As technology advances and health care facilities shift towards digital record-keeping, technology is becoming more and more important in the field of healthcare. With this development in technology comes the need for healthcare professionals and employees who can manage information systems and computer technology. Information systems and computer technology are playing a vital role in healthcare as they are used in healthcare facilities to improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of healthcare. This paper will delve at discussing the benefits and constraints brought about by information technology and computer technology to the nursing practice.
Computer technology focuses on the hardware components and software components necessary to help nursing facilities run and manage their operations. On the other hand, information technology such as electronic health records (EHR) help health care facilities collect, maintain and protect digital records (Yanamadala, Morrison, Curtin, McDonald, Hernandez-Boussard, 2016). Many health care facilities have made the switch to digital record keeping as a part of complying with “meaningful use” health care initiatives and regulations. In order to receive reimbursement from both Medicare and Medicaid, health care facilities are required to implement health care information technology. It is for this reason that many health care facilities are spending a great deal of resources to ensure they are complying. The objective of meaningful use is to ensure health care facilities improve the quality, safety, and efficiency of their health care services while creating tangible enhancements for health care organizations (Piscotty, Kalisch, & Gracey-Thomas, 2015). EHR systems give health care organizations the ability to exchange information electronically. This can help organizations provide higher quality and safer care to patients while improving care communication and management (Yanamadala, Morrison, Curtin, McDonald, Hernandez-Boussard, 2016).
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Another technological advancement that is improving the nursing practice is telehealth. Telehealth is the use of digital information and communication technologies to access health care services remotely (Alexandar, Frith, & Hoy, 2015). It also helps health care facilities to manage their health care. This technology help health care organizations expand their services to regions and communities in need of those services. Often patients from remote areas find it challenging to make appointments with health care professionals and telehealth makes this possible. Health care professionals can receive electronically receive ultrasound images (Tuckson, Edmunds, & Hodgkins, 2017). From these images, the physicians can determine a diagnosis as well as formulate a care plan for the patient. This technology offers many opportunities for health care organizations for optimal growth. It gives health care organizations the ability to reach patients in rural areas who otherwise would not have access to health care (Alexandar, Frith, & Hoy, 2015). As a result, telehealth provides the opportunity to improve the quality of healthcare in the United States.
Despite the capabilities and benefits provided by EHR systems and telehealth, there are some constraints or negative aspects associated with these technologies, especially when t comes to implementation. The process of shifting manual record keeping to digital recording keeping can pose challenges to health care organization as it requires training of the health care professionals and other employees on how to use the new technology. Nurses can view the document as a cumbersome and challenging task, which can slow the acceptance of the technology (Piscotty, Kalisch, & Gracey-Thomas, 2015). The other challenge information systems and computer technologies pose to health care facilities is the tendency of nurses or other health care professional spend majority of their time charting rather than proving services. Therefore, a health care organization ought to ensure the implementation process is well thought out and designed before implementing a particular information system and computer technology.
All in all, health care organizations can implement existing and new technologies to improve the quality of their healthcare. The techniques can also help health care facilities improve the safety and efficiency of healthcare. As technology continues to develop, nurses play a vital role in the planning and implementation of change in healthcare technology. Implementation of these technologies can help nursing facilities improve nursing practice as a whole.
References
Alexandar, S., Frith, K., & Hoy, H. (2015). Applied clinical informatics for nurses. Burlington, MA: Jones & Barlett Learning.
Piscotty, R., Kalisch, B., & Gracey-Thomas, A. (2015). Impact of healthcare information technology on nursing practice. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, Vol. 47 (4); 287-293.
Tuckson, R., Edmunds, M., & Hodkins, M. (2017). Telehealth. The New England Journal of Medicine, Vol. 377; 1585-1592.
Yanamadala, S., Morrison, D., Curtin, C., McDonald, K., Hernandez-Boussard, T. (2016). Electronic health records and quality of care an observational study modeling impact on mortality, readmissions, and complications. Medicine, Vol. 95 (19); e3332.
