Introduction to Healthcare
Information Technology
Chapter Three
Desktop IT Operations
Objectives
• List the different types of computing resources and
computer languages
• Explain how to set up a desktop workstation
• List the steps in troubleshooting hardware and
software
• Describe how to configure devices
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Healthcare IT:
Challenges and Opportunities
• Healthcare industry slow to embrace use of
information technology
• Computers and handheld devices
– Not pervasive today at local doctor’s offices
• Federal laws accelerating the shift to electronic
health records
– Target dates for widespread adoption
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IT Overview
• Electronic medical record (EMR)
– Electronic version of patient’s paper chart
– Contains medical and treatment history
• Advantages of EMRs over paper records
– Easily track data over time
– Identify patients due for preventive care
– Monitor performance of large numbers of patients
• Disadvantage of paper health records
– Handwritten format prone to transcription errors
– Difficult to distribute information
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IT Overview (cont’d.)
• Electronic health record (EHR)
– Focuses on total health of the patient
– Goes beyond data collected at a doctor’s office
– Designed to be shared among a patient’s healthcare
providers
• Advantages of EHRs
– Data collected by a primary care provider can inform
an emergency department clinician
– Patient can log into own record through the Internet
– Clinician’s notes from hospital stay can be used to
create accurate discharge instructions
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Types of Computing Resources
• Mainframe computer
– Large, powerful, expensive computer
– Designed to process large amounts of data quickly
– Can support hundreds of users simultaneously
• Dumb computer terminal used to connect to the
mainframe
• Mainframes most frequently used in government,
financial services, retail, and manufacturing
industries
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Types of Computing Resources
(cont’d.)
• Network
– Anything that resembles a net in how it looks or
functions
• Computer network
– Multiple interconnected computers and devices
• Client-server computing
– Network controlled by a special high-powered server
– Clients: individual computers on the network
– Servers service the requests of client computers
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Figure 3-1 Client-server computing
© Cengage Learning 2013
Figure 3-2 Servers in a rack
© corepics/www.Shutterstock.com
Types of Computing Resources
(cont’d.)
• Traditionally, servers requiring different software
would be separate physical computers
• New approach: virtualization
– More than one server can run on a physical piece of
equipment
• Advantage of virtualization
– Reduces cost of purchasing separate computing
hardware
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Figure 3-3 Virtualization
© Cengage Learning 2013
Types of Computing Resources
(cont’d.)
• Terminal services
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Variation of client-server computing
Software for applications installed on servers
Software accessed through client machines
Client machines do not contain software
Processing carried out on the server
• Advantage of terminal services
– Older desktop computers can be used as terminals
• Reduces cost of purchasing high-performance
desktop computers
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Types of Computing Resources
(cont’d.)
• Cloud computing
– Pay-per-use model
– Recent method of access computing resources
online
– Accessed using the Internet
– Example: storage or computing power accessed “in
the cloud”
• Hosted services
– Servers, storage, and support shared by multiple
“tenants” (users and organizations)
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Table 3-1 Cloud computing characteristics
© Cengage Learning 2013
Types of Computing Resources
(cont’d.)
• Cloud computing service models
– Cloud Software as a Service (SaaS)
• Cloud computing vendor provides access to vendor’s
software applications
– Cloud Platform as a Service (PaaS)
• Customer can install and run own specialized
applications
– Cloud Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
• Customer can deploy and run customer’s own
software, operating systems, and applications
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Programming Languages
• Language used to communicate instructions to
computer hardware
• Application programming interface (API)
– Instructions for two programs to communicate with
each other
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Programming Languages (cont’d.)
• Common programming languages for Web
development
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Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
Extensible Markup Language (XML)
PHP
Active Server Pages (ASP)
Flash
Structured Query Language (SQL)
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Setting up a Desktop Workstation
• Desktop computer workstations
– Computing workhorses in healthcare setting
• Healthcare IT professional:
– Must understand hardware and software
components
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Parts of a Desktop System
• Desktop hardware
– Processing hardware
• Central processing unit (CPU)
– Input hardware
• Devices for data entry into the computer
• Example: keyboards
– Output hardware
• Often connects through a universal serial bus (USB)
connection
• Examples: monitor, printer, speakers
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Figure 3-4 Standard desktop
computer system
© Dmitry Melnikov/www.Shutterstock.com
Figure 3-5 Motherboard with CPU
© Norman Chan/www.Shutterstock.com
Parts of a Desktop System (cont’d.)
• Types of desktop software
– Operating system (OS) software
– Utility software
– Application software
• OS software
– Serves as intermediary between user and computer
hardware
– Allocates memory; assigns processes; performs
communications; monitors progress
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Parts of a Desktop System (cont’d.)
• Utility software
– Provides additional functionality not found in the core
OS
– Typically performs a single task
– Example: file synchronization
• Application software
– General software used for a variety of different tasks
– Examples: word-processing programs,
spreadsheets, database applications
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Installing and Configuring a
Workstation
• One of primary duties of a healthcare IT
professional
• Standard set of tasks involved
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Select the proper location
Unpack the components
Connect the components to the system unit
Create user accounts
Run hardware diagnostic tests
Install updated drivers
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Figure 3-7 Computer connections
© Carolina K. Smith, M.D./www.Shutterstock.com
Table 3-2 Computer components and connections
© Cengage Learning 2013
Installing and Configuring a
Workstation (cont’d.)
• Standard set of tasks involved (cont’d.)
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Update the operating system
Turn on security protections
Configure power settings
Install software
Create a backup image
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Troubleshooting
• Tracing and correcting problems
• Essential skill for healthcare IT technician
• Troubleshooting steps
– Identify the problem
– Assess different options for solving the problem
• Involves solving hardware and software problems
• May involve consulting vendor documentation
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Hardware
• Today’s computer electronics
– Modular and low cost
– Time rarely spent to attempt to repair faulty
hardware
• Troubleshooting tips for printers
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Check power and connections
Update driver
Restart the print spooler
Replace ink or toner
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Table 3-3 Troubleshooting a computer monitor
© Cengage Learning 2013
Table 3-4 Troubleshooting a computer mouse
© Cengage Learning 2013
Software
• Software troubleshooting includes installing
periodic software updates
• Security patch
– General software security update to fix discovered
vulnerabilities
• Software update
– Universal software enhancement for all customers
• Hotfix
– Software that addresses specific customer situation
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Software (cont’d.)
• Service pack
– Cumulative package of security updates and
additional features
• Patches should be installed in a timely fashion
– Modern operating systems have automatic updates
• Drivers should also be updated periodically
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Configuring Devices
• Examples of types of devices
– Mobile storage devices
– Mobile computing devices
– Imaging devices
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Physical Interfaces
• Point of interaction between a computer and
another device
• Port
– Connection on computer for attaching an external
device
• Parallel port
• Serial port
• Universal serial bus (USB) interface versions
– USB 1.0, USB 2.0, USB 3.0
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Physical Interfaces (cont’d.)
• IEEE 1394
– Transfers bits one at a time at very high speed
– Used for high-speed communications between
personal computers and digital audio, video, and
automotive applications
• Bluetooth
– Wireless technology using short-range radio
frequency transmission
– Designed for short distances (up to 33 feet)
– Provides for ad hoc device pairings
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Table 3-5 Bluetooth products
© Cengage Learning 2013
Mobile Storage Devices
• External devices that provide additional storage
capabilities
• Commonly used to back up or transfer data
• Types of mobile storage devices
– Magnetic storage
– Optical storage
– Solid-state storage
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Mobile Storage Devices (cont’d.)
• Magnetic storage
– Oldest storage technology
– Examples: internal or external hard disk drives
• Magnetic tape: older type of magnetic storage
• Optical storage
– Data recorded on a disk by burning marks into the
surface
– Read back by a precisely focused beam of light
– Examples: CD, DVD, HD DVD, Blu-ray disc
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Figure 3-11 Portable external hard drive
© Ruslan Ivantsov/www.Shutterstock.com
Figure 3-12 Desktop external
hard drive
© Igor Grochev/www.Shutterstock.com
Mobile Storage Devices (cont’d.)
• Solid-state storage
– Flash memory used to store data
– Example: USB flash drive
• Advantages of solid-state storage
– No fragile moving parts
– Inexpensive
– Small with relatively large storage capacity
• Secure Digital (SD) card
– Uses flash memory
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Figure 3-13 USB flash drive
© vkoshkarov/www.Shutterstock.com
Figure 3-14 SD card
© Tuit Vlad/www.Shutterstock.com
Mobile Devices
• Mobility
– Defining characteristic of modern computing
• Tablet PCs
– Lightweight touch-screen computing devices
– Some use specialized mobile operating systems
– Generally do not have a separate keyboard
• Smartphones
– Provide Web access and much more
– Apps (application software) provide additional
functionality
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Imaging Devices
• Used to capture information and convert to
electronic format
• Document scanner
• Fax printer
• Card/badge scanners
• Barcode scanners
– Barcodes can now be read using software
• Signature pad
– Captures and stores handwritten signatures
• Digital camera
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Installation and Configuration
• Identify proper interface port
– BIOS is responsible for enabling and disabling ports
• Install correct drivers
– May come on a CD with the hardware device
• Connect device to the proper interface port
• Sometimes drivers are installed automatically at
this point
• Configure device for use
– Run the software accompanying the device
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Summary
• Electronic medical record: an electronic version of
paper charts found in a clinician’s office
• Electronic health records are designed to be
shared between providers
• Mainframe computers are designed to process
large amounts of data quickly
• In client-server computing, the server provides
resources to the individual client computers
• Virtualization allows multiple servers to run on a
single physical computer
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Summary (cont’d.)
• Cloud computing is a pay-per-use model for access
to computing resources online
• Desktop computers include hardware and software
– Types of software include OS, utility, and application
software
• Troubleshooting is the process of tracing and
correcting problems
• Imaging devices are used to capture information
and convert it to an electronic format
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