NURS-6051 Week 6 Walden: Discussion HEALTHCARE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TRENDS

1. General healthcare technology trends in my healthcare organization
2. reflect on your healthcare organization’s use of technology and offer a technology trend you observe in your environment. 

Reflecting on Healthcare Technology Trends

I work as an RN Care Manager for an insurance company, and the healthcare organization I’m part of has always been quick to embrace new technology. We’ve been using electronic patient records since 2010. One significant trend I’ve noticed is the growing use of telehealth services. Telehealth allows patients to see doctors and specialists without leaving their homes. It’s super convenient and cuts down on travel time and costs. For example, because of COVID-19, my organization expanded its telehealth services, offering video calls and phone consultations. Some doctors and nurses could work from their homes, reducing physical contact to stop the virus’s spread. Our recent quality improvement reports show that these remote visits often lead to positive outcomes.

Resources for Digital Information Tools and Technologies

We have various resources at my workplace, including telehealth software like video conferencing, virtual visits, and devices for remote monitoring. We also use secure messaging platforms and have access to cloud storage for keeping patient data safe and accessible from anywhere. Our team also has access to artificial intelligence (AI) tools, which help us diagnose illnesses more accurately and quickly. AI also helps with research in healthcare technology. It allows us to practice evidence-based medicine by identifying patterns in past cases that can guide our decisions.

Utilizing Healthcare Technologies for Information Management

Our healthcare organization uses many technologies to manage and share information securely. We use electronic health records for storing patient data, billing systems for insurance claims, pharmacy management systems, diagnostic imaging, and more. These technologies help us provide accurate diagnoses, fill prescriptions faster, and communicate better with healthcare providers. For example, our electronic health records let doctors quickly access a patient’s medical history from anywhere to make informed treatment decisions. We also manage our in-house pharmacy services efficiently using a comprehensive pharmacy system, which streamlines orders and reduces errors.

Current and Future Trends in Healthcare Technology

I’ve seen some exciting trends in my organization. Social media has become a new way to interact with customers, improving communication and understanding their needs. Artificial intelligence and machine learning have automated processes, making them more efficient and cost-effective. This leads to smoother workflows and faster results for patients. One future trend I see is predictive analytics and big data. These can identify patterns and correlations in patient data, leading to better and more personalized care. Mobile applications will likely become more prevalent, allowing patients to access healthcare information and services from their phones, making healthcare more connected and convenient, even on the go.

Challenges and Benefits

One challenge is ensuring the privacy and security of telehealth services. The internet is efficient, but it poses privacy and security risks. Patient data must remain confidential and secure. Cyber-attacks are a concern, and organizations must take measures like data encryption and limited access to protect patient information. Another challenge is the need for reliable technological infrastructure. Slow or unreliable internet connections can disrupt telehealth visits. Inadequate technology can make it hard to have effective remote consultations. There may also be limits on what services can be provided virtually due to technical barriers.

Potential Benefit and Risk

One potential benefit is improved access to care, especially for patients in remote areas. Telehealth also makes communication more efficient and reduces waiting times. It can lower costs associated with traditional in-person visits. However, the risk is the lack of consistent legislation across states. Each state has its own healthcare regulations, making it challenging to ensure data safety and quality of care when providing telehealth services.

Promising Healthcare Technology Developments

Telehealth and artificial intelligence (AI) are the most promising healthcare technology developments. AI can help nurses diagnose conditions faster and manage tasks more efficiently. It can analyze patient data quickly and accurately, leading to better patient outcomes. Telehealth provides remote access to care, improving patient outcomes, reducing travel, and saving time and resources.

Contribution to Patient Outcomes, Efficiency, and Data Management

Telehealth and AI contribute to better patient outcomes by increasing access to care and enabling earlier issue identification. They also improve efficiency by reducing the need for travel and automating tasks. AI and digital health records enhance data management, improving the accuracy and accessibility of patient data and guiding treatment decisions.

In conclusion, healthcare technology is transforming the industry, providing better and more accessible healthcare services. Telehealth and AI have significant potential to improve patient outcomes and efficiency. Healthcare providers must adapt to these trends and use them responsibly, with regulations in place to protect patients and providers as technology evolves.

• References

  Ali, S. A., Arif, T. B., Maab, H., Baloch, M., Manazir, S., Jawed, F., & Ochani, R. K. (2020). Global interest in telehealth during COVID-19 pandemic: an analysis of Google Trends™. Cureus, 12(9).

  Kim, D. W., Choi, J. Y., & Han, K. H. (2020). Risk management-based security evaluation model for telemedicine systems. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 20(1), 1-14.

  Nicol, J. K., & Roberts, J. (2020). Removing regulatory barriers to telehealth before and after COVID-19. Brookings Institution.

  Kuziemsky, C., Maeder, A. J., John, O., Gogia, S. B., Basu, A., Meher, S., & Ito, M. (2019). Role of artificial intelligence within the telehealth domain. Yearbook of medical informatics, 28(01), 035-040.

  Wong, M. Y. Z., Gunasekeran, D. V., Nusinovici, S., Sabanayagam, C., Yeo, K. K., Cheng, C. Y., & Tham, Y. C. (2021). Telehealth demand trends during the COVID-19 pandemic in the top 50 most affected countries: Infodemiological evaluation. JMIR public health and surveillance, 7(2), e24445.

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  • Collapse SubdiscussionMansong Ntekim 

    Mansong Ntekim

    Jan 8, 2023Jan 8 at 10:18pm

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    Hello Bertina

    Thanks for your informative discussion post. Technological innovations have changed the healthcare industry for good. The telehealth technologies has a great impact on our current care delivery system. Although telehealth was used in the healthcare system, the Covid-19 pandemic popularized telehealth, and there is no going back. Some medical offices have indulged so much into telehealth that it is now considered a cost-saving measure. They use Telehealth rather than pay for office space. Progressively, innovations in telehealth technologies are being acquired and used as an efficient and cost-effective way of delivering and accessing good healthcare services and outcomes (Rutledge, et al., 2017).

    The COVID-19 pandemic presented multiple challenges for every facet of the healthcare delivery system. The continued care for patients with and without COVID-19 safely and effectively required changes in practice models. This triggered a shift to telehealth designs in inpatient and outpatient healthcare settings. Providers and patients had to quickly adapt telehealth innovations to prevent and stem the transmission of COVID-19 (Gajarawala and Pelkowski, 2021).

    Despite the advantages of telehealth technology, there are barriers to performing comprehensive physical examinations, possibilities for technical difficulties, security breaches, and regulatory barrier (Balestra, 2017)

    References

    Balestra M. Telehealth and Legal Implications for Nurse Practitioners. Journal for Nurse Practioners. 2018;14(1):33–39. https://www.npjournal.org/article/S1555-4155(17)30808-5/fulltext

    Gajarawala SN, Pelkowski JN. Telehealth Benefits and Barriers. Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 2021 Feb;17(2):218-221. doi: 10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.09.013. Epub 2020 Oct 21. PMID: 33106751; PMCID: PMC7577680.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7577680/#bib1

    Rutledge CM, Kott K, Schweickert PA, Poston R, Fowler C, Haney TS. Telehealth and eHealth in Nurse Practitioner Training: Current Perspectives. Adv Med Educ Pract. 2017 Jun 26;8:399-409. doi: 10.2147/AMEP.S116071. PMID: 28721113; PMCID: PMC5498674. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28721113/

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  Jan 4, 2023Jan 4 at 11:40pm

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