Negative and positive implication of the use of personal device on patient care system
In essence, the emergence of personal devices in the healthcare system brought with it various impacts. While some of the impacts are positively attributed, it also affected the security section of important information of the health care system (Chiang & Wang, 2016). Some of the advantages and disadvantages are as follows,
Advantages
A broad set of medical Apps , the emergence of the personal devices resulted in a broader set of medical application which could increase the management of the workforce. Apparently, such applications are more affordable because most of them can be paid on a monthly basis.
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Portability . The introduction of personal devices meant that one could carry a lot of information on small devices such as smartphones. Apparently, this would reduce the time in which medics could communicate with the patients, therefore, offering medical services wherever they are.
Disadvantages
One disadvantage of using a personal device in medical patient care is that patient may get information which is not necessarily screened (Wager, Lee, & Glaser, 2017). Additionally, more private medical information can go to the public which is not supposed to be accessed. This can jeopardize the security and privacy of the healthcare system.
Legal and ethical implications
In cases where nurses and health practitioners use smartphones and personal devices, then national laws explicitly hospital security policies and the American Nurses Association’s Code of Ethics (HIPAA) is likely to be violated.
Apparently, individuals can also violate the state of nurse practice acts when they decide to send protected health information (PHI) on their cellphones. However, in the United States, those that are found to be violating such actions are likely to face jail terms, lose their jobs, or even getting financial fines.
How communication devices can support safe nursing practice
In essence, medical and healthcare system introduction to smartphones has facilitated various discoveries and smooth running of nursing practice across the globe. The applications contained in communication devices can help in drug references, medical calculations, as well as personal health application (Chiang & Wang, 2016). According to proven literature, a database is one of the standards used medical applications of communication devices that help the nursing sectors. Medical calculators are helpful to the nurses since they consist of the medical algorithm which is commonly used by the nurses. Notably, they include BMI calculations, OB wheel, and glomerular filtration.
References
Chiang, K. F., & Wang, H. H. (2016). Nurses’ experiences of using a smart mobile device application to assist home care for patients with chronic disease: a qualitative study. Journal of clinical nursing, 25(13-14), 2008-2017.
Wager, K. A., Lee, F. W., & Glaser, J. P. (2017). Health care information systems: a practical approach for health care management. John Wiley & Sons.
