him I worked for the National Health Service and explained briefly about the National IT Programme. He quickly understood that it meant that a patient's details would be available by computer wherever and whenever they were needed.

"That sounds great", he said, "my wife has asthma and every time she goes into hospital they ask for her name and address and stuff and always have to ask her again what tablets she's on. Well, you'd think they'd already know wouldn't you?"

"And another thing," he continued. "You'd think other things would be better organised as well. I'm always being asked to go from one hospital to another to collect X-rays for patients who've been transferred. Sometimes it's a couple of hours before I can get them to a hospital. At the reception desk they tell me to leave them in a tray and they'll get round to them when they've got time. It's the same with specimens and all sorts of stuff. God knows what it costs to use all these taxis; mind you, we give them a special rate."

As we pulled into the station I realised he'd accidentally provided a couple of really good arguments for how the national IT programme is going to improve things. I didn't have the heart to tell him that, special rate or no special rate, his days of ferrying X-rays to and fro were numbered."

  1. This story is about:
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  2. Patrick took a taxi because:
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  3. The Health Service uses taxis:
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  4. The taxi-driver thinks the present system is:
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  5. Which is correct?
    a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?

Exercise 10: Multiple Choice Questions

In this exercise choose the correct complete form - would or had - corresponding to the short form 'd.

Explanation:

In the sentence 'You'd think they'd already know, wouldn't you?' there are two examples of 'd used as the short form of would.

In the sentence 'I realised he'd provided a couple of arguments ...' we have an example of 'd used as the short form of had.

  1. They'd left when we got there.
    a. 
    b. 
    ?
  2. I'd prefer to do it tomorrow.
    a. 
    b. 
    ?
  3. If Dr. Spock knew how to use a computer he'd be more efficient.
    a. 
    b. 
    ?
  4. It was my first visit. I'd never been there before.
    a. 
    b. 
    ?
  5. If you'd taken a taxi you wouldn't have been late.
    a. 
    b. 
    ?
  6. The doctor realised he'd left his bag in his car.
    a. 
    b. 
    ?
  7. The doctor realised he'd have to operate on the patient.
    a. 
    b. 
    ?

Exercise 11: Listening

Now listen and repeat in the spaces provided:

Recording:

Exercise 12: Exposed Cloze

Choose the correct preposition to complete the sentences.

  • at
  • for
  • from
  • in
  • into
  • off
  • on
Transcript:

Doctors believe in the use of IT in the health industry.

Where are you going? - I'm off to London.

What company do you work for?

The doctor told her she'd have to go into hospital.

The girl at the reception desk asked me my name.

They had to send the x-rays from one hospital to another.

The patient told the doctor he'd been on valium.

  1. Doctors believe the use of IT in the health industry.
    ?
  2. Where are you going? - I'm to London.
    ?
  3. What company do you work ?
    ?
  4. The doctor told her she'd have to go hospital.
    ?
  5. The girl the reception desk asked me my name.
    ?
  6. They had to send the x-rays one hospital to another.
    ?
  7. The patient told the doctor he'd been valium.
    ?

Exercise 13: Cloze

Fill in the gaps in the text below. For each gap there is only one correct answer.

Read the following text:

Career Opportunities

Health informatics is a broad field covering areas such as electronic medical records, access to knowledge-based information and digital libraries, digital imaging systems, telemedicine, clinical decision support, health policy and decision making, and much more. This provides opportunities for work in various clinical settings, in close contact with a variety of health professional teams and at the hub of information systems and networks within healthcare organisations. The following are some of the areas in which health informatics professionals can find opportunities:

  • Hospitals and other healthcare providers.
  • Pharmaceutical companies.
  • Medical software companies.
  • Consulting companies.
  • Public health organisations.
  • Government and Non-governmental agencies.
  • Insurance companies:

One thing that is clear though is that the field of health informatics is now extremely diverse, and the skills and knowledge required vary from job to job. To pursue a career in health informatics you would need not only strong skills in programming languages, but also communication skills, planning and management skills and an understanding of the healthcare industry.

Getting started in health informatics usually requires formal training and a clinical background is an advantage. For people with clinical experience and no IT expertise or those with computer science degrees looking to get into health informatics, some form of postgraduate training in health informatics is probably the best route to follow. There are many academic training programmes available nowadays. These programmes can vary from short courses through to academic programmes that offer degrees at masters and doctorate level. Jobs titles in health informatics vary greatly, and there are a lot of hidden opportunities, so you would have to seek them out actively.

Transcript:

Health informatics covers a broad field of activities in a variety of settings, such as hospitals and different types of companies and organisations. Because health informatics is such a diverse field, the skills and knowledge required vary from job to job. You would need not only to be able to programme in different languages, but to have other skills in communication, planning and management. To work in health informatics you will probably require formal training and a clinical background will be an advantage. There are many types of academic programmes of different levels and job titles can vary greatly.

Health ? covers a ? field of activities in a variety of ?, ? as hospitals and different types of companies and organisations. Because health informatics is such a diverse ?, the skills and ? required vary from job to ?. You would need not only to be able to programme in different languages, but to have other ? in communication, planning and management. To work in health informatics you will probably require formal ? and a clinical ? will be an advantage. There are many types of academic programmes of different ? and job titles can ? greatly.

Exercise 14: Listening

Now listen to the recording of the text of the previous exercise:

Recording:

Health Consulting

Exercise 1: Cloze

Fill in the gaps in the text below. For each gap there is only one correct answer.

Transcript:

In a general sense, health consulting can refer to a very wide range of activities. It can mean seeking the advice of a dietician about what you should eat in order to feel better, lose weight and live longer, or it may mean simply what the doctor does when you consult him or her about a health problem. In a more restricted sense, health consulting is a term used for companies or public bodies that give advice to healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, and employers. This advice may concern the management of health systems, market research, private or state insurance issues, or the implementation of health informatics systems. Consequently the qualifications and experience that may be required from candidates who wish to work in this field usually place great importance on managerial skills, as you will see in the following texts.

In a general sense, health consulting can refer ? a very wide range of activities. It can mean seeking the advice of a dietician ? what you should eat in ? to feel better, lose weight and live longer, or it may ? simply what the doctor does when you consult him or ? about a health problem. In a more restricted sense, ? consulting is a term used for companies or public bodies that give advice ? healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, and employers. This advice may concern the management ? health systems, market research, private or state insurance issues, or the implementation of health informatics systems. Consequently the qualifications and experience that may ? required from candidates who wish to work in this field usually place great importance ? managerial skills, as you will see in the following texts.

Exercise 2: Listening

Now listen to the recording of the text of the previous exercise:

Recording:

Exercise 3: Selections

Chose the correct answer.

Read the following text:
Job advertisementHealth Informatics Consultants
EmployerHealthSystems Ltd
SalaryÂŁExcellent
Place of workUK-Wide
Closing dateOngoing

Job description:

HealthSystems is a leading consultancy providing services both within the NHS and with IT suppliers to the NHS. We have a reputation of being a professional, well-informed healthcare informatics consultancy, having worked with more than 60 NHS and supplier clients as well as with healthcare providers in the private sector. We also own a similar successful business in the USA.

Applicants must have:

  • An indepth understanding of Healthcare Informatics;
  • A minimum of 5 years experience of working with clinical information users

either in the NHS or as a supplier;

  • Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
  • Strong project management skills;
  • An ability to work on your own initiative within a multi-disciplinary team.

We are able to offer suitable applicants the opportunity to become either an employee of the company or appointment as a self-employed associate consultant.

  1. a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  2. a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  3. a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  4. a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  5. a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  6. a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?
  7. a. 
    b. 
    c. 
    ?

Exercise 4: Cloze

Do you know what these abbreviations stand for? Type the full forms into the boxes.

Transcript:

UK United Kingdom

USA United States of America

LTD Limited

NHS National Health Service

IT Information Technology

EU European Union

GP General Practitioner

GB Great Britain

ECB European Central Bank

CV Curriculum Vitae

  1. UK
    ?
  2. USA
    ?
  3. LTD
    ?
  4. NHS
    ?
  5. IT
    ?
  6. EU
    ?
  7. GP
    ?
  8. GB
    ?
  9. ECB
    ?
  10. CV
    ?

Exercise 5: Cloze

Complete the following letter of application for a job with HealthSystems Ltd.

Transcript:

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing in reply to your advertisement for Health Informatics Consultants. As you can see from my CV, I have had 6 years' experience in this field with several NHS hospitals. I have an excellent understanding of different IT systems, and possess good personal and management skills . For the last two years I have been leader of a project responsible for implementing healthcare informatics systems. I am particularly interested in an opportunity as an associate consultant. I enclose my CV and will be available for interview at your convenience.

I look forward to your reply.

Yours faithfully

Jeremy Fisher

Dear Sir/?,

I am ? in reply to your advertisement for Health Informatics ?. As you can ? from my CV, I ? had 6 years' experience in this field with several NHS hospitals. I have an excellent understanding of different IT systems, and possess good personal and management ? . For the last two years I have been leader of a ? responsible for implementing healthcare informatics systems. I am particularly interested in an ? as an ? consultant. I enclose my CV and will be available for interview at your convenience.

I look forward to your ?.

Yours faithfully

Jeremy Fisher

Exercise 6: True/False Statements

For each of the statements below, choose True or False.

Read the following text:

Ambridge Farmaconsult is a consulting firm specializing in the pharmaceutical and health care industries. With a diverse mix of top pharmaceutical and biotech clients, Ambridge Farmaconsult is a unit of AIM Health, one of the world's leading providers of information solutions to the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, with a strong presence in over 100 countries. Ambridge Farmaconsult has more than 70 consultants worldwide with primary offices in New York City and Cambridge, England. We are looking for candidates who seek a stimulating career on the commercial side of the healthcare industry to join us as consultants in the New York City office.

At Ambridge you will experience:

  • A rapid learning curve and solid grounding in aspects of the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries
  • Focused training in strategic thinking, analysis, data-interpretation, presentation and working with clients
  • Early responsibility for managing projects and delivering product, company, and market analyses
  • An entrepreneurial and meritocratic environment providing significant growth opportunities
  • A dedicated development coach and mentor to advise you on career goals and personal objectives

Ambridge consultants generally work out of their local office, attending client meetings as appropriate. This provides for significant client contact while engendering a vibrant corporate culture and continuous knowledge sharing. We are currently looking for recent MBA graduates who seek a stimulating opportunity to join us as consultants. For more information about Ambridge Farmaconsult, please visit our website.

  1. This company specializes in manufacturing pharmaceutical products.


    ?
  2. This is a small company operating exclusively in the USA.


    ?
  3. Ambridge Farmaconsult are looking for computer programmers.


    ?
  4. The company will provide ongoing training.


    ?
  5. The company provides opportunities for career advancement.


    ?
  6. Applicants do not need to have a competitive and ambitious personality.


    ?
  7. Ambridge employees are expected to work independently.


    ?
  8. Ambridge are not interested in candidates who have only a first level university degree.


    ?

Exercise 7: Cloze

Type the expression from the text which is closest in meaning to the word(s) given.

Transcript:

BIOTECHNOLOGY biotech

ALL OVER THE WORLD worldwide

LOOK FOR seek

SOLID BASIS a solid grounding

CONCENTRATED TRAINING focused training

REFERRING TO BUSINESS OR ENTERPRISE entrepreneurial

BASED ON MERIT meritocratic

AIMS goals

TO GENERATE to engender

EXCITING AND FULL OF ENERGY vibrant

  1. BIOTECHNOLOGY
    ?
  2. ALL OVER THE WORLD
    ?
  3. LOOK FOR
    ?
  4. SOLID BASIS
    ?
  5. CONCENTRATED TRAINING
    ?
  6. REFERRING TO BUSINESS OR ENTERPRISE
    ?
  7. BASED ON MERIT
    ?
  8. AIMS
    ?
  9. TO GENERATE
    ?
  10. EXCITING AND FULL OF ENERGY
    ?

Checklist

Use the following list to check whether you have obtained full benefit from this unit. You should have more confidence in:

  • reading for information
  • summarising written information
  • writing a cover letter

You should also have greater skill and confidence in the use of:

  • Use of the gerund
  • Recognition and diferentiation of short forms
  • Prepositions
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