HIM-650 Database Project Proposal – Part 1 HIM-650 Database Project Proposal – Part 1

 Electronic storage systems are a must with the growing demands of the internet era. A database allows healthcare institutions to manage data in a centralized area. Medication errors remain a significant issue that medical facilities must address regularly. According to Khatiwada et al. (2020), a database storing correct and comprehensive medication information in a user-friendly style is required to prevent medication error arising from information systems. The purpose of this paper is to create a proposed database, which will collect clinical data relating to pharmaceutical items and their use. The final database aims to find a link between narcotic addiction rates and the initial year a patient used a drug.

Problem Statement and Definition of Terms

Narcotics are commonly prescribed to patients undergoing various medical procedures, including surgery. Prescription drug misuse has reached unparalleled proportions. Since 1999, Anderson (2020) claims that the number of people killed by narcotic prescription medications has climbed sixfold. When prescribing drugs, doctors will see when the patient was last administered a narcotic and if the individual has been seen and hospitalized for narcotic abuse using the proposed database.

Database Users

The database’s users include pharmacists, nurses, and doctors. This would be a national database in an ideal society, but the intended project will start with one institution and grow from there. Specialists from the local substance abuse center (SAC) will also utilize the database to input data from their clinic. SAC employs pharmacists, nurses, and doctors.

Data and Reports Types

This database will require accurate recording of narcotic addiction rates and the initial narcotic intake to include the percentage levels of addiction and the first year that the drug was used. This information will be gathered from the hospitals taking part in the database’s initial launch. The SAC resident profile information and the narcotic used will provide extra data required to track usage by the individual. The reports created for analysis include the individual drug that is triggering the addiction, the number of times the patient has gone to the hospital for more narcotics, and whether or not the patient is seeking treatment for their addictive behaviors. These data will assist the hospital in determining which medications, if any, are creating additional difficulties. The reports will also show how often the clinic writes opioid prescriptions to the same individual. Lastly, the reports will help determine whether or not the patient has sought treatment for their drug addiction.

Database Project Goals

The proposed database can enable data aggregation, reporting, and analytics to encourage improved decisions by doctors prescribing drugs. The database will function as a repository to promptly record and store data on drug prescriptions. Users of database systems will be able to “search many and heterogeneous data sources to generate unified results” (Coronel & Morris, 2019). Assessment of the database’s material can “reveal hidden patterns, trends, and linkages,” eventually contributing to data analysis knowledge acquisition (Coronel & Morris, 2019). Applying these three aspects can aid in transforming operational data into decision-support information (Coronel & Morris, 2019).

Potential Project Barriers

The primary issue that this database may face is if patients use various identities at the clinic and treatment institution. If their name is misspelled, their birth date is incorrect, or any other personally-identifying information is incorrect, the database will not recognize the individual from prior experiences. Another challenge facing the project database is when the patient visits different facilities for additional prescriptions. Because the initial database will include only records from one facility, it will not recognize if the patient visits other hospitals. This is also true if the patient visits many treatment/rehabilitation centers.

When assessing the significance that this database will bring, the benefit is immeasurable if it will save one person from drug addiction or death. Suppose this database is successful in one facility, and more data can be gathered from other clinics and treatment centers. In that case, the system’s value will only enhance identification of drug misuse and perhaps save more lives while also reducing healthcare expenses associated with drug abuse.

 

 

References

Anderson, A. L. (2021). Prescription Drug Abuse—A National Epidemic. https://www.drugs.com/slideshow/prescription-drug-addiction-1075

Coronel, C., & Morris, S. (2019). Database systems: Design, implementation, and management (13th e). Cengage Learning.

Khatiwada, A. P., Shakya, S., & Shrestha, S. (2020). Paradigm shift of drug information centers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drugs & Therapy Perspectives,