Nursing Environment: Using Information Technology for Effective Decisions - Essay Sample

Introduction

Information is a major aspect of effective decision making and quality provision in healthcare. The bulk of nursing work involves the use of information ranging from communication of patient information, development of care plans, and assessment of care needs for patients. Therefore, the nursing environment is information-intensive. Modern improvements in information technology have provided nurses with a chance to use current information to make important decisions. Information technology advancements have enhanced the adoption of sophisticated software that can be used in data transformation, use of faster computers in data processing, and use of communication tools such as the internet in the secure exchange of data between healthcare providers. Therefore, the adoption of nursing informatics has increased the improvement and development of technology in healthcare such as computerized provider, which is crucial in the reduction of healthcare costs, delays in care, and occurrence of medical errors. The proposed nursing informatics project in this paper is the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs), which will be vital in the improvement of patient safety and healthcare efficiency.

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Electronic Health Records

An electronic health record can be described as a digital version of a paper record or paper chart. Electronic health records provide instant information in a secure manner to the authorized users. An EHR system provides not only the standard clinical data of a patient such as treatment and medical histories, but also provides a broader view of the care accorded to a patient. The information in an EHR includes diagnoses, medical history, treatment plans, medications, test and laboratory results, radiology images, allergies, and immunization dates. This informatics system allows healthcare providers to access evidence-based tools that are crucial in care-related decision making. Also, the system enhances automation and thus enables providers to streamline their work.

A major benefit of electronic health records is that they ease the creation and management of health information in a format that is shareable among providers and across departments. Healthcare providers and organizations that require such information include workplace clinics, school clinics, emergency facilities, specialists, pharmacies, and laboratories among others. In short, the information is availed to each healthcare provider and organization that is involved in the provision of care to a particular individual.

Stakeholders

Key stakeholders in the adoption of the EHR system include all professionals in the organizations and specialists and organizations that possess valuable knowledge on the performance of EHR (Green, 2018). Also, those with critical information on the clinical and financial performance of the system and those whose performance will be impacted by the implementation of EHR are key stakeholders.

One of the major stakeholders is clinicians, since they hold a front line position in the provision of healthcare services. As such, they play a primary role that influences the outcome of other processes in the provision of care. Clinicians should thus be involved in the selection process as they can provide input into the initial design, live support, and confirming the workflow. Nurses, physicians, and allied health staff should thus take part in testing the system before full implementation. Office staff and managers are also major stakeholders in the adoption of the EHR system because they provide and input patient information including contacts, billing, and demographic information into the EHR system (Green, 2018). They should thus have full access before adoption to ensure that the system at place is easy to use. Additionally, this group of people possesses critical information regarding the usability, sustainability, and challenges or opportunities related to the database.

The administration and board members are key stakeholders in this project because they can further the adoption or act as barriers to its adoption and implementation. This group of stakeholders has the ultimate authority in matters finances, making it necessary for project proponents to pitch it and present them with the challenges and opportunities associated with it. An important way of getting this section of stakeholders to accept the project is to discuss specific project functionalities that improve revenues or reduce costs. This increases the possibility of buy-in and also provides insight on the financial impact of the project (Green, 2018). Another important section of the stakeholders is the billing team as this enables the practice to receive payments. The proposed system should fit well with the existing billing system or provide an alternative system that facilitates processing of claims. The billing team should thus assess the proposed system on these metrics and establish whether it is adaptable.

Patient Outcomes and Efficiencies

Electronic health records provide healthcare providers with accurate and comprehensive patient information which promotes the provision of improved care. The efficiencies associated with the use of EHRs include reduced medical errors, improved diagnoses, and better patient outcomes. EHRs can assist healthcare providers in diagnoses. The availability of all the necessary information enables providers to have a clear picture of the patient's problems and thus enables them to diagnose them sooner and better. Also, EHRs improve patient safety and reduces errors in the provision of care. Information in the EHR checks for problems in recommended medications and alerts clinicians on possible conflicts (Yanamadala et al. 2016). These alerts are important as they enable clinicians to take emergency actions and adjust appropriately. For example, if a patient has a life-threatening allergy, EHRs notify clinicians and enhances immediate response, thus saving lives. EHRs are important in the identification of potential problems, which enables providers to act immediately and thus avoid serious consequences. Identification of problems is difficult when using paper records and patients could continue being diagnosed and treated using unsafe practices. EHRs provide reminders and alerts to providers, making it easy for patients to access healthcare services. Finally, EHRs enhance communication and collection of all relevant information, which makes it easier to make a diagnosis and recommend treatment.

Technologies Required

The implementation of the EHR project requires specific enhancement technology, software, and hardware to run smoothly. The hardware includes things such as Notebooks and Tablets, PCs, workstations, imaging equipment (printers and scanners), and medical devices such as vital sign monitors, holter recorders, and ECG machines. Also, servers (client-based and web-based) are required as well as networking equipment that connects the computers to each other and to the internet.

In terms of enhancement technology, the project requires software and hardware products that facilitate smooth running. The most important technology includes voice recognition that allows the providers to convert patient information from talk into text and hence facilitates identification and navigation. Other forms of technology that is crucial to this project are the payment-capture and the patient check-in service that provides a portal that allows for the entry and verification of data. These services also enhance information security, data importation, exchange, and access.

Project Team

The EHR implementation team will consist of four crucial members who will see the implementation to the end. The project manager is the main person in the implementation process and requires adequate knowledge in technology and must have interacted with an EHR system in the past (Vant, 2017). The role of the project manager is to oversee each aspect of the implementation process to the end and is thus responsible for the overall success of the project. This individual acts as the connection between different phases of the project and enhances communication.

An application analyst is an important member of the team. The role of this team member is to connect the concepts and ideas required for the project with the development team. This individual develops concepts from a clinical viewpoint and thus requires a clinical background. An application developer uses the requirements developed by the analyst to design and implement the applications for specific departments as required. A quality assurance test engineer is also an integral part of the project team. This team member heads the testing phase after successful installation of the EHR system. This individual tests the system from different viewpoints (Vant, 2017). This individuals needs to have a clinical background so as he/she can review the process in regard to clinical functionality.

References

Green, J., (2018). 5 Key Stakeholders in your EHR Selection. Retrieved from https://www.ehrinpractice.com/five-key-stakeholders-in-your-ehr-selection-484.html

Vant, A., (2017). Four Crucial Members of an EHR Implementation Team. https://www.ehrinpractice.com/four-crucial-members-of-an-ehr-implementation-team-154.html

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, 95(19).