Stage 3: Ethical, Legal and Regulatory Policy Issues

Overview

Before you begin work on this assignment, be sure you have read the Case Study and reviewed the feedback received on your Stage 2 assignment.  Refer to the System Recommendation Report Table of Contents below to see where you are in the process of developing this report.

As a professional medical consultant, your next step in developing your recommendation for an EHR system is to determine what ethical, legal and regulatory policy issues apply and how they will be addressed in the selection and use of the system.

Conclusion (Stage 4)

References

System Recommendation Report (SRR), Section III – Ethical, Legal and Regulatory Policy Issues

Section III of the System Recommendation Report (SRR) analyzes the ethical, legal, and regulatory policy issues that influence the selection of an EHR system and how it is used.   For this assignment, you will identify the ethical, legal and regulatory policy issues related to health care information systems, explain the impact of the ethical, legal and regulatory policy issues on the selection and use of health care information systems, and describe how the ethical, legal and regulatory policy issues can be addressed in the development and use of EHR systems.  This analysis leads into Section IV – System Recommendation section of the SRR (the Stage 4 assignment) that will propose an EHR solution to meet the Midtown Family Clinic’s organizational strategy and fulfill its operational needs.

Below are a list of course resources and an example to assist you in completing Section III of the Report.

Course Resources:  The table below provides the sources for the definitions and explanations of the topics.  You should use other resources as well, but be sure they apply to health care information technology implementations.

Example:  An example for a topic entry is provided below.

Stage 3 Assignment Instructions

The first step is to incorporate the feedback you received on your Stage 2 assignment, making any needed corrections or adjustments.  If you have not incorporated the feedback from your Stage 1 assignment, you should do so prior to submitting Stage 3.  For this assignment, you will add Section III to Sections I and II of the System Recommendation Report (SRR).

Using the case study, the overview above, Course Content readings, and external resources, develop your Section III on ethical, legal and regulatory policy issues.   Approximate lengths for each section are provided as a guideline; be sure to provide all pertinent information.  Apply specific information from the case study to address each area listed below.

III.       Ethical, Legal and Regulatory Policy Issues

1. Introduction – Introduction to this section describing what is included. (3-4 sentences)

1. Table of Ethical, Legal and Regulatory Policy Issues – The table below lists 20 topics related to ethical, legal and regulatory policy issues for healthcare IT systems. Each of these is defined in the course materials; the table above provides the sources where the definitions and explanations can be located.  (Provide an introductory sentence and copy the table and insert information within.)

For each topic, you will provide:

• a brief definition, a minimum of two sentences, in your own words
• a brief explanation, a minimum of two sentences, of the impact of the topic or issue on the selection and use of the EHR system; and
• a brief explanation, a minimum of two sentences, of how the topic or issue will be addressed in the development and use of the EHR system.

DO NOT copy the definitions from the class resources or other sources, but use your own words and provide enough information to demonstrate your understanding of each topic.

The “right” and “wrong” answers have to do with whether or not you correctly define each issue as it relates to an EHR technology solution and provide a well-supported explanation for how it will be accommodated.  Your responses will be evaluated on whether they are applicable to an EHR solution, appropriately defined, adequately explained, and are appropriate to the Midtown Family Clinic.

1. Addressing the Most Difficult Issue – Consider each of the 20 issues listed and choose the one that you believe will be the most difficult for the Midtown Family Clinic to implement. Explain why you selected the issue and what should be done to ensure it is properly addressed when the system is selected, implemented and used.  Your response will be assessed on its applicability to the Case Study and how well you support your choice and explain what should be done.  (A paragraph of five to six sentences.)

1. Summary – briefly summarize the content of this section and tie the information together for the reader. (3-4 sentences)

Formatting Your Assignment

For academic writing, the writer is expected to write in the third person. In third person, the writer avoids the pronouns I, we, my, you, your, and ours. The third person is used to make the writing more objective by taking the individual, the “self,” out of the writing. This method is very helpful for academic writing, a form in which facts, not opinion, drive the tone of the text. Writing in the third person allows the writer to come across as unbiased and thus more informed.  The Report is to be written for the Midtown Family Clinic, and reference should not be made by name to individuals who own or work in the Clinic.

• Include Sections I and II revised according to any feedback received, and add to it Section III.
• Keep your paper concise: Use the recommendations provided in each area for length of response.  Content areas should be double spaced; table entries should be single-spaced. It’s important to value quality over quantity.  Section III should not exceed 4 pages.
• Ensure that the table is preceded by an introductory sentence that explains what is contained in the table, so the reader understands why the table has been included.
• Use at least two resources with APA formatted citation and reference. Use at least one external reference and one from the course content.
• Compare your work to the Assignment Instructions above and the Evaluation Criteria/Grading Rubric below to be sure you have met content and quality criteria. Do not overlook this step.  Read your work out loud or have your computer read it to you.  Fix the grammar and other areas identified.
• Submit your paper as a Word document, or a document that can be read in Word.
• Your submission filename should be as follows: Lastname_firstname_Stage_3

EVALUATION CRITERIA/GRADING RUBRIC: