Professional Health Science Assignment & Homework Help

Physician-assisted suicide occurs when the patient is helped commit suicide by the physician upon being requested by the patient. Assisted suicide occurs when the patient wants to die, and the healthcare provider responds by assisting them in completing their request. Therefore, this paper aims to explain the legal and ethical issues surrounding physician-assisted suicides and their implications on the manager's health services economics (Quill, 2018).   Legal and Ethical Issues Several people have believed that criminalizing physician-assisted suicide should be done since it is viewed as murder though this is unconstitutional. Some states have started enacting laws that declare the practice of physician-assisted suicide legal. Some of the legal issues that arose from PAS were that when this practice has been legalized, it will pressure patients with terminal conditions and fear that their illness is emotionally, financially, and physically burdening their families. Besides, assisting patients in committing suicide is going against the two thousand years of medical ethics and practice (Jansen et al., 2019). Ethically, the healthcare provider is expected to be the patient's healer, a provider of life, and not the person who takes away the patient's life. Even though a state may pass the physician- assisted suicide legalizing law, the healthcare provider may not believe in it since it goes against what they lean in medical school. Healthcare providers are taught not to cause suffering and pain to the patients, and by helping them end their life, some may believe this is not ethically right. The healthcare provider has the option of not helping e client commit suicide. However, they may feel sorrow for the patient and the state of their suffering. It is ethical for every person to be responsible for their own lives since it is fundamental for everyone. Physician-assisted suicide will only be conducted safely and ethically when physicians ensure that proper safeguards, measures, and consents are enforced (Summasy & Mueller, 2017). Implication on Managers The implication of physician-assisted suicide is not only causing legal and ethical issues but also affects health service managers. The repercussions affect the health managers deciding for those in a situation where they want to commit suicide, and the manager is unwilling to support them. As health service managers, one must advocate for other providers and the patient's wishes even if one does not believe in patient-assisted suicide. The health manager's work is to bring an opinion that is biased and ensure that the wishes of the patient are obeyed if the state laws have legalized the act (McClelland & Goligher, 2019). Healthcare managers are the face of health organizations. The entire community looks up to them, seeking answers to why an action happened or failed to happen. This occurred commonly when the patient underwent physician-assisted suicide, but their family members were not supporting the idea. As a healthcare manager, one needs to remain educated and grounded and understand that their work setting involves patient emotions. However, this should not affect the manager's role. The manager is expected to support the patient both ethically and legally. Implication on Health Economies Previously people used to think that physician-assisted suicide helps the country with healthcare savings. When the breakdown of savings of physician-assisted suicide was laid down, it was reported that approximately 2.7 million American patients die every year, and these patients are likely to choose physician-assisted suicide. It is estimated that these patients' hospitalization cost in the last month of their life is $10 118. It is estimated that when physician- assisted suicide is legalized, it will save around $627. This figure is less than 0.07% of the country's expenditure on health. Therefore, choosing physician-assisted suicide will not have any significant impact on health economics (Largent et al., 2019). References   Jansen, .L A., Wall, S., & Miller, F. G. (2019). Drawing the line on physician-assisted death. Journal of Medical Ethics; 45:190-197. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2018- 105003 Largent, E. A., Terrasse, M., Harkins, K., Sisti, D. A., Sankar, P., & Karlawish, J. (2019). Attitudes Toward Physician-Assisted Death From Individuals Who Learn They Have an Alzheimer Disease Biomarker. JAMA Neurol. 76(7):864–866. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2019.0797 McClelland, W. & Goligher, E. C. (2019). Withholding or withdrawing life support versus physician-assisted death, Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology: Volume 32 - Issue 2 - p 184-189 doi: 10.1097/ACO.0000000000000686 Quill, T. (2018). Dutch practice of euthanasia and assisted suicide: a glimpse at the edges of the practice. Journal of Medical Ethics 2018; 44:297-298. http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/medethics-2018-104759 Summasy, L. S., & Mueller, P. S. (2017). Ethics and the Legalization of Physician-Assisted Suicide: An American College of Physicians Position Paper. Annals of internal medicine. https://doi.org/10.7326/M17-0938

Introduction Covid-19 pandemic has hit the world as countries, and the World Health Organization never thought. It is effects can be told by every individual around the globe. Covid-19 is a new disease that is caused by the Coronavirus. Covid-19 is mainly spread through contact with a person who is already infected and surfaces touched with infected individuals. It can also be spread through respiratory droplets, especially if they land on another individual's mouth and nose membranes. Symptoms associated with individuals who have contracted the disease include cough, sore throat, fever, and headache. In severe cases, an individual who has Covid-19 may develop breathing difficulties, and it can lead to death if an individual is not taken to specialized treatment. Since it was first reported, December 2019, it has claimed a million live globally, with more than fifty million reported cases and thirty-three million recoveries. The numbers prove that Covid-19 is a threat to human life. Moreover, the elderly have been the worst. The elderly have weaker immunity; thus, it affects them most when they contract the disease. The elderly may require intensive care or a ventilator when they have contracted the virus compared to young adults (Zhou, 2020). Individuals that have disregarded the World Health Organization protocols have exposed themselves to the danger of contracting the Coronavirus and even succumbing to the disease. This paper will discuss the Corona Virus, its impacts, and the prevention mention that people should prevent themselves from contracting the virus. Body Covid-19 was first reported in December 2019 in Wuhan Province, China. Since then, the virus has spread to all parts of the globe. Most world countries are recording surging numbers of individuals that contract the disease each day. As the article advances, numbers are significantly increasing. However, the recoveries are much more than the fatalities (Cooper et al., 2020). When the numbers began rising, the World Health Organization and individual health departments established measures that would reduce infections throughout the globe. The WHO instituted measures such as wearing masks that could cover an individual mouth and nose, regular washing of hands with soap and running water, social distancing, and avoid touching services. These measures were critical in reducing the number of people that would contract the disease. Moreover, individual governments put strict measures that would ensure curbing the spread of the Coronavirus. Governments enacted lockdowns, curfews, banning social gatherings of all kinds, and sensitizing their citizens on the spread of the virus. These measures have been critical to maintaining the numbers that are witnessed; perhaps the numbers would be higher than those not put in place. Secondly, Covid-19 affects all people, despite age, color, race, and gender. This literature review would: however, focus on older adults. The older people have been the worst affected individuals. People at advanced ages, especially 60 years and above, have been hospitalized, put into intensive care, ventilators to assist them in breathing, and some have succumbed to other age groups. The CDC records that in 100,000 people, 513 of those with 85 years and above are likely to be hospitalized and put in more care and a more significant percentage succumbs to the virus. When the age is raised to 60 years and above, more people would be hospitalized in a population of 100,000 people. The CDC further advances that individuals above the age of 60 are likely to be hospitalized and be vulnerable to the virus if they have underplaying medical conditions. Most individuals at 60 years and above have medical conditions, which work against them if they contract the Corona Virus (Spinelli et al., 2020). Also, older people have weakened immunity: their antibodies cannot effectively defend them from the virus, making them vulnerable. Most of the people who have succumbed to the virus are the elderly, making almost 40 percent.  Therefore, the elderly are the most vulnerable age group in an instance that they contract the virus. Moreover, several people have contracted the virus, and some have succumbed. For instance, more than fifty million people have contracted the virus, and the number increases each day as new cases are recorded. Globally, million-plus cases have succumbed, and the number grows each day. Also, 33 million people have recovered from the virus. More than 10 million have contracted the virus in the United States, and 230 thousand plus people have succumbed to the virus. Even in the United States, the most affected individuals are the elderly, and the people of color have high contracting cases. Asia is the worst hit continent, with 14 million-plus people that have been infected. Europe and North America continents have recorded more than 12 million infected people in each continent. South America has recorded lo million-plus cases of individuals who have contracted the virus, and Africa has recorded one million-plus case. Forty percent of the recorded cases are 60 years and above, and this shows that the elderly are most affected, and their death rates are high compared to the other ages (Boehmer et al., 2020). Furthermore, initiatives have been put forth to deal with the spreading of the virus. The government initiated initiatives and WHO initiatives that have been working hand in hand. The World Health Organization has put measures such as wearing masks to help prevent the virus's spread. Masks help prevent individuals from contracting the virus through the mouth and noses in public spaces. The mask prevents particles that carry the virus from corning into contact with the nose and mouth. Washing of hands is another initiative that governments and other organizations have put up. Governments and non-governmental organizations have put up washing points across the globe. Washing of hands requires running water and soap. Governments have also encouraged their populations to keep a distance of 1.5 to 2 meters in public spaces (Xiao et al., 2020). Governments have also put measures, such as lockdowns and curfews, which have significantly helped curb the virus's spread. The elderly have been allowed by governments to work from home to cushioned from contracting the virus. Even after the partial opening of the economies, the elderly were exempted from attending social gatherings and resuming work; this is critical to prevent them from contracting the virus. Conclusion In conclusion, Covid-19 has affected individuals and disrupted them from their norm. People have been forced to stay indoors and are limited to attend social gatherings. There has been a global sensitization of Covid-19, and people are supposed to wear the mask, wash their hands regularly, keep social distance in public spaces, and avoid touching surfaces, especially in public spaces. The elderly have been the most hit due to their weakened immunity and prevailing health conditions. The elderly are people that have a higher likelihood of being hospitalized after contracting the virus.  Thus, it makes them the most vulnerable group. For the world to curb the virus's spread, it would be critical that governments enforce the lockdowns concurrently to fumigate public spaces and reduce infections significantly. Fumigation of public spaces should be done regularly so that the possibility of the virus surviving until the next person touches the surface is eliminated. Such moves would help to curb the spread of the virus. References Boehmer, T. K., DeVies, J., Caruso, E., van Santen, K. L., Tang, S., Black, C. L., ... & Gundlapalli, A. V. (2020). Changing the age distribution of the COVID-19 pandemic­ United States, May-August 2020. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 69(39), 1404. Cooper, I., Mondal, A., & Antonopoulos, C. G. (2020). A SIR model assumption for the spread of COVID-19 in different communities. Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, 139, 110057. Spinelli, A., & Pellino, G. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic: perspectives on an unfolding crisis. The British journal of surgery. Xiao, Y., & Torok, M. E. (2020). Taking the right measures to control COVID-19. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 20(5), 523-524. Zhou, W. (2020). The Coronavirus prevention handbook. Hubei Science and Technology Press.

Health facilities and hospitals are continuously trying to improve the delivery of care given to patients, their accountability, efficiencies, time, and reducing costs. A good method of improving quality measures within any healthcare organization is using available resources so that they can achieve greater leverage concerning technology developments and advancements. It is imperative for healthcare organizations to facilitate coordination of patient care across all levels of treatment so that timely efforts and safety are placed at the forefront (Lim, 2017). A significant method of improving care and coordination is via increasing the connectivity capabilities that exists among the multiple clinical systems (p. 9). Thus, a proper integration among these systems should be adhered to so that clinicians can obtain efficient patient information at whatever time they need it. It is also essential for all healthcare organizations to turn their attention to new advanced technology availabilities given that technology enhances the care of delivery and because it is useful towards increasing efficiency, security, workflows, safety, and can help decrease medical mistakes. The study conducted by Jenkins (2017) had objectives that measure the association among advanced electronic medical records and how diabetes quality measures would correlate to bring about positive results for patients. The design of the study used a retrospective audit of PHR as well as a multivariable regression analysis (Jenkins, 2017). The patients used in the study included 10,746 participants among the ages of 18 to 75 that were being seen at a primary care facility location in Cleveland from 2008 to 2009 (p. 423). The results of the study concluded that patients using clinical support systems improved their diabetes outcomes due to the levels of higher engagement that took place concerning them becoming more involved with their health. Clinical systems are vital elements of achieving better communication and it is essential given that when failures of communication happen, the coordination also fails which can cause potential deaths or health risks for patients (Lim, 2017). Developing excellent coordination skills can help improve the variations and methods of health records whereas electronically, they are created within the system. This also helps productivity because it is much easier to locate and distribute health records of patients as opposed to how it is with the traditional paper methods. Clinical records allow for easier retrieval and distribution as well as capturing significant details of the patients past and current medical data that clinicians can use to increase the quality of care for patients (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017). There have been recent studies regarding applications of personal health records becoming effective for those suffering from diabetes. Within this literature, there are revisions of elements that relate to how diabetics can utilize technology advancements to maintain and control their sugar levels (Jenkins, 2017). The study uses ideas from a clinical specialist that has developed and validated the components of diabetic diseases so that patients can take increased advantages towards recording their data and gaining up-to-date information concerning their health (p. 47). Clinical applications also help those with diabetes to provide accurate and efficient information at the point of care which enables for quicker access to the information presented in the form of data. Records help patients keep accurate details as well as provides them with opportunities of achieving a better diagnosis regarding their diabetic situations. Clinical applications also provide safer and realistic methods of improving security measures with privacy alerts so that patients can identify if access is authentic or not (Jenkins, 2017). The diabetic health records also ensure that the patients suffering from diabetes achieve better health care, an increase in safety measures are met, as well as efficiency and communication elements for the patients are successful with physicians. The records also help patients understand better healthier choices they can make concerning their health as well as engaging in more physical activity (Jenkins, 2017). Physical activity is essential for those who have diabetes because it helps to improve their nutritional values while avoiding risky lifestyles or behaviors. Most healthcare facilities are in the process, have already, or are planning to incorporate the new and improved technologies available so that assurance can be made to fill in the gaps that have decreased coordination among facilities. According to Detmer (2018), "care coordination and software is a growing market that is expected to increase by 26% in the year, which is a significant increase from 2015 to 2018" (p. 46). Coordination is essential to be included among the variations of technologies that are available given the different degrees of functions and integration capabilities. This also includes real-time communication processes providing physicians with the abilities to analyses and report the variations to the stakeholders ("HealthIT.gov", 2019). Thus, becoming essential when it is time to address the complex financial issues and operational challenges that arise in the healthcare industry. It becomes essential for health care systems and facilities to maintain their focus towards reducing costs while also leveraging the available platforms and technology resources so that optimization of workflow is achieved within the clinical setting (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017). This would help address the challenges in healthcare that is a result of poor coordination and communication. Communication and collaboration help sustain the productivity levels of clinicians so that improvements in safety and care can be achieved, leading to greater satisfaction outcomes concerning patients. Thus, an improvement in readmissions and reimbursements would be made. When it pertains to personal health records, these are mandated to become available for patients in providing them with better access to their health information records. Thus, encourages that they participate in the decision-making process to that better health outcomes can be achieved which also enables for corrections of errors if they are found within the data. The purpose of the study conducted by Jenkins (2017), provides an analyzes towards the important components of enabling patients to be able to view their records and how providers and patients through collaborations succeed with positive end goals" (p. 47). According to Healthlt.gov (2019), "personal health records are essential tools for healthcare providers and patients alike because it enables for better results towards corrections that help achieve positive outcomes concerning the data input and output." Personal health records can also present challenges for the patients who aren't understanding towards the usage of it. The providers can become concerned regarding the relevance as patients enter into their portals because it allows for actions to eliminate the critical information that is contained within the records ("Healthit.gov", 2019). Concerns regarding this understanding and the legal liabilities that go along with it are not the time nor cost-effective for providers to achieve proper efficiencies. Past records were in the traditional paper sense whereas it made it harder to locate information concerning patients, find errors and correct them, as well as hard to transfer to other facilities. However, with advanced and new technology, patients and physicians can find anything they need with one click as well as submits information electronically. In the study conducted by McGonigle & Mastrian (2017), they excluded high-risk bias and those conducted in non-clinical settings. The research analysis was conducted by using both published and non­ published resources and included Medline, Cochrane Database, and Embase as their searching strategy. The study found that the clinical decision support helps provide medical professionals with the necessary information needed that is patient-specific and that is intended to increase positive decision making concerning the outcomes of patient's satisfaction and well-being (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017). The study also concluded that when facilities use clinical systems it is found effective in changing and prescribing medication errors that have resulted in clinical importance towards treatment outcomes. In conclusion, clinical systems have greatly benefited the healthcare system while helping to improve safety measures, medication and records errors, as well as patient satisfaction. Clinical systems help physicians find support when it concerns locating, retrieving, and allocating patient-centered data and enhancing the decision-making process when it concerns diagnosing patients. Clinical systems also provide full access to patients so that they can understand what is going on with their health to take responsibilities towards the future of their health outcomes. There is significance importance when it concerns the personal health records and support data for diabetic patients so that physicians can better treat them and so that they can take charge of their own health such as the lifestyle-changing, they need to make or increase.   References "HealthIT.gov" (2019). What is an electronic health record (EHR)? Retrieved from https://www.healthit.gov/f aq/what-electronic-health-record-ehr Detmer, D. M. (2018). Integrated personal health records. Medical informatics and decision making, 45-59. Jenkins T. M. (2017). The association between personal health record use and diabetes quality measures. J Gen Intern Med. 2012; 27(4):420-424.doi:10.1007/s11606-011-1889-0. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3304034/pdf/116062011Article1 889.J;ldf Lim S, K. S. (2017). A survey on ubiquitous healthcare service demand among diabetic patients. PubMed, 7-13. McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2017). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (4th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

Research title: An Assessment of How Technology Can Be Used to Transform the Traditional Healthcare Industry to A Smart Hospital Network in the United States Introduction Since the establishment of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) in 1970, there has been an accelerated adoption and development of health information technology in the health care industry with carrying evidence (Alotaibi & Federico, 2017). Over the years there have been advancements in technology as the world has been technologically evolving. Modern technology has led to the emergence of various devices in the past decades; for instance, smartphone and smartwatches are examples of devices that have been developed through technology in the past decades. Daghan (2017) reveals that technology has affected the lives of people by enhancing efficiency in the healthcare industry, making communication more convenient between individuals, bringing advancements in medicine, presenting better opportunities for learning, and making it easier for individuals to access information. Technology has become the leading factor for change in various organization across the world. The healthcare industry is one of the sectors that has been impacted by technology over the years. Technology has presented opportunities for improvement in the healthcare industry by reducing the cost of healthcare services, improving clinical outcomes, reducing human errors, improving the quality of services, promoting patient experience, enhancing patient-physician relationships, facilitating care coordination, enhancing decision making and patient data  collection (Alotaibi & Federico, 2017). These opportunities have been achieved through the use of healthcare information technology to promote patient safety. According to Alotaibi & Federico (2017), patient safety is defined as the amelioration, prevention, avoidance of injuries or adverse outcomes stemming from various healthcare processes. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) released an article titled "To err is human" in 1999 that aimed at testing and developing new technologies that aimed at reducing human or medical error in healthcare. Over the years, Technology has been adopted in the healthcare industry to promote patient safety and outcomes. The aim of this research proposal is to assess various ways through which the healthcare industry can transition to a smart hospital network that will reduce the cost of healthcare, reduce medical errors, and promote patient safety and outcomes in the United States. The scope of the research proposal has been narrowed to reducing cost of care, improving patient-physician relationships, improving decision making, enhancing data collection, and promoting patient experience. The above research topic is important because technology presents an opportunity for improving healthcare experience and the internet brings health to everyone. My interest in this research topic grew because the cost of healthcare in the United States has been known to be high despite the integration of technology to the healthcare system within the nation; therefore, change is needed to reduce the cost of healthcare and this can be achieved by fully transitioning from the traditional healthcare industry to the smart hospital network. The research objectives for this proposal are as follows: To assess how technology has been adopted into the healthcare industry in the United States. To assess the effectiveness of technology in the healthcare industry in the United States when it comes to reducing the cost of healthcare, reducing medical errors, improving patient-physician relationships, promoting patient experiences, and promoting patient outcomes and safety. To identifying how to transition to a smart hospital network that will reduce the cost of healthcare. 2.0 Literature Review In the United States, technology has brought a massive change to the healthcare industry in various ways. Technology has presented benefits to patients in the United States by increasing accessibility to treatment, improving the efficiency of care, reducing human error in healthcare, offering means to track data over time, and reducing the cost of care. One of the major concerns affecting the healthcare industry in the United States over the years has been the cost of healthcare services. Literature indicates that the use of a number of technological devices has been adopted in the healthcare industry today in the United States. These technological devices have been adopted for various reasons in the healthcare industry which include reducing the cost of healthcare, improving communication within the industry, enhancing data collection, and to provide easier access to healthcare services. A number of resources were examined that support these subsections of the research proposal. The Cost of Healthcare According to Peter G. Peterson Foundation (2020), the cost of healthcare services in the United States in the year 2018 was 11,000 dollars for each individual which total to 3.6 trillion dollars for the whole population during the year. Peter G. Peterson Foundation (2020) continues to reveal that the cost of healthcare in relation to the nation's gross domestic product (GDP) has increased to 18% in 2018 from 5% in 1960. Therefore, the literature proofs that despite the adoption of technology to the healthcare industry in the United States, the cost of healthcare is still high. Moreover, there have also been medical errors recorded in the healthcare industry in the United States that have also contributed to the high cost of healthcare services. According to Harmer, Lee, & Saadabadi (2020), over 20 billion dollars are spent each year on medical errors and over 100,000 deaths are recorded annually due to medical errors. The issue of increased cost of healthcare services, medical errors, patient-physician relationships, patient experiences, and the need to improve patient safety has increased the interest in researching on transforming the traditional healthcare industry into a smart hospital network. Some of the scholarly research that has been done on technology and the healthcare industry have been undertaken by Kelly et al. (2020), Thimbleby (2013), Wu & Luo (2019), Tian et al. (2019), Loncar-Turukalo et al. (2019), amongst others. In this scholarly works, the authors have identified how technology has been adopted to the healthcare industry across the world. These works of literature further identify how the cost of healthcare services continues to be high despite the technological innovations being adopted in the healthcare industry. The differences in these literature sources are on the authors arguments on the causes for the rise of healthcare services. The literature research by Harmer, Lee, & Saadabadi (2020) highlights the occurrence of medical errors in the healthcare industry as the leading cause for the rise of the cost of healthcare services in the United States. On the other hand, Wu & Luo (2019) and Tian et al. (2019) highlight in their scientific research that access to healthcare services is the leading cause for the high cost of healthcare services. The methods used for research in these articles was the examination of other literatures that exist in this field. The authors compared information from various researches to come into conclusion on their research hypothesis for each scientific research literature. The gap in the above scientific researches is in the provision of healthcare services and technological devices that can eliminate the occurrence of medical errors in the healthcare industry. Technological Devices in the Healthcare Industry Various researches had been done in recent years on how information technology and technological devices have been incorporated into the healthcare industry and the benefits of the incorporation of these devices have been identified through evidence. Kelly et al. (2020), Loncar-Turukalo et al. (2019), Sarkies et al. (2015), are some of the researches that have been focused on the impact of technological devices on the healthcare industry. The similarity in these articles is that majority of these research literatures are focused on how these devices have promoted patient safety, reduced medical errors, reduced the cost of healthcare services, and enhanced access to healthcare services. Kelly et al. (2020) in their research have identified how the internet of things (IoT) streamlines and enhances healthcare delivery to the population in aspects of diagnosing diseases, monitoring and treatment of conditions, and predicting health issues. In this literature, the authors identify technological devices such as smart phones, digital medications, computing devices, portable devices, and other portable devices that can connect to the internet and used to measure health data. The authors in these scientific researches derived their information from other literature researches than have been conducted before and they compiled the data that was relevant to their study hypothesis. While this research assess how the IoT can be integrated to the healthcare industry, it fails to identify the specific technological devices that will impact the healthcare industry if their use is adopted. 2.3 Technology and Communication in Healthcare The use of various technological devices has been linked to improving communication within the healthcare industry. In their research, Ahmed et al. (2020) proposes the use of a technological device to improve commination between healthcare providers themselves and between physicians and patients. The research proposes the use of a flexible hybrid optical-radio wireless network for the purpose of providing wireless connectivity for communication in hospitals. The research proposes using hospital resources and the availability of technology to enhance communication within hospitals. The above research also utilized literature from previous studies on the technological device and how it can be adopted into the healthcare  system. Moreover, a research conducted on scientific literature from 2010 to 2019 shows that technology has been on the forefront in enhancing communication in the healthcare industry (Loncar-Turukalo et al., 2019). This literature research focused on scientific articles published between 2010 and 2019 and looked to identify how emerging technologies were addressing challenges being faced in regard to communication, patient documentation, and the security and safety of using these technological devices. The literature revealed that the use of technology in communication in hospitals and the healthcare industry was key to reducing the occurrence of medical errors. The research utilized a scoping methodology in the identification and processing of literature that was available on the research topic. Both scientific literatures utilized a scoping methodology to assess previous materials on the topics that have been published. However, a gap exists in both literatures as they fail to identify how healthcare providers and patients will be able to utilize these devices to effectiveness in enhancing communication within the healthcare industry. 2.4 Technology and Data Collection in Healthcare Technology has also had an impact on data collection in the healthcare industry. Previous research outlines various technological devices that have been utilized in data collection and the impact that the use of these devices has had on the healthcare industry over the years. Sarkies et al. (2015) conducted a research to determine the effectiveness of using technologically advanced methods for data collection in healthcare as compared to the use of old manual methods of data collection. In their research, the authors utilized electronic patient management programs to collect data and compared the results with the use of manual data collection methods from ward­ based sources. A research by Dash et al. (2019) also outlines how the internet of things (IoT) is also applied in big data in healthcare. In this literature, the authors identify how technology has been utilized in collection, management, and analysis; which leads to better decision making in healthcare. Further research has also been carried out on smart technologies that have been adopted in healthcare. The scholarly work by Tian et al. (2019), Thimbely (2013), Alotaibi & Federico (2017), and Daghan (2017) are examples of researches that highlight how technology has been adopted into the healthcare industry and the impact of this technological innovation in the healthcare industry. Research shows that the use of technologies such as smartphones and other portable devices have played an essential role in improving access to healthcare services. Scientific literature by Batista & Gaglani (2013) highlights the importance of smartphone in the provision of healthcare services. The authors highlight that a smartphone is a primary technological device that is found in majority of homesteads in the United States and its use by physicians to provide healthcare services has improved access to healthcare services. The above scientific literatures highlight that these technologies that have been adopted into the healthcare industry are for the purpose of improving the quality of healthcare services, improving patient experiences, promoting the relationship between physicians and reducing medical errors. All these factors translate to a reduced cost of healthcare services. However, the cost of healthcare services in the North American countries, which includes the United States, remains to be high when compared to other countries. The above literature relates to the proposed study as this research looks to address patient-physician relationships, decision making in healthcare, patient experience, medica errors, and patient safety and outcomes through the use of technology with the aim of reducing the cost of healthcare services. The gaps in the above scientific literatures presents an opportunity for this proposed research. 2.5 The Gap in Scientific Literature The above literature review provides a resourceful introduction to the topic of study and opens up the gap evident for this proposed research. This literature review aligns with the objectives of this study and the gaps within the scientific literatures have also been identified. The literature shows that technology has been adopted into the healthcare industry but the devices being utilized are not effective enough to reduce the cost of healthcare within the United States. The gaps within the literature also indicate that the healthcare provides are not utilizing these technologies effectively to reduce the occurrence of medical errors. Another gap in the literature that presents an opportunity for this proposed research is the underutilization of smartphones and other portable smart devices to provide healthcare services to the larger population. The proposed research shall also look to identify other technological means that have not been covered in the above literature that can be used to improve access to healthcare services in remote areas. 3.0 Statement of the Problem The high cost of healthcare services, medical errors, and communication have been identified to be major concerns that technology looks to address in the healthcare industry as seen in the scientific literatures reviewed above. The gaps in the literature resources above present an opportunity for research that aims at identifying ways to improve the effectiveness of the technological devices in place in the quest of reducing the cost of healthcare services, eliminating medical errors, and improving communication in the healthcare industry. The gap that needs to be addressed in this research is other technological devices that can be utilized to improve access to healthcare services and how smartphones, tablets, and other portable devices can be utilized effectively to increase access to healthcare services. Improving the access to healthcare services will reduce the cost of healthcare services. Another gap to be addressed is the effective utilization of technological devices in data collection and communication to address the challenge of medical errors and poor communication in the healthcare industry. The anticipated benefits and outcomes form this proposed research is the decrease in the cost of healthcare services, improvement in communication between patients and healthcare providers, and elimination of medical errors in the healthcare industry. The researcher shall benefit from the proposed research by gaining knowledge on the application of technological devices in the healthcare industry and the impact they have on service delivery. Moreover, the research shall also be able to identify the gaps that exist in current literature that will enable them to identify ways in which they can be able to address these gaps. Research Questions What technological devices have been adopted in the healthcare industry in the North Americans? How have these technological innovations and devices effectively impacted the healthcare industry in the United States? What advancements can be made to the technological innovations to reduce the cost of healthcare, reduce medical errors, improve patient-physician relationships, enhance patient experiences, and promote patient safety and outcomes?   References Ahmed, I., Karvonen, H., Kumpuniemi, T., & Katz, M. (2020). Wireless communications for the hospital of the future: requirements, challenges and solutions. International Journal of Wireless Information Networks, 27(1), 4-17. Alotaibi, Y. K., & Federico, F. (2017). The impact of health information technology on patient safety. Saudi medical journal, 38(12), 1173. Batista, M. A., & Gaglani, S. M. (2013). The future of smartphones in health care. AMA Journal of Ethics, 15(11), 947-950. Daghan, G. (2017). Views of Students about Technology, Effects of Technology on Daily Living and Their Professional Preferences. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology- TOJET, 16(4), 187-194. Dash, S., Shakyawar, S. K., Sharma, M., & Kaushik, S. (2019). 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Literature on wearable technology for connected health: scoping review of research trends, advances, and barriers. Journal of medical Internet research, 21(9), e14017. Peter G. Peterson Foundation. (2020, April 20). Why are Americans Paying More for Healthcare? Peter G. Peterson Foundation, Retrieved, May 21, 2021, from, https://www.pgpf.org/blog/2020/04/why-are-americans-paying-more-for­healthcare#:   :text=In%202018%2C%20the%20United%20States.to%201  8%20percent%20in%202018. Sarkies, M. N., Bowles, K. A., Skinner, E. H., Mit-chell, D., Haas, R., Ho, M., & Haines, T. P. (2015). Data collection methods in health services research-hospital length of stay and discharge destination. Appl Clin Inf, 6, 96-109. Thimbleby, H. (2013). Technology and the future of healthcare. Journal of public health research, 2(3). Tian, S., Yang, W., Le Grange, J. M., Wang, P., Huang, W., & Ye, Z. (2019). Smart healthcare: making medical care more intelligent. Global Health Journal, 3(3), 62-65. 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Health information technology is defined as the electronic systems that both patients and professionals in the health care industry use in order to store, share, and study health information. It has been a constantly evolving throughout the years and shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Health IT includes things such as electronic health records, personal health records, electronic prescribing, and privacy/security, all with the purpose of making health information as easy and secure as possible to process, maintain, and transfer. It involves both hardware and software components and varies from institution to institution in the ways that they process and hare information, as there are many ways to do it. As time goes on, there are current and constantly evolving trends in the health IT industry, a marinade of skill requirements, and skills possessed by top performers in many different forms. Trends in the healthcare IT industry is always changing and evolving at an exponential pace, bringing with it new and fancy inventions and software to expand healthcare IT more every day. If an institution wants to stay relevant in the field, it is imperative that it stays up to date on all the current and upcoming trends and be able to integrate them into their treatments. As of right now, an example of a current trend in this industry is electronic medical records. At first, this might sound like common workplace practice to have all records digitalized, but it wasn’t always like that, and it does wonders for healthcare in general. EMR's provide the ability to have all patient records up and ready for reference right away, rather than having to sift through a stack on physical files and even then, potentially missing crucial information. On top of this, all this information is also readily available to be shared and communicated to others who might need it in an emergency and as such, make better, more knowledgeable decisions about patient care. Another good trend is blockchain technology, which is a method of storing patient information in such a way that it takes up less space than otherwise, allowing more information to be added without risk of losing track of sensitive data, as well being able to allow digital information to be distributed but not explicitly copied. Blockchain can transfer data across different health systems that ERM is unable to do. Due to compatibility issues, EMR's need to be using the same hosting system in order to connect and share information with one another, but this limitation is not an issue for blockchain, allowing for even better ways of sharing healthcare data. There is also a lot to look forward to in the future for trends for healthcare IT. One big up incoming trend is of course, 3d printing, which is becoming more and more mainstream. 3D printing allows for many different types of experiments to be done and hopefully more tech than ever before for healthcare. 3D printing allows for prototyping, more in depth research, customizations, and many more new implications. Tools, prosthetic limbs, and realistic organs are just a few of the things 3d printing can help healthcare IT with. Its even being used in some professions such as dentistry and orthodontics. Another trend to look forward to is extended reality, with virtual reality being the most common knowledge branch. It can help with training and surgery simulations to prepare professionals for stressful procedures. Going beyond VR, mixed reality is also an exciting implementation, merging the real world and the virtual world together, providing important educational capabilities for professionals and help them understand conditions and sicknesses better. Wearable tech is also already a common thing in todays world, but that doesn’t mean that it can't be expanded upon. Wearable tech is becoming increasingly more sophisticated as the years go on and is sure to influence the healthcare IT field sooner rather than later. Examples include wearable tech that can detect issues within one's body, aside from just steps walked within a day or your current heartbeat. This information can greatly benefit doctors and the like if anything were to happen to a patient, as they would be provided with real time results on what's going on. With healthcare IT being such a big and evolving industry, there are, of course, skills required in order to preform the job effectively. One of these skills includes interpersonal skills, which is needed even in the usually antisocial IT industry. Interpersonal skills are skills that allow you to interact with others effectively in order to get a job done well. This includes flexibility, empathy, teamwork, good communication, and good conflict resolution skills. Healthcare IT rarely has you working alone, so honing this skill will take you far in the field. Another good skill to have is efficient problem solving, as this will be a never-ending process. Problems arise almost daily, multiple times a day, and it is up to a skilled worker to tackle them head on. These problems come in many different forms, such as clinical challenges, issues with communication, hardware/software issues, or just processes that need to be improved. The list can go on and on. Programming knowledge is also a very essential skill to possess, as it can take you a long way. While not necessarily needed for this industry, it gives you an advantage over competition and widens your horizon. Knowledge on languages like Java, C, Python, etc. may come in handy in situations such as building systems of healthcare institutions or databases. And of course, the most important skill of all is being educated in the healthcare IT industry and knowing what it is composed and can throw your way. The more you know about health data systems and the like, the farther you can progress and the more you can accomplish. To become a top performer in the healthcare IT, one must be proficient in all these previously stated skills, as well as many others that helped them make their ways to the top. Communication is a key skill to possess for top performers, especially those in the leadership positions. While communication may seem like an easy task at first, it can be a hard one to master well. On the surface, communication simply sounds like being able to speak well with others, but there much more that goes into it, such as being a good listener, being able to mentor, having empathy, and being able to avoid bringing personal feelings into decision making. A good combination of listening and empathy goes a long way when it comes to communication in the industry because it shows engagement and willingness to learn with others within the field. However, while empathy is one thing, a member of leadership should also be proficient in emotion detachment, not dragging in personal drama or letting it affect big decisions. Another good skill that top performers posses is innovation and a creative mindset. Professionals and those in leadership are challenged to think different and in new ways constantly. This involved a combination of the ability to think creatively and uniquely and have a good grasp on functional and technical abilities in order to apply them in all different kinds of ways. Working in an industry with healthcare IT is challenging work, full of long hours and very focused work involving important information, so there is a lot of pressure riding on your shoulders. However, working through these situations and overcoming them is a very gratifying feeling. This cannot be easily done all by yourself though, as you will be working alongside others that can make your personal success even better and easier, so it is a good idea to always be on good terms with coworkers. I personally am not the most professional person when it comes to healthcare IT, but I do possess a few critical skills that are important to the industry. I have good technical experience, and while it might not be specifically with healthcare IT, I do possess skills that I believe will make it easier for me to learn what is needed for the job. I also possess good communication skills as well as good interpersonal skills and am can follow and give out directions if needed, as well as explain what is going on coherently and effectively. I also have the passion and ability to get results, as well as the drive to learn new information and get the job at hand done. Of course, there are still skills I need to work as well, such as strong problem-solving skills, which I believe will improve once I know more about how everything works. Also, I could improve my leadership skills, since I do hope to move up in the company as time goes on, and this will require better leadership skills than I currently possess, but that will increase along with my confidence in the job.   Sources https://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/health-information-technology-fact-sheet.pdf https://getreferralmd.com/2019/01/healthcare-technology-trends-for-2019/ https://healthinformatics.uic.edu/blog/5-skills-needed-to-succeed-in-health-informatics/ https://searchhealthit.techtarget.com/healthitexchange/meaningfulhealthcareinformaticsblog/top-10-skills-for-a-successful-leader-in-healthcare-technology-part-1/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2019/11/01/the-9-biggest-technology-trends-that-will-transform-medicine-and-healthcare-in-2020/#5ae3b62672cd