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Advancing the Concepts & Practices of Information Resources Management in Modern Organizations

GIS-Enabled Health Services Call Center System

GIS-Enabled Health Services Call Center System
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Author(s): Brian N. Hilton (Claremont Graduate University, USA), Tom Horan (Claremont Graduate University, USA)and Bengisu Tulu (Claremont Graduate University, USA)
Copyright: 2003
Pages: 3
Source title: Information Technology & Organizations: Trends, Issues, Challenges & Solutions
Source Editor(s): Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, D.B.A. (Information Resources Management Association, USA)
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-59140-066-0.ch051
ISBN13: 9781616921248
EISBN13: 9781466665330

Abstract

E-health is an emerging field in the intersection of medical informatics, public health and business, referring to health services and information delivered or enhanced through the Internet and related technologies [1]. The Internet and emergent telecommunications infrastructures are transforming health care management as well as the dynamics of health care service markets. Convergence between enterprise intranets and the Internet contributes to development of services such as content distribution and access infrastructures directly offered on the Internet [2]. Today, primary care physicians are a critical-means by which many patients access their health care system. The lack of adequate patient access to physicians can lead to delayed diagnosis and treatment, resulting in disease progression and increased cost of care [3]. To operate efficiently and effectively, health service providers must determine if there is adequate physician coverage for different types of health services and whether available physician services match patient preferences and needs. Consequently, there is the need for a system to manage health services by health care providers, insurance companies, and government agencies. One system that lies at the intersection of these emerging technologies and management needs is the Geographic Information System (GIS). A GIS is a group of procedures that provide data input, storage and retrieval, mapping and spatial analysis for both spatial and attribute data to support the decision-making activities of the organization [4]. The company in this study and its divisions provide an array of disability evaluations, management, and information services nationwide. This project examined the use of spatial (i.e. GIS) software to assist the company in planning and marketing their healthcare services more efficiently and effectively.

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