Modular questions for vendor systems Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Modular questions for vendor systems - Article Example Although both best of breed and integrated system are very different and have their own particular nuances, the two systems each have both advantages and disadvantages. Doctor John Fontanetta (2010) is an emergency room physician who makes a convincing case for best of breed. Although speaking for the ER staff, he points out that the clinic or hospital has normally spent many years developing the system to suit their particular specialty and/or purpose. Why throw that away for an entirely new system that may or may not be up to date and suited to the facility? Another compelling argument concerns the fast-spreading H1N1 influenza virus. Doctor Fontanetta reports one hospital and its best of breed vendor had treatment and hospitalization plans operational in less than a day! However, Jay Simmons, an informatics professional, opts for the integrated system (2011), stating that not only are operating costs are lowered but the system is more efficient, in that PMS and EHR are working together. Yet even he admits that a clinic might regret ridding itself of the existing PMS. Sabooniha (2012) accurately describes the different loose knit information systems in a healthcare facility (pharmacy, financial, care, etc.) as a group of islands. They know who each other is but none of them is connected. The resulting chaos can result in a number of disadvantages for the facility, including increased costs and redundancy among systems. The most important resulting problem is the loss of data reliability. Therefore, he states that integration of all these systems is imperative for the business to be more competitive. The factors one must consider, according to Sabooniha, are â€Å"Flexibility, Real time, Reliability, Reusability, Performance, Complexity, The Centers for Disease Control (2012) agrees with Sabooniha in stating that the integration of systems will enhance security of the systems and greatly curtail the infamous leaks of patient privacy. In