Health Information Management
Entering the world of knowledge makes man rethink if only for information or if you really want to reach it on his own initiative management and dissemination. The beginning of the Third Millennium, marked by rapid development of science and technology, in a stage that could be characterized as an information revolution, and where the emergence, presence and command of the so-called information technology and communications creates deep gulfs between rich and poor countries; It is a great challenge to professionals and technicians because they have made substantial changes in the various branches of science, technology and society in general, it can not be outside the health sector, because it faces new demands and challenges such as the transformation of their curriculum and program content, and the application of new methods and means to contribute to a better training of professionals and technicians to enable them to deal with these continuous and rapid technological change. Under the conditions of scientific and technical development has now Cuba is essential to make available to all scientific knowledge gained, and it plays a vital role the use of information technology and communications (ICT). Information is, in its various types and forms of transfer media, the center of the transformation of the productive system and is essential for economic, political and social development resource. The proper and updated this access is essential for economic and social development, in particular to support the decision making process in planning, formulation and implementation of policies and to support professional development and practice. So broad access to information is key for people to understand, participate and respond to the challenges that development imposes on society, is, without doubt, a prerequisite for the progress of humanity. UNESCO attaches great importance to this issue and in its world report on information in 1997, said: “The development of information processing and communication is the core of many of the transformations that have marked the last half century XX. The Internet phenomenon highlights the acceleration of these processes and their potential impact on cultural and social economic life. ” For effective development in the activities of the institutions, both public and private, is elemental to have adequate and timely as a fundamental tool information, which, due to the enormous amount outstanding must be organized and systematized so that effective use will enable of the information. The globalization of information is one aspect that determine the need to generalize the acquisition of a culture and information literacy in humans, organizations and society in general. It involves increasing degrees of interdependence at all levels of life and in society. It is imperative that the information available on the global network, reaching all segments of the population. Building a knowledge society is a fundamental axis the formation of human resources; Tell that to globalization, education is an issue that all countries must address, to consider both new paradigms of education and communication as to determine the information technologies that best support these processes, as well as the transfer and access to knowledge. In this new society where information is a key component, the use and generation grows exponentially, it increasingly requires more professionals capable of maximizing the tools that enable management support.
Until the late nineteenth century, it was considered that professionals were for life; the quality of education was achieved from an encyclopedic instruction taught the teacher, who literally filled the mind of knowledge of students, but little deepened in the teaching and teaching to learn. Considered as fundamental aspects of teaching, memorization and repetition, even professional information has not escaped this trend. Today, it is a challenge to raise their skills, and theoretical and practical knowledge in order to enable it to fulfill its work in a socially recognizable and acceptable. Information technology and telecommunications were the key factor for globalization since the second half of the decade of the 80s, where the idea of linking different systems, computer networking and develop a global network of libraries was deeply appealing. In a short time the developed world has been proposed to achieve the globalization of access to huge volumes of information in ever more complex ways, with rising storage capacities and shrinking media. The proliferation of data transmission networks and information, the proliferation of databases with online access, located anywhere accessible using the Internet, allow access to information available in other networks and information centers of different types at any time.
Information literacy involves the ability of people to work in network environments and integrate everything in his learning of the different sites you visit or the communities in which it participates; It supposed to be able to understand what it means access to a communication network, whether at work, at home, or anywhere else that will allow this service. Such literacy requires the user to know how to access and use the various services of communication: mail, discussion forums, access to content, navigation and directories and search engines to locate information needed, so that necessary to argue how information management is manifested in the Cuban public health system.
The information management in a health organization’s main objective is to improve health care quality and efficiency of their services, and this results in an increased level of citizens’ health. Indeed, in recent decades, major changes in society due to the development of information technologies (ICT) are conceived. The strategic value also reached from this period, the information for the development of any discipline, becomes principal agents of change, as Castells stand out “against a first industrial revolution supported by the steam engine, and second, supported by the widespread use of electricity, the current third revolution which represents the rise of tertiary-sector has a basic core and raw material information and our growing capacity to manage, especially in the fields of treatment of symbolic information Through ICT ”. A series of changes that will alter such areas as information, which will vary the modus operandi of many of the projections, dissemination and retrieval of information, integrate new methods of information institutions, and incorporate unfold some novel. It then displays an unsuspected of news production, rise comes a new kind of information, digital and constantly increase various information carriers. Telecommunications give a rapid jump significantly improve communications between the continents, with the development of fiber optics, satellite … different countries can be interconnected as a result of this and the information technology, a new space is created, Internet, where information can be accessed hosted anywhere in the world and can be seen from anywhere. These advances create more differences between developed countries and those in developing countries, as they call many authors create a “digital divide”, which leads to the need for action to address this situation. The possibility of exchange between the poor would cause great benefits between them, and their integration with the world. Also evolves, the educational environment, teaching models to adapt to the new changes occurring in society, forming and shaping individuals to confront the productive life are renewed.
Some governments of different nations have participated actively in the development of communities. Social improvements require a deeper and more widespread than finding and using authentic information properly understanding.
“The globalization of information printed more intensity to the flow of information, promotes the development of more flexible electronic systems and the creation of modern technological environments; promotes consistent use of information as a productive source and generating knowledge. Globalization poses not only as a means to share the knowledge that others have developed and tested, but as an indispensable complement to academic work, a means to protect the cultural mission of the communities, to preserve their intellectual output and allow people reunite and share their scientific, literary and social development, that is, their cultural identity. ” The influence of globalization reaches every corner of society. The use of information has become a strategic element for most of the activities currently taking place. There are many opportunities, ease of access to everything that is produced and published anywhere in the world; however, this process is at the mercy of the developed nations, which have the necessary resources to establish dominance on existing resources and poor nations. Is this one of the most powerful tools to promote literacy and information to those most lacking in resources, knowledge and technology sectors, overlooking that they can disseminate their experiences, experiences, visions, advances and cultures reasons. We need to acquire the skills needed to improve the quality of their creations and define policies for their benefit, to facilitate the transfer and flow of information match your needs, interests and principles to perpetuate their identities as nations competitions. With literacy in these sectors, individuals, peoples, nations and countries they are equivalent. Information literacy of individuals is a valuable weapon for the underdeveloped nations, which could then spread their knowledge and wisdom through a global network whose ability to convey information to the most remote parts of the universe are immense. Education and training in educational systems, lifelong learning and information literacy are essential for these improvements. Knowledge is a critical tool for health. Perhaps in no other sector has the knowledge management as critical, if the concept is interpreted as the creation of social activity and infrastructural environment and the ability to translate knowledge into policies, programs and practices that can improve the quality of life and lengthen life expectancy.
The management of information and knowledge (GIC) emerges as systematized to mobilize human and social capital of organizations, depending on the maximization of corporate profits attempt. This determines their phones and requires no mechanically moving their approaches and methods to health practices. It is therefore proposed that policies recognize the central role of the reality to be transformed and the predominant role of local flows of information and knowledge associated with the processes of health intervention. If the current use of Internet in the field of health is observed, it is seen that there are increasingly many traditional applications and other highly innovative, that somehow are revolutionizing the therapeutic, diagnostic, monitoring processes and management own health . Teleconsultation, online education, remote monitoring and virtual library, among other resources, are some of the innovative applications that support increasingly on Web technology in the network of networks. It is said that about 30% of the information and services provided by Internet are related directly or indirectly with medical applications. With the amount of information available on the Internet, more and more managers of information that writers are required. What it is needed in the health sciences professionals are able to identify, select, extract, synthesize, codify, classify and assess the explicit knowledge so that it can support decision making and to satisfy the information needs of medical personnel working in attendance or address. Are common new magazines and newsletters, websites specializing in certain subjects, which are analyzed and summarized the best articles on a particular topic and provide information that helps decision making. Try to locate documents or data of any kind on the web is a daunting task, because the information on the Internet is distributed anarchically, not all information available is not even average quality and level of turnover in the network is very high: documents published, they change and disappear at a rapid pace. To alleviate these problems, thematic newsletters and thematic Web pages are proposed filter, organize and facilitate access to information of interest to users prioritized groups in one or several organizations as a resource on the Internet. Preventive medicine will be prioritized on the healing; services will focus on promoting health and not cure the disease; the health center will be the priority, not the hospital; the remote diagnostic and therapeutic actions will have an increasing role in relation to the care and attendance finally the use of information and communications technology will prevail over traditional medical care. This will entail no doubt a paradigm shift in health and traditional health care system will be modified not only in the organization and quality of services, but also on what is most important, namely, into clinical processes themselves , epidemiological and social. Even medical technologies that until recently applied only through the health organizations and institutions, have a new way of direct use by people who transform this relationship and the social and ethical responsibility of society in health 9. this “new way” is increasingly accessible to information through networks supported technologies connected computers. Health informatics certainly has increasingly potentialities in bioinformatics, clinical, public health, management of information and knowledge and international cooperation in health. However, applications are still few, especially in developing countries. In 2006 Internet users exceeded the figure of 1000 million, which represents only 16.7% of the world population. If to this is added in 32 developed countries reached 66.8%, while in the rest of the world only 9.7%, it is clear how it is maintained and even increased in some countries.
The process of knowledge management in public health should be given from the determinants of health, contextualized in the different levels of intervention and according to the particularities of interventions for promotion, prevention, cure and rehabilitation. This process gives priority to the empowerment of individuals (human capital), groups, communities and society (social capital) and strengthening scientific-technical (cultural capital) knowledge through a local and global flow of information that allows the knowledge generated be translated into policies, programs and practices that improve quality health and life expectancy of people. The management of information and knowledge are concerned essentially with people. It is empowering health actors so they can use the data and information available and communicate to generate flows of continuous learning that will enable them to solve health problems and modify the determinants that condition. It is about creating environments where knowledge sharing and invested in educating people so they are able to learn continuously. Most of the consumption of information tend to be associated with the process of lifelong learning, so they must build capacity to generate and adapt content to the specific needs of communities.
Access to information is an important determinant and has two dimensions, namely access to information on issues of equity and access to information by generating equidad3 herself. In the first case it is of great importance that there are different sources of information on the issue of equity for the study approach and intervention on health equity and having different degrees of success. The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and other similar projects are intended to share information on the subject. The second dimension is strategic and allows access to information sources and quality services that empower people to act with the highest level of competence and responsibility in the care and preservation of their health or that of other groups and individuals, without limitation economic, ethnic, geographical, political, religious or social. In the case of a public good such as the Internet, the state must act on several fronts, such as the creation of basic communication infrastructure, establishing regulatory frameworks, including incentives to the private sector and especially the provision services that the market hardly provide, such as high public cost and high benefit. Telemedicine and tele-education are a good example of the latter, especially among the poor, where the benefits are great and limited profit potential. Public policies should promote stakeholder access to health information and empower them to use that information in the social processes of construction health and disease control. Access is a concept that involves technology and preparing people to use, and available services. This is not only connect to the Internet, this is a necessary but not sufficient step. Indicators of Internet users and the number of computers by people in third world countries, are not very efficient to measure the real impact of ICTs. More important is the concept of effective access time represented by the number of hours available per worker health and other social actors in libraries and other public spaces to facilitate access to the network, and their effective use. In the information age, the explosion of his technologies, the stage that humanity has reached a development unpredictable lives; every day there are greater social, political and economic differences. There is constant talk about the information society, it is visible the step of the industrial societies and postindustrial knowledge, where the essential factor of progress is the knowledge. This new society, with organizations based in the learning, which their most valuable asset is the human being, is based on an unprecedented technological development, is the point at which large companies plan their products based on knowledge management and viability for obtaining it. Information is a key element for development, with the course of the years, the information management occupies increasingly more space in the economies of countries worldwide. Management coordinated activities to direct and control an organization. Information: Form of social existence of knowledge consolidated in a specific source. Information Management: Includes activities related to obtaining adequate information, at the right price, at the right time and place, to make the right decision. In the creation of new systems of information management is essential to consider factographic sources (data), documentary and non-documentary, computer systems, culture, information, communication patterns, among others. Proper information management in the context of quality management, enables to reduce the risks in managing the organization, such as making hasty, late or inconsistent decisions to enter the market with products no competitive, between others, causing losses and reduce their competitiveness in the market. Get the necessary information with the required quality, it is an indispensable premise for the survival of businesses, considering that organizations increasingly shorten cycles and strategic decision making and change is continuous. It is obvious that efficient information management as part of the implementation of a policy of quality management ensures that institutions not only provide efficient information services, but that the organization obtain greater profits and a better competitiveness in the market . One aspect of the management information, according to the quality management is the identification of errors and their causes. The transparency in the flow of information guarantees the implantation of the approaches to quality management in the organization. Information is an important modification of existing behaviors in the organization agent, its proper management is an essential tool for decision making, staff training, evaluation of products, the determination of the errors and control the processes. Information is a vital resource development organization. The intangible nature of information has caused many executives of the organization not to invest sufficient resources to information activities. Information management in organizations of excellence, where ethics, motivation and good performance pay constant increases in the results and in the recognition of companies. The information management not only achieved with respect to the processes of general management, but from the achievements of groups and teams that contribute knowledge and intelligence. It is oriented largely towards the identification of errors and their causes.
