Introduction
The completed course has outlined various issues revolving around epidemiology and why it remains an important field for all health professionals and clinical researchers. Since many people and communities encounter diverse challenges that affect their health outcomes negatively, relevant institutions, professionals, and agencies should identify and implement evidence-based studies to understand and address them. A detailed analysis of this topic can make it possible for governments, communities, and stakeholders to monitor new diseases and mitigate them before they claim lives. The purpose of this paper is to present a detailed analysis of epidemiology and why it is essential for HIM professionals.
Definition of Epidemiology
Communities and government agencies should use available resources to manage various conditions and improve the health outcomes of every citizen. The field of epidemiology has become essential in every care delivery system. This word is defined as the study of the determinants of health and distribution of events and the subsequent application of research study to manage and control diseases. Researchers can undertake a wide range of studies to investigate and survey the occurrence of various conditions. For example, descriptive and surveillance analyses are usually aimed at understanding the distribution of a given disease or event. Researchers and public health experts complete analytical studies in order to examine and define various determinants of health.
From this analysis, it is evident that epidemiology is the examination of how often different medical conditions occur in specified populations or groups. Such analyses can go further to describe the leading causes of triggers of such illnesses. The information gathered from such studies is critical for planning and implementing evidence-based strategies to prevent them. Different stakeholders can also apply the collected ideas to treat and support the needs of patients who might have been affected by the identified diseases.
Importance of Epidemiology
The emergence of modern technologies has transformed the manner in which clinicians and medical professionals provide evidence-based services to different patients. This is true since such systems streamline operations, improve decision-making processes, and address potential challenges that many individuals face. Health information management (HIM) is a field that supports the application of information systems management in the health care sector. Professionals in this career acquire, protect, and analyze both traditional and digital data that has the potential to support the provision of high-quality patient care.
The ultimate objective of HRM is to maximize the level of efficiency when utilizing emerging information, thereby making it possible for different stakeholders in the health care sector to deliver exemplary medical services. Experts in HIM are also supporting the adoption and implementation of electronic health records (EHR) in different facilities and organizations. This means that the future will be brighter since different professionals will address most of the barriers to care delivery in every part of the world.
Epidemiology is an essential area or field for HIM professionals since it seeks to minimize the existing gaps and barriers to medical practice. As described earlier, experts in HIM understand that citizens and patients should always have access to sustainable and high-quality health services. This objective cannot be realized without considering the potential benefits or value of epidemiology. Many professionals apply this knowledge to explain why professionals in HIM use epidemiological approaches or methods to identify existing conditions and plan for future health outcomes. The adoption of emerging technologies has also been merged with various studies focusing on the illnesses and diseases many people continue to face.
Stakeholders involved in various health care management initiatives embrace the concept of epidemiology in an attempt to identify specific gaps, opportunities, and challenges that might dictate citizens’ overall health status. They can go further to use the concept to undertake numerous health services research in an attempt to identify the major problems that disorient the quality of medical services available in the targeted region or country.
The complexity of healthcare systems and services is something that attracted the attention of many professionals and participants. The current use of emerging technology means that HIM professionals should liaise with clinical settings, research institutions, public health institutions, and patients if positive results are to be recorded. This means that the roles and responsibilities of such HIM have expanded to include epidemiology. As described above, this topic encompasses different areas that are critical in the delivery of medical services and mitigation of disease-causing events, such as response management, disaster preparedness, health research, and data management.
Today, HIM professionals are required to complete numerous roles in data collection, public health, assessment, and management. It is, therefore, necessary that they collect and assess information and review existing medical records frequently. This practice makes it easier for them to classify the collected information and guide future research initiatives processes. As data handlers and reviewers, HIM professionals will conduct numerous epidemiological studies in an attempt to monitor the occurrence of various conditions and examine how they affect different populations.
They also focus on the unique factors that determine or dictate the distributions of illnesses and events in relation to persons, places, and time. This role makes it possible for them to utilize data analytics to identify potential gaps and propose superior measures for improving the health experiences and outcomes of the greatest number of citizens.
In the future, HIM professionals will continue to be involved in a wide range of epidemiological research studies. For instance, they might examine how infectious diseases emerge and spread in different regions, monitor the issues associated with cancer, and examine the environmental factors capable of triggering various conditions. They will also use data to examine the nature of chronic diseases and gauge the effectiveness of existing health services. As part of the wider system, such HIM experts are capable of presenting evidence-based insights for supporting new policies and ensuring that more people realize their health goals.
Lessons Learned
The completed study has equipped me with numerous ideas and concepts regarding the importance of epidemiology within the healthcare system. Firstly, I have realized that such a practice makes it possible for stakeholders and researchers to identify emerging diseases, their causal factors, and propose superior measures to address them. Secondly, epidemiology is essential for HIM professionals since it makes it easier for them to collect timely data and standardize it in such a way that it informs the initiatives different organizations and agencies undertake to prevent, control, or treat various illnesses.
Thirdly, I have realized that epidemiology and research are inseparable since they both work synergistically to support the design and implementation of adequate studies that can eventually present evidence-based data to HIM professionals. Such experts will go further to apply the acquired knowledge or information to prepare organized databases that other stakeholders can utilize to make informed decisions. Fourthly, the completed course has encouraged me to appreciate epidemiology as an evidence-based practice that professionals should consider whenever new conditions or events that have the potential to affect the health outcomes of more citizens emerge.
Finally, HIM professionals and other stakeholders can undertake numerous studies focusing on administrative, financial, and clinical aspects of health. The collected information will eventually ensure that different participants make evidence-based decisions that can eventually support the monitoring of disease-causing events and ensuring that all affected people receive high-quality care. Additionally, new policies and structures will emerge to mitigate similar diseases in the future.
This discussion means that all individuals involved in every healthcare system should consider the relevance of epidemiology to deal with various medical problems. The acquired information and ideas can guide all stakeholders to plan, monitor, and evaluate superior initiatives to prevent illnesses and environmental factors that affect people’s health outcomes.
Conclusion
The above discussion has identified and presented numerous insights regarding the role and benefits of epidemiology in the healthcare system of any given country or community. Stakeholders who undertake studies focusing on medical challenges and issues eventually present quality information that practitioners can utilize to evaluate and plan strategies that will mitigate diseases and meet the needs of the greatest number of citizens or patients.
HIM professionals should also embrace this field in an attempt to gather accurate data and organize it in such a way that it influences decisions, policies, and care delivery models. Such gains will transform the health sector of any given region or country.