Running Head: VITAS HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATION 1

VITAS Healthcare Organization

Name

Affiliation
VITAS HEALTHCARE ORGANIZATION 2

VITAS Healthcare Organization

Introduction

There are numerous health institutions providing hospice healthcare to several hospice

patients across the globe. Hospice healthcare entails a special form of care given to patients with

incurable diseases. This paper mainly focuses on VITAS Healthcare organization as a hospice

care provider. VITAS Healthcare organization is a Chemed Corporation and one of the largest

hospice care providers in United States. It mainly offers its services to terminally ill adult

patients especially ones with heart diseases, cancer, lung diseases, kidney diseases, stroke and

other chronic diseases. The organization is a nursing facility which provides emotional

counselling as well as home medications to patients in its hospice units, nursing homes and

numerous hospitals across Unite States. In 2017, the organization`s volunteers offered hospice

care to numerous patients and families in need. Since patients and families are their first priority,

VITAS Healthcare organization is very successful because patients are more interested in

healthcare institution that highly value patient care, (Boulton, 2018).

Location

VITAS Healthcare Organization has its corporate headquarters of VITAS in Miami,

Florida. It also possesses ownership of a plumbing company known as Roto-Rooter. The

organization provides palliative and hospice care services to several patients across 14 states in

United States through its professional doctors, nurses, social workers and volunteers. According

to the recent reports, VITAS Healthcare serves an average population of 16,550 patients every

day, (Boulton, 2018).

Services provided
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 Provides comfortable care to hospice patients in different places such as hospitals,

patients` homes and nursing facilities.

 In situations when a particular disease can no longer be cured, VITAS manages effective

pain and symptoms in a manner that ensures patient`s comfortability.

 It offers charitable services and supports several communities especially the ones with

hospice patients in need.

Information Technology

Due to its objectives of easing the provision of hospice care to its patients and families by

its professional health workers, VITAS Healthcare deploys innovative technology such as

landmark technology, air watch technology and mobile healthcare technology. The organization

uses landmark technology to facilitate easy exchange of data between patients and health care

providers as well as enabling healthcare providers to ensure electronic transmission of 10% data

of patients. Through its air watch technology, employees of VITAS are able to quickly obtain the

information required by patients and their families to make end of life care decisions.

Additionally, the organization equips its healthcare providers with mobile apps on their phones

that enable them to quickly analyze and identify the patients in need of hospice care and start

admitting them immediately. Since the majority of VITAS Healthcare organizations perform

their duties in several healthcare facilities and patient`s homes, the organization puts more

emphasis on development of solutions to healthcare technology. Following the limited time,

hospice care providers have in providing the best healthcare need for hospice patients, the

organization decided to introduce admission of patients through iPads, iPhones and mobile

applications. Mobile technology is the foundation of hospice care in VITAS with approximately
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80 percent of the doctors and nurses offering hospice care to patients in their homes and remotely

located hospitals. In the previous years, clinicians used to enter patient`s data into computers

while typing. However, this used to waste a lot of time that would have been used to provide

hospice care to patients, (Boulton, 2018).

Purpose of the technology

Mobile Healthcare technology is used in registration of admitted patients through the use

of mobile applications and smart phones. In several hospice care provider institutions, it is the

responsibility of the staff physician to direct patients through the entire process of billing and

coding. However, following the large volume of patients admitted by VITAS every day, it uses

mobile health technology to perform all tasks of coding and billing as well as medical

administration.

Type of data entered

Digitalized data is entered in the database of the organization through transmission from

the doctors and clinicians in different places of operation. In 2013, data could be entered

manually by clinicians. However, this could consume a lot of time which clinicians would have

spent interacting with patients hence the introduction of mobile health technology. The database

system stores and at the same time updates the data received from numerous healthcare

providers. The technology system also allows transmission of data to another organization. This

ensures efficient operation of the organization due to the fact that it consists of several hospitals

and healthcare facilities in numerous states across United States, (Boulton, 2018).
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Mobile technological systems generate patient reports and analyzes the prevailing

conditions of the patients. The technology entails exchange of health care information between

healthcare providers and patients electronically. Therefore, the patients as well as their families

are able to access the patient`s data on secure networks hence facilitating decision making

especially end of life decisions, (Boulton, 2018).

The system connects to other systems such as computer systems, iPhones and iPads. This

is done through video conferencing, emails and messages. The connection entails connection of

physicians’ mobile devices such as tablets and smart phones to connect to the patient`s

Electronic Health Record as well as following the patient`s health history. On appointment of the

patient, the physician sends an email to him or her. The connection condenses and shares

information between health professionals and VITAS Healthcare administration. Additionally,

connection between patients and physicians facilitates communication as well as access to more

patients in need of hospice care. The technological system is considered part of the electronic

health record. Since it involves entails exchange of patient information electronically by health

professionals, is considered a connectivity system. This is because the system connects to

different health care providers in the 14 states, (Quintana, 2018).

Mobile health technology is used because it facilitates coordination between hospice care

providers and patients. It is needed because mobile devices can connect to the software of the

Electronic Health Records of patients and numerous management platforms such as revenue

cycle. This eases the daily operations of physicians. It is very easy to use with a well laid screen

since it only requires connection to the internet or sometimes not to be able to access the required

information about the patient. The system is secure in most cases with highly inbuilt tools to

ensure accuracy of data. However, on few occasions it can be hacked by computer wizards and
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sometime go down if not maintained as required. The system`s maintenance and updates are

supported by vendors. In case of any problem with the mobile devices, the nurses and doctors

contact VITAS administration to resolve it. The system is classified in clinical as well as

decision support since it entails assisting of patients and their families to make end of life

decisions, (Quintana, 2018).

Findings

VITAS is part of the Health Information Exchange system. This is because majority of its

healthcare providers travel to different places such as hospitals, homes and other remote

communities to provide hospice care to the patients in need. Health Information Exchange in

VITAS is carried out through iPhones, iPads, and mobile applications. VITAS is also involved in

the recent Information governance system. This is because the organization offers services to

very over 16550 patients per day. Following the services provided inclusive of the end-of life

services, the organization is more interested in ensuring privacy of its patients` data, (Quintana,

2018).

Strengths

VITAS consists of a well-established system of clinical leadership that and professional

doctors and nurses who provide the best appropriate healthcare as well as effective pain

management methods that have improved the quality of life for hospice patients. The

organization also consists of sophisticated information technology that ease patient data

management through collection and analyzing data using a metrics system. More than any other

hospice care provider, VITAS is able to analyze variety of data for several hospice patients.

Weaknesses
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Mobile applications on the hospice care providers are sometimes not secure enough

which opens gates for hackers to access the patient`s information since hackers consist of

technology that can unlock passwords and access health networks easily. The mobile devices

such as tablets and smart phones can also be stolen or misplaced. This may result into loss of

important patient data because even if the device consists of the best security protocol, hackers

can unlock it considering the adequate time they have. Furthermore, use of mobile devices in

healthcare has caused increase in the level of security concerns in the healthcare department.

This is because multiple data about patients is shared outside secure servers by doctors and

nurses.

Recommendations

Mobile devices` providers should coordinate with the administration of VITAS to

develop protocols that can ensure secure exchange of information between hospice care

providers and patients. Additionally, the organization should establish security clearances on

access of patients’ data to reduce exchange of data among healthcare providers outside secure

servers.

Conclusion

VITAS is one of the hospice healthcare organizations that has improved patients` live at

their points of death. It cares for several patients of different backgrounds and comforts families

of the patients. Increase in the number of hospice patients received by VITAS facilitated the

introduction of mobile health technology following the rapidly increasing use of mobile devices

in several health institutions which has greatly improved healthcare. However, there are
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weaknesses that need immediate address to ensure protection of the patient`s data as well as the

healthcare providers.
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References

Boulton, C. (2018). VITAS improves hospice care with mobile transformation. Retrieved

from https://www.cio.com/article/3250661/digital-transformation/vitas-improves-

hospice-care-with-mobile-transformation.html

Quintana, C. (2018). Vitas Healthcare Joins American Hospital Association. Retrieved

from https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2018/05/07/1497630/0/en/