NURS FPX 8012 Assessment 1 Technology-Informatics Use in Your Practice Setting

NURS FPX 8012 Assessment 1 Technology-Informatics Use in Your Practice Setting

Name

Capella University

NURS-FPX 8012 Nursing Technology and Health Care Information Systems

Prof. Name

Date

Technology-Informatics Use in Healthcare Practice Setting

My name is __, and in this discussion, I will explore the use of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) at Allen Hospital, Waterloo (Khubone et al., 2020). Having worked as an emergency nurse at this hospital for nearly six months, I have observed the growing adoption of EHRs in healthcare. This adoption is driven by the aim to enhance patient care, reduce errors, and improve efficiency (Atasoy et al., 2019). EHRs represent digital versions of patient health information, encompassing details such as demographics, medical history, diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, immunization dates, allergies, radiology images, and lab results. These records can be cloud-based or locally hosted, aiding healthcare providers in making informed care decisions and improving care coordination across various healthcare settings (Atasoy et al., 2019).

Benefits of EHR Implementation

Allen Hospital is specialized in emergency medicine, providing critical care to patients in urgent need of medical attention (Shiver, 2019). My role as an emergency nurse involved assisting the medical team with patient care and documenting it in medical records. However, the hospital’s EHR system required improvement in several areas, including implementation training and addressing cybersecurity issues (Ogbeide et al., 2022). Incorrect medication orders and adverse reactions were common issues, and patients often expressed concerns about potential data breaches (Al-Muhtadi et al., 2019).

Advantages of EHR

The implementation of EHRs offers several benefits, particularly in improving patient care coordination by facilitating access to patient information (Atasoy et al., 2019). For example, when a patient is admitted to the hospital, staff can quickly retrieve their electronic health records to access essential medical information, thus reducing medical errors and ensuring appropriate treatment. EHRs also reduce administrative burdens by allowing nurses to access records for medication refills without requiring patients to visit the office (Moore et al., 2020). Furthermore, the system provides alerts for medication allergies or contraindications, reducing adverse drug reactions and improving patient outcomes (Moore et al., 2020).

Obstacles in EHR Implementation

While EHRs present numerous advantages, several challenges exist when implementing them effectively. During my time at Allen Hospital, significant obstacles arose, particularly regarding staff training, security, and workflow integration. For instance, the hospital implemented EHRs without adequate staff training, leading to frustration and burnout among nurses unfamiliar with the system (Tabatabaee et al., 2020). Additionally, the system faced cybersecurity risks, including phishing and hacking attempts, which jeopardized patient confidentiality (Al-Zubaidie et al., 2019). Moreover, nurses and patients voiced concerns about the increased time spent documenting and the security of personal health information stored in the system (Ogbeide et al., 2022).

Workflow Redesign for EHR

A key factor in the successful implementation of EHRs is the redesign of existing workflows to accommodate the new technology. At Allen Hospital, a need for workflow enhancement was identified in areas such as patient care and error prevention (Qiu et al., 2020). The new workflow involves front-desk staff entering patient information into the EHR system, which then checks for duplicates and inconsistencies. The system also provides alerts for potential drug interactions or contraindications, minimizing the risk of errors (Khubone et al., 2020). Furthermore, the hospital plans to integrate blockchain technology to enhance security, interoperability, and access to patient medical records, thereby improving overall healthcare delivery (Zubaydi et al., 2019).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the implementation of EHRs in healthcare settings can significantly improve patient care coordination, increase efficiency, and provide quick access to patient information. However, several challenges must be addressed, such as staff training, implementation costs, and privacy concerns. The success of EHR implementation relies on collaboration between healthcare providers, nurses, and patients. Allen Hospital’s redesigned workflow, incorporating effective EHR usage and addressing potential risks, aims to improve patient care and healthcare outcomes.

References

Al-Muhtadi, J., Shahzad, B., Saleem, K., Jameel, W., & Orgun, M. A. (2019). Cybersecurity and privacy issues for socially integrated mobile healthcare applications operating in a multi-cloud environment. Health Informatics Journal, 25(2), 315–329. https://doi.org/10.1177/1460458217706184

Al-Zubaidie, M., Zhang, Z., & Zhang, J. (2019). PAX: Using pseudonymization and anonymization to protect patients’ identities and data in the healthcare system. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16(9), 1490. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph16091490

Atasoy, H., Greenwood, B. N., & McCullough, J. S. (2019). The digitization of patient care: A review of the effects of electronic health records on health care quality and utilization. Annual Review of Public Health, 40(1), 487–500. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040218-044206

HealthIT. (2019). What is workflow redesign? Why is it important? | HealthIT.gov. https://www.healthit.gov/faq/what-workflow-redesign-why-it-important

Khubone, T., Tlou, B., & Mashamba-Thompson, T. P. (2020). Electronic health information systems to improve disease diagnosis and management at point-of-care in low and middle income countries: A Narrative Review. Diagnostics, 10(5), 327. https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics10050327

Moore, E. C., Tolley, C. L., Bates, D. W., & Slight, S. P. (2020). A systematic review of the impact of health information technology on nurses’ time. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 27(5). https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocz231

NURS FPX 8012 Assessment 1 Technology-Informatics Use in Your Practice Setting

Ogbeide, O. T., Nwaomah, E. E., Nwabudike, E., & Akingbade, O. (2022). Challenges with Electronic Documentation among nurses in public hospitals in Lagos Island. International Journal of Nursing, Midwife and Health Related Cases, 8(3), 45–57. https://doi.org/10.37745/ijnmh.15/vol8n34557

Qiu, H., Qiu, M., Liu, M., & Memmi, G. (2020). Secure health data sharing for medical cyber-physical systems for the healthcare 4.0. IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics, 24(9), 2499–2505. https://doi.org/10.1109/jbhi.2020.2973467

Tabatabaee, S. S., Moosavi, S., Gholami, S., Rafiei, S., Molapour, A., & Kalhor, R. (2020). Identification of specimen labeling errors in pathology specimens received from different wards of the hospital: A patient safety approach. Scientific Journal of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences, 25(4), 70–78. https://doi.org/10.52547/sjku.25.4.70

Tingle, J. (2019). Urgent and emergency care: Patient safety and quality issues. British Journal of Nursing, 28(21), 1426–1427. https://doi.org/10.12968/bjon.2019.28.21.1426

Willis, S. J., Cocoros, N. M., Randall, L. M., Ochoa, A. M., Haney, G., Hsu, K. K., DeMaria, A., & Klompas, M. (2019). Electronic health record use in public health infectious disease surveillance, USA, 2018-2019. Current Infectious Disease Reports, 21(10), 32. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11908-019-0694-5

Zheng, K., Ratwani, R. M., & Adler-Milstein, J. (2020). Studying workflow and workarounds in electronic health record–supported work to improve health system performance. Annals of Internal Medicine, 172(11), S116–S122. https://doi.org/10.7326/m19-0871

Zubaydi, H. D., Chong, Y.-W., Ko, K., Hanshi, S. M., & Karuppayah, S. (2019). A Review on the role of blockchain technology in the healthcare domain. Electronics, 8(6), 679. https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics8060679

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