Healthcare Facilities and Professionals

This resource provides an overview of the healthcare industry in terms of the numerous types of facilities available to serve patients and professionals who work within these facilities. Both facilities and professionals are guided by professional organizations designed to help set standards, provide information on best practices, monitor specialty areas, and provide many other services to healthcare workers and support the safety and quality of care for patients. Each patient generates a wealth of data that healthcare providers use in patient care, healthcare payers use in paying for services, and researchers use to study trends hopefully leading to improved care in the future. This data is gathered in the health record of the patient and then communicated to the various parties who use it.

The electronic health record facilitates this communication while at the same time has generated a new set of issues that must be considered and addressed. Let's begin the study of the electronic health record with a review of the healthcare industry in general.

After completing this resource, learners will be able to:

• Identify the various organizations associated with the healthcare professions
• Describe the roles of various healthcare professionals
• Differentiate types of healthcare facilities