Assessing the Performance of an Integrated Health Information Exchange System Using Unstructured Supplementary Service Data
Keywords:
Health Information Exchange, Unstructured Supplementary Service Data, Interoperability, Signaling System 7Abstract
As budding nations gradually adopt the use of IT services to store medical records, several healthcare facilities are still unable to exchange information because of limited access to high speed internet service and high cost of operations. Established HIE implementations are designed to rely primarily on such tools as the internet. As a result, healthcare facilities in budding nations cannot embrace HIE to the maximum to accomplish interoperability. A versatile and flexible HIE system was developed in this research to accomplish exchange of health information. The system adapted the technique for direct exchange of HIE. This technique uses the Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) as the medium for transmitting encrypted HL7 version 2.X encoded messages adopting the Signaling System 7 (SS7) exchange protocol. The system was tested by establishing and studying a normal situation of communication between two health facilities that were interacting. The information recorded included the quality of the message delivery, the length of the communication and the precision of the contents of the transmitted message. In conclusion, the findings indicate a process that relays health information of patients in Internet-deprived regions in an effective and safe way. This idea of transmitting encrypted cryptic messages through USSD can also be applied to several other fields of study, where the sharing of information is restricted by poor Internet service availability.
Downloads
References
Akinde, A. (2016). A model for health information exchange using SMS as alternative transfer media. Asian Journal of Computer Science And Information Technology , 35-41
Alali, H., & Alweshah, M. (2014). Hospital Information Systems Success: Towards an Evaluation Framework. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences , 8(9), 45-51.
Carlson, J. & Zmud, R. (1999). Channel Expansion Theory and the Experiential Nature of Media Richness. The Academy of Management Journal , pp. 153-170, https://doi.org/10.2307/257090.
CEN/ISSS. (2005). Current and future standardization issues in the eHealth domain: Achieving Interoperability. CEN/ISSS
Fraser, H., Biondich, P., Choi, D., Mamlin, B., & Szolovits, P. (2005). Implementing electronic medicl record sytems in developing countries. Informatics in primary cure, 83-95
Gambo, L., Oluwagbemi, O., & Achimogu, P. (2011). Lack of Interoperable Health Information Systems in Developing Countries: An impact analysis. Journal of Health informatics in developing Countries , 5(1).
Jensen, J. (1998). ‘Interactivity’ Tracking a New Concept in Media and Communication Studies semantic scholar. Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/b04d/e1353d87619b
102fcab04f393615ba4e10.pdf
Kachalia, A., Gandhi, T., Puopolo, A., Yoon, C., Studdert, D., Richard, R., Eric, T. & Troyen, B. (2007). Missed and Delayed Diagnoses in the Emergency Department: A Study of Closed Malpractice Claims From 4 Liability Insurers. Annals of emergency medicine , 49(2): 195-205.
Marin, D. B., & Minsky, B. D., (1999). Why faculty members use e-mail: The role of individual differences in channel choice. The journal of Business Communication, 36(2), 194.
Pape-Hapgard. (2011). Transversal interoperability for interdisciplinarity in e-Health – A study of models needed for interoperability in the Danish health system. Medical Informatics Group, Department of Health Science and Technology. Aalborg University, Denmark. Retrieved from vbn.aau: http://vbn.aau.dk/en/publications-phd-healthsciences/ transversal-interoperability-for-interdisciplinary-in-eh
ealth(c4bcb549-401f-4e43-adf9-a3ae143839c7)/expor t.html
Shannon, C. E., & Weaver, W. (1949). The mathematical theory of communication. Universiy of Illinois. University of Illinois Press. Retrieved from http://www.mast.queensu.ca/-math474/shannon1948.
Shetty, A. (2011). TATA Docomo Introduces Facebook, Twitter Access via USSD. Retrieved from Firstpost.com:
https://www.firstpost.com/tech/news-analysis/tata-doc omo-introduces-facebook-twitter-access-via-ussd-358 6001.html
Taylor, S., & Todd, P. (1995). Understanding Information Technology Usage: A Test of Competing Models. Information Systems Research Journal, pp. 144-176 .
