Discussion question #2: Discuss ways your organization uses technology togather patient and health care information, and how this information and data
are used to direct patient care and outcomes.
Responses to reply to:
1) The company I work for uses an electronic medical record to keep track of
medications that are prescribed to the inmates. Along with many other things,
the system allows for us to see which inmates are prescribed five or more
medications at a given time. Every month a polypharmacy report is generated
and issued to the director of nursing. The director of nursing then meets with
the providers to discuss the inmates on the report and whether or not it is
necessary for them to continue with all the medication. The utilization of this
report is important to patient care because the consequences of polypharmacy
can be dangerous and can include adverse drug reactions and unintentional
overdose (Polypharmacy, 2017). This allows us to see if the treatment is
effective or if we need to look into other options to treat our patients.
Polypharmacy. (2017). Retrieved
from https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/polypharmacy.
2) In the recent days, technology is seen to bring so many changes in the health
care facilities whereby we can do things in a faster and more reliable manner.
Personally I love technology so much and that is why whenever my health care
institution wants to implement a new technology am very eager to participate
in the project. Currently I am working in a health institution that is starting the
incorporation of technology in its practices. Last month we implemented a
system that uses biometrics to capture and retrieve patient’s data. The system
works in such a way that when a patient visits the health care for the first time
they first report to the customer care unit that has a small branch at the gate
where they are registered in the system and given a unique identification
number (Fitzpatrick, 2018).
The registration process involves biometrics where fingers are used. The system
us then linked to a distributed system that anyone can login from anywhere and
have access to data and information that they want to access about the
patient. When the patient visits the diagnosis room, he or she is opted to place
his or her finger in a scanner and details pop out. The person then collects both
subjective and objective data and feeds in to the system. As the patient moves
from one health care provider to another, they do not carry any documents
with them but rather they just place their fingerprint and the person from that
side can see what they are supposed to do.
The use of this system have brought a great impact in the health care sector
where we are able to trace patients data easily, assess medical history of the
patient, reduces chances of documents from getting lost and ensures that there
is consistency in the way care is provided (Dewsbury, 201). This system is also
set in a way that it sends reminder to patients on when they are supposed to
come for check-up and clinics. This has read to improved outcomes of patient’s
health care provision.
References
Dewsbury, D. (2017). Technology systems to support caring. Nursing and
Residential Care, 19(3), 135-137. doi:10.12968/nrec.2017.19.3.135
Fitzpatrick, J. J. (2018). Technology: To care, to discover. Applied Nursing
Research, 42, 111. doi:10.1016/j.apnr.2018.06.012
3) My organization use computer data base to gather and store patient
information, although we still use paper documentation for some information.
As computer and technology use in hospitals, clinics and private practice
expands, information technology is being used in countless ways to improve
healthcare delivery, patient safety, and the relationship between patients and
healthcare providers. The most noteworthy use of IT is in patient records and
data management. Healthcare professionals used to be tied to clunky paper
charts that were easily lost, damaged or misinterpreted. Now, providers can
track patient records securely and easily, appending pharmacy records, test
results, X-rays and even vital signs to a virtual chart that’s easier to read and
share and that can also be checked against other databases.
Patient records aren’t the only use of information technology in healthcare. In
fact, an entire discipline called nursing informatics has sprung up at the
intersection of IT and clinical care. This interdisciplinary study links together
the practice of nursing with the management of IT. It’s where science meets
data, and the field is growing ever more popular with increased demand in
technology and a workforce that wants to combine their passions for science
and data in service of medical patients and improving healthcare for all. Fields
like nursing informatics are even saving lives. In fact, a recent survey by the
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that nurses who use IT are more likely
to spot medical errors, and with less time spent documenting patient care,
nurses can spend more time caring for patients. As more people become
insured and seek quality care, the demand for information technology that can
accurately track patients and improve health care is only expected to grow.
Patients with Internet access can use patient portals or personal health records
(PHRs) to access their health information and communicate with their
providers. Generally, medical providers manage the information in patient
portals while patients manage the information in PHRs. The data from
electronic health records (EHRs) may be integrated into patient portals and
PHRs, thereby helping patients gain access to their health information, and
helping providers meet a key requirement for patient engagement. Patient
portals can give patients secure access to a wide range of health information
available in EHRs, including laboratory test results, care summaries, and
educational resources. Patients benefit by knowing their medical progress and
being able to act on that information. They can facilitate care coordination by
sharing their care summaries with other medical providers. Using secure
messaging, patients can schedule medical appointments and communicate with
their providers. Increasingly, EHR systems will include patient portals that will
help providers meet patient engagement measures
https://innovations.ahrq.gov/perspectives/technology-improving-patientsaccess-their-health-information
https://www.southuniversity.edu/whoweare/newsroom/blog/howinformation-technology-is-improving-healthcare
4) The facility that I’m currently employed for uses two electronic medical
record (EHR). Due to Fairbanks being one of the main cities that provided care
to the interior regions, the local facilities try to ensure they all have access to
patient’s education. Also, patients tend to shop around for narcotics and by
having access to all the information of patient, this will lower the rate of which
patient are receiving care. Information stored in the helps with directing the
care of patients by granting new providers the required information, in order to
better treat current patients. By monitoring patient care effectively and
tracking their progress comes in handy in the case of an emergency. For
example, in the urgent care, we see patients daily who are established and
many who we have no health history about. The challenge that we face daily
whenever we have an unfamiliar patient, is not knowing what to give without
causing further harm. Also, with the advancements in technology more sudden
onset of health status are being identified in a timely manner. In doing so more
lives are being saved and the survival rate of the people we treat has
increased. Electronic Health Records is an important part of the medical field
and it will continue to evolve as the more computer software are developed
(Cassano, 2018).
Cassano, C. (2018). What New Technology Means for You and Patient Care.
Retrieved from https://www.ameritech.edu/blog/new-technology-for-nursesand-patient-care/
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