Question 22

Urbanville Medical Centre (UMC) is a small medical practice that prides itself on maintaining patient records that are accurate, up-to-date and detailed. The doctors at UMC believe that quality information will allow them to make informed diagnoses and provide quality patient care. UMC currently has a local area network that allows the receptionist to schedule consultations, and doctors to access and edit patient records in their consultation rooms.

Although the doctors currently have access to detailed text records, they also want online access to images used in diagnosis, such as X-rays, ultrasounds, and other high quality, colour-enhanced images.

a) Explain ONE advantage and ONE disadvantage of the computerised information system used at UMC when compared to medical practices that use paper-based records.

b) Discuss the technology issues relating to the storage and retrieval, and display of images in the information system.

7. An organization stores large amounts of data, collected by its transaction processing system, in a data warehouse. 

How would the data warehouse be most effectively used?

 a)             Storing data for everyday transaction processing

b)             Providing a storage facility for the organisation’s products

c)             Mining the data to find trends that identify marketing opportunities

d)             Preparing summary reports to help managers make marketing decisions

Question 23

The organisers of an annual Fun Run propose to use information technology to calculate finishing times for all runners. The runners will have a timing device attached to their shoes before the race. Computerised timing mats will be at the start and finish lines to record accurately each runner’s time. A list of the final results for all runners will only be available on the Fun Run’s website

 a) Describe ONE social issue and ONE ethical issue related to the display of results on   the website