HIM 650 Topic 7 DQ 1
answer
Python is an open source, general-purpose programming language that is gaining momentum in the electronic health records industry. The reasons for this include: no license fees, no intellectual property risks, a wealth of code and tutorials, and an active community of developers that are creating quality open-source EHR applications. These factors have contributed to Python having the highest growth rate of PLOS downloads among all programming languages so far.
Open source programming languages are disrupting the healthcare industry, and Python is a big reason why. When it comes to ordering prescriptions, transferring medical records, calculating patient payments and tracking data, Python plays an important role. And when you consider that everything in a patient’s chart – including prescriptions and disabilities – is coded by doctors using this widely-used open-source language, it is not surprising. This worldwide language is reshaping and revolutionizing the industry.
Python, an open source, high-level programming language, is quickly becoming the primary language used to write electronic health records. Its ease of use and readability are making it a must-have tool for most hospitals and medical facilities.
The rise of open source programming has a positive impact on the electronic health record industry because it has provides a more secure and cost-efficient method to use and implement.
The healthcare industry has fully embraced open-source programming as a way to create software with less monetary expense. Within the medical industry, there is also a growing trend of using open-source applications. The main reason given by patients, hospitals, and medical providers is that they are much less expensive than traditional proprietary EHR software, which can cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars to purchase.
Python is an open source programming language. It’s portable, powerful and runs on most operating systems and web browsers. For healthcare companies looking to build their EMRs fast, without the high-cost of traditional commercial software, this makes Python attractive. Another advantage to using Python as opposed to commercial EMR software is that development costs are much lower.
The adoption of Python in the healthcare industry has quickly blossomed in the past few years. With its fast processing and the ability to handle large amounts of information, it only makes sense that Python is a better language option than other conventional programming languages, such as C and Java.
Never before has it been easier to learn programming. With the boom of online courses, online communities and platforms, and numerous other resources available to teach beginning computer programmers the skills they need, programming is finally within reach of people across all professions. The accessibility of online education has led to a rise in the number of people with a working knowledge of computer code which, coupled with open-source software and the ability to access it free of charge, has made possible software that was once only available to large companies with large budgets. Once reserved for massive database programs or financial modeling software, open-source is now being used for education as well as for general program- ing enhancements on a much smaller scale. Open source coding allows innovation on a local level without the high costs associated with commercial alternatives.
8.1 million lines of code form the backbone of the US healthcare industry, and electronic health records (EHR) make up much of that volume. Like other industries, healthcare is going through a transition from proprietary software to more open source options. The reasons for this transition are numerous, ranging from lower licensing fees to competition among software companies for a larger share of the market.
The impetus to computerize records was in large part due to faultiness, cost, and clerical errors associated with paper-based systems. As electronic systems became more sophisticated, the technology became well suited for the creation of a nascent industry that would ultimately threaten the primacy of the clinician: Electronic health records (EHRs). Some are still skeptical about the role of EHRs in the healthcare industry, but their use has become widespread. In order to help understand how EHRs were created and used, it is first necessary to consider how computers were integrated into systems used in doctors’ offices and hospitals.
question
Discuss the impact of Python and other open source programming languages on electronic health records and the healthcare industry. What are the advantages of using open-source programming? What are the disadvantages?