In the 21st century, many technological advancements are changing the way we provide healthcare. These changes include electronic health records, artificial intelligence, and telemedicine technologies like biosensors. Electronic health records, often called EHRs, are digital versions of a patient’s medical history and treatment information. They allow authorized users, like doctors and nurses, to access this information instantly. Cowie and their colleagues (2017) mentioned that EHRs help healthcare providers share patient information and coordinate care.
While EHRs make sharing patient information easier, there is a concern about data security and privacy. Sometimes, patient data can end up in the wrong hands, and patients might have limited control over their information once it’s in the system. Teaching hospitals, for research purposes, may need permission to use this data. One challenge with EHRs is that not everyone has internet access, and not all patients are comfortable with technology. Faverio (2022) reported that only about 75% of people aged 65 and older use the internet, leaving a quarter of the older population unable to use apps like My HealtheVet.
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Overview of Healthcare Technology Trends
There’s also a debate among doctors about whether patients should have access to their records. D’Costa and their team (2020) mentioned that some doctors worry that giving patients access to their records could cause stress or overwhelm them. However, apps like My HealtheVet have benefits, too. They can help patients understand their medical information at their own pace, schedule appointments, and communicate with their healthcare providers.
One potential advantage of using EHRs is that it’s easier to track who accesses the data, which can help prevent misuse. However, it can be challenging to coordinate the system with procedures that require the conscious consent of patients, especially those who are seriously ill. There’s always a risk when accessing information online, and the healthcare industry faces security breaches. According to Georgiev (2022), there have been over 2100 security breaches since 2009, costing more than $6 trillion.
Another challenge is patients’ ability to understand the information in their records. This can sometimes cause fear or anxiety. Additionally, there are legal risks associated with EHRs, as the number of malpractice cases related to them has been increasing in recent years.
When it comes to current healthcare trends, telehealth technology is on the rise. Especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, telehealth has become more popular. This technology allows people who can’t easily leave their homes or have mobility issues to see a doctor. Patients can use devices at home to send vital data to their doctor’s office, and doctors can monitor their health from a distance. As telehealth continues to advance, doctors will be able to gather even more information electronically. This means patients won’t always need to visit their doctor in person, which can improve patient care.
In summary, the healthcare field is rapidly evolving with new technologies like EHRs and telehealth. While these advancements offer many benefits, there are also challenges related to data security, patient understanding, and legal issues that need to be addressed.
References:
Barak-Corren, Y., Castro, V. M., Javitt, S., Hoffnagle, A. G., Dai, Y., Perlis, R. H., Nock, M. K., Smoller, J. W., & Reis, B. Y. (2017). Predicting Suicidal Behavior From Longitudinal Electronic Health Records. In American Journal of Psychiatry (Vol. 174, Issue 2, pp. 154–162). American Psychiatric Association Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2016.16010077Links to an external site.
Cowie, M. R., Blomster, J. I., Curtis, L. H., Duclaux, S., Ford, I., Fritz, F., Goldman, S., Janmohamed, S., Kreuzer, J., Leenay, M., Michel, A., Ong, S., Pell, J. P., Southworth, M. R., Stough, W. G., Thoenes, M., Zannad, F., & Zalewski, A. (2016). Electronic health records to facilitate clinical research. In Clinical Research in Cardiology (Vol. 106, Issue 1, pp. 1–9). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00392-016-1025-6Links to an external site.
D’Amore, P. (n.d.). Patient risks associated with electronic health records. Baltimore Medical Malpractice, Birth Injury, & Accident Attorneys. Retrieved from https://www.damoreinjurylaw.com/blog/patient-risks-associated-with-electronic-health-recordsLinks to an external site.
D’Costa, S. N., Kuhn, I. L., & Fritz, Z. (2020). A systematic review of patient access to medical records in the acute setting: practicalities, perspectives and ethical consequences. In BMC Medical Ethics (Vol. 21, Issue 1). Springer Science and Business Media LLC. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-020-0459-6Links to an external site.
Faverio, M. (2022, January 13). Share of those 65 and older who are tech users has grown in the past decade. Pew Research Center. Retrived from https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/01/13/share-of-those-65-and-older-who-are-tech-users-has-grown-in-the-past-decade/Links to an external site.
Gajarawala, S. N., & Pelkowski, J. N. (2021). Telehealth Benefits and Barriers. In The Journal for Nurse Practitioners (Vol. 17, Issue 2, pp. 218–221). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.09.013Links to an external site.
Georgiev, D. (2022, November 26). 25+ alarming healthcare data breaches statistics for 2022. Techjury. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://techjury.net/blog/healthcare-data-breaches-statistics/Links to an external site.
Rao-Gupta, S., Kruger, D., Leak, L. D., Tieman, L. A., & Manworren, R. C. B. (2018). Leveraging Interactive Patient Care Technology to Improve Pain Management Engagement. In Pain Management Nursing (Vol. 19, Issue 3, pp. 212–221). Elsevier BV. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmn.2017.11.002Links to an external site.
Skiba, D. (2017). Evaluation Tools to Appraise Social Media and Mobile Applications. In Informatics (Vol. 4, Issue 3, p. 32). MDPI AG. https://doi.org/10.3390/informatics4030032Links to an external site.
To Prepare:
- Reflect on the Resources related to digital information tools and technologies.
- Consider your healthcare organization’s use of healthcare technologies to manage and distribute information.
- Reflect on current and potential future trends, such as use of social media and mobile applications/telehealth, Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled asset tracking, or expert systems/artificial intelligence, and how they may impact nursing practice and healthcare delivery.
BY DAY 3 OF WEEK 6
Post a brief description of general healthcare technology trends, particularly related to data/information you have observed in use in your healthcare organization or nursing practice. Describe any potential challenges or risks that may be inherent in the technologies associated with these trends you described. Then, describe at least one potential benefit and one potential risk associated with data safety, legislation, and patient care for the technologies you described. Next, explain which healthcare technology trends you believe are most promising for impacting healthcare technology in nursing practice and explain why. Describe whether this promise will contribute to improvements in patient care outcomes, efficiencies, or data management. Be specific and provide examples.
BY DAY 6 OF WEEK 6
Respond to at least two of your colleagues* on two different days, offering additional/alternative ideas regarding opportunities and risks related to the observations shared.
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Healthcare Technology Data Trends
Due to the rapidly changing healthcare environment, there is a large demand for improved efficiency in providing quality healthcare in every healthcare setting. Fortunately, healthcare technology has continued to evolve at a rapid pace to keep up with the demands of the healthcare environment that has changed considerably since the first diagnosis of COVID-19. Since the global pandemic started there has been numerous issues that have come up that required some type of intervention in order to provide safe quality patient care. Healthcare technology adaptations have significantly helped to navigate healthcare facilities through the pandemic. Dykes et al. (2017) states that utilizing tools such as checklists and EHR data is beneficial in establishing adherence to new healthcare technology. Although it is important to utilize new healthcare technology, it is also important to ensure that staff are able to utilize it correctly to facilitate organizational change. One healthcare technology trend in particular that has become a staple in my organization is the use of telehealth. This healthcare technology trend has been crucial for delivering quality patient care to those who are unable to see their providers in person due to health concerns or ease of access. In the beginning of the pandemic, it was not uncommon for many patients as well as providers to select telehealth to avoid putting themselves at risk for COVID-19 by visiting a healthcare facility.
Benefits and Challenges
In my current healthcare organization, the use of telehealth has become a common practice for all of our patients. Due to COVID-19 many healthcare providers have opted to use telehealth to see their patients without putting themselves or the patient at risk for COVID-19. This was incredibly useful for healthcare providers that work at multiple facilities as well so that they can see patients in person in one facility while seeing others virtually at another. Rak (2021) states that there are clear advantages to being able to provide remote diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment to patients via telehealth however there are also many potential challenges. One of the major challenges has been maintaining HIPAA compliance when utilizing mobile devices to initiate the collection of healthcare data and the dissemination of PHI such as medical diagnosis. Many healthcare organizations including my own have implemented policies to ensure staff members who are assisting with telehealth appointments are doing so utilizing encrypted forms of communication. For example, my organization purchased a module within the EHR to allow for providers and nurses to send secure messages directly to patients. Another issue that can develop is incomplete assessments due to not being able to palpate or auscultate through telehealth appointments. In many cases, healthcare providers may request a follow up appointment that takes place in person to address any assessment concerns. Lastly, telehealth may not be appropriate for patients who are not comfortable utilizing technology to complete their appointment. Despite these potential challenges, telehealth has made a major positive impact on healthcare by increasing accessibility to potential patients.
Promising Healthcare Technology Trends
Telehealth has and continues to show promise that it will be a major contributing component to providing quality care. This technology trend has allowed organizations to see additional patients and increase access to care for many patient populations. With the use of this technology trend, it is important to educate patients on the proper use of telehealth. Many organizations assume that patients understand how to access telehealth portals or that they know what to expect during the appointments. Skiba (2017) states with the ongoing use of healthcare technology tools to provide care, healthcare professionals should be trained on how to appropriately use these tools, and healthcare organizations should educate its patients on them as well to improve digital literacy. If we are able to increase patients’ digital literacy then this could increase the amount of patients willing to utilize this service and ultimately increase access to patient care.
References
Dykes, P. C., Rozenblum, R., Dalal, A., Massaro, A., Chang, F., Clements, M., Collins, S., Bates, D. W. (2017). Prospective evaluation of a
multifaceted intervention to improve outcomes in intensive care: The Promoting Respect and Ongoing Safety Through Patient
Engagement Communication and Technology Study. Critical Care Medicine, 45(8), e806–e813. doi:10.1097/CCM.0000000000002449
Rak, R. (2021). Internet of Everything in Healthcare: Reconciling the Risks and Benefits of Data Sharing in IoT-Enabled Telehealth
Environments. 2021 Eighth International Conference on EDemocracy & EGovernment (ICEDEG), EDemocracy & EGovernment (ICEDEG), 2021
Eighth International Conference On, 223–225. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICEDEG52154.2021.9530853
Skiba, D. (2017). Evaluation tools to appraise social media and mobile applications. Informatics, 4(3), 32–40.
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Hi Irvin,
Great read. Another issues I see with Telehealth is the ability to misdiagnose patients. There are are a number of symptoms that mimics other illnesses and the inability to do a proper assessment in searching for certain diseases, which may be a cause for concern. According to (Xiang & Bernard 2021), One of the major challenges of Telehealth is the limitation in the ability to complete a remote neurologic exam especially when evaluating sensation, reflexes, tone, motor strength, and optic nerve function. Without a reliable way to for a remote neurologist to evaluate sensation, tone, reflexes, motor strength, optic nerve function and fundoscopy, the concern poses a risk to patients for misdiagnosis and mismanagement. It may even be time consuming and costly if a lack of proper neurological exam requires over use or over dependence on neuroimaging and other diagnostic test that could have been prevented with a proper and complete assessment of patients. Until further research is done and ways to include all illnesses, Telehealth will be beneficial for some but not all in making a successful diagnosis I believe.
Best,
Xiang, X. &. Bernard, J. (2021). Telehealth in Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Care and Research. Curr Neural Neuroscience Rep ( 21). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-021-01103-4Links to an external site.
Malliaras, P., Merolli, M. […], and Barton, C. (2021). ‘It’s not hands-on therapy, so it’s very limited’: Telehealth use and views among allied health clinicians during the coronavirus pandemic. Musculoskelet Sci Pract. Doi: 10.1016/j.msksp.2021.102340
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Hi Irvin,
I agree that telehealth shows promise that it will be a major contributing component to providing quality care. Patients are able to receive a variety of treatments through telehealth such as mental health treatment, prescription management, skin conditions,follow up appointments, etc. “Virtual visits ensure you get health care wherever you are located – at home, at work or even in your car” (What is Telehealth, 2022). Telehealth has been a major help because it decreases time off from work travel time, the need for a babysitter and for the elderly it can include family members who assist with care who may not be able to attend in office appointments.
While there are many benefits there are also challenges. One of the challenges with telehealth is that the patient must have a reliable internet connection. During the pandemic “poor internet connection and lack of universal access to technology were among the technical barriers” (Ftouni et al, 2022).
References
Ftouni, R., AlJardali, B., Hamdanieh, M., Ftouni, L., & Salem, N. (2022, August 3). Challenges of telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review. BMC medical informatics and decision making. Retrieved January 6, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9351100/#:~:text=Poor%20internet%20connection%20and%20lack,the%20use%20of%20telemedicine%20tooLinks to an external site..
What is telehealth? Telehealth.HHS.gov. (2022, June 29). https://telehealth.hhs.gov/patients/understanding-telehealth/Links to an external site.
Hello Irvin,
I completely agree with you that telehealth has been an incredibly useful resource in healthcare, especially in the current climate. It has allowed providers to treat patients safely while also providing more access to healthcare services (Usoh et al., 2022). In addition to the benefits you mentioned, telehealth can help reduce current healthcare spending in the United States by combating issues such as the misuse of medications, unnecessary emergency department visits, and prolonged hospital stays (Gajarawala & Pelkowski, 2021). As you have pointed out, however, a few potential challenges need to be addressed to ensure a successful telehealth experience. The measures outlined, such as utilizing encrypted forms of communication and follow-up appointments, are great steps in maintaining (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance and providing complete assessments. Another challenge is that the rules and regulations guiding telehealth are different for each state and constantly changing, which could create unclear understandings of the standards and guidelines among healthcare organizations. To prevent any compliance issues, healthcare providers must familiarize themselves with the guidelines of telehealth in their practice states (Gajarawala & Pelkowski, 2021). As technology continues to evolve, these challenges can be addressed, and telehealth will become even more successful in the future.
References
Gajarawala, S. N., & Pelkowski, J. N. (2021). Telehealth benefits and barriers. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners: JNP, 17(2), 218–221. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.09.013
Usoh, C. O., Kilen, K., Keyes, C., Johnson, C. P., & Aloi, J. A. (2022). Telehealth technologies and their benefits to people with diabetes. Diabetes Spectrum, 35(1), 8-15. https://doi.org/10.2337/dsi21-0017Links to an external site.
Hi Irvin,
You have picked a critical point; I find it insightful and well-explained. Improved efficiency in providing high-quality healthcare is in high demand across all healthcare settings because of the industry’s dynamic nature. Since the initial diagnosis of COVID-19, healthcare technology has advanced quickly, meeting the needs of a healthcare environment that has altered significantly. Since the beginning of the global pandemic, many problems have necessitated action to continue providing safe, high-quality patient care. Adaptations in healthcare technology have been crucial in assisting healthcare facilities in surviving the epidemic. According to Dykes et al. (2017), checklists and electronic health records (EHR) data are valuable tools for promoting the consistent use of innovative healthcare solutions.
As vital as adopting cutting-edge healthcare technology, it is equally crucial to guarantee that personnel is competent in its proper application to allow necessary organizational change.
It is no secret that telehealth is one of my company’s most popular and pervasive new developments in healthcare IT.
Patients who, for various reasons, cannot physically visit their doctors have significantly benefited from this development in healthcare IT. Patients and doctors often choose telemedicine early in the epidemic to avoid potentially contracting COVID-19 when visiting a healthcare facility.
References
Dykes, P. C., Rozenblum, R., Dalal, A., Massaro, A., Chang, F., Clements, M., Collins, S., Bates, D. W. (2017). Prospective evaluation of a
multifaceted intervention to improve outcomes in intensive care: The Promoting Respect and Ongoing Safety Through Patient
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Initial post – Challenges and Benefits of Trends in Healthcare Technology
Trends in healthcare technology have the goal of enhancing patient care, reducing risk and error, improving patient outcomes, and making healthcare more accessible to populations that are difficult to reach. Since the onset of the global pandemic, many tech and healthcare companies have worked at finding solutions to the challenges and problems caused by the pandemic. Some trends are telemedicine, internet of things (IoT), and wearable devices.
Remote monitoring of patients has many benefits including improved clinical management and reduction in manpower. Not only does remote monitoring allow healthcare providers to receive notification of changes in a patient’s condition, but it also empowers patients to feel involved in the management of their own health. Challenges of using remote monitoring devices include ensuring data transmitted from the remote device to the healthcare providers system remains protected. The use of cloud computing has also presented a challenge in security of data, as it works differently from traditional security models and controls. Ensuring client-side encryption of data, multi factor authentication, and data loss prevention protocols is essential to protecting patient information (McGonigle & Mastrian 2022). Another challenge for healthcare staff is processing the large volume of data, which has been managed in part by use of third-party platforms (Harvey & Seiler 2022).
Improvements in home monitoring devices, namely wearables and implantable devices for management of chronic conditions are a current trend in healthcare. Devices that can be implanted, worn, or have remote sensors can help to cut costs in healthcare and improve management of these patients from their home.
Devices that can be worn, called wearables, allow for remote monitoring and data collection. For example, there’s a smartwatch by Omron that tracks heart rate, steps, and blood pressure. Abnormal vital signs send an alert to the physician. “Physicians can then alert patients to take an extra dose of medication; or data from the device can help doctors better understand behavior that triggered the alert” (Giordano 2021). Another wearable device monitors epilepsy and detects seizures. Not only does the monitor improve tracking of seizures, but it also has the potential to improve the quality of life for people with epilepsy. In a study by Olsen at al. (2021), Wearables legitimize the experience of epileptics and can lead to improved acknowledgement from medical professionals, family, and friends (p 2). Certain advancements in wearables focus on making the devices less noticeable, more user friendly, and more adaptable to needs of daily living.
Implantables are devices that are implanted into some part of the body and give real time data. One example of such is the Dexcom, a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM), which monitors blood glucose every couple of minutes and transmits the data to a device. This helps to improve outcomes for diabetic patients who might otherwise not check their blood sugar levels as often as they should. Also, in the event of illness when the blood glucose might be very high or very low, the patient can see what their level is and correct it prior to becoming symptomatic.
There are other devices that can predict and monitor health conditions, such as the HeartLogic, embedded into a CRT-D cardiac device that tracks changes in a patients’ body to detect worsening heart failure (Giordano 2021). Heart failure patients monitored by implantable devices are more likely to receive timely clinical intervention. A recent heart failure detection algorithm discussed in Ezer et al (2022) seemed “accurate enough to predict an upcoming heart failure event with sensitivity of about 86.5% and specificity of 93%” (p 2). With continuous monitoring and consequently less time to intervention, this could reduce the number of patients hospitalized for heart failure.
Decentralizing medicine through use of remote patient monitoring can lower overall costs and improve personalization of patient care, especially for populations that are hard to serve. In July of 2022, The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed payment rates for billing of outpatient services that include codes for remote therapeutic monitoring (Giordano 2021) Results from a survey through Current Health reported “89 percent of health systems plan to use more remote patient monitoring over the next year…[and] 81 percent of respondents expect their organizations to increase investments in remote care technology in the next 12 months” (Giordano 2021). Continued efforts to enhance functionality of these devices and more efficient processing of data can lead to improved patient outcomes.
References
Giordano, Geoff (2021). Bring it home. Plastics Engineering, 77(9), 20–25. https://doi.org/10.1002/peng.20582Links to an external site.
Harvey, M., & Seiler, A. (2022). Challenges in managing a Remote Monitoring Device Clinic. Heart Rhythm O2, 3(1), 3–7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hroo.2021.12.002
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2022). Nursing Informatics and the foundation of knowledge (5th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Olsen, L. S., Nielsen, J. M., Simonÿ, C., Kjær, T. W., & Beck, M. (2021). Wearables in real life: A qualitative study of experiences of people with epilepsy who use home seizure monitoring devices. Epilepsy & Behavior, 125, 108398. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.108398Links to an external site.
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Erica Schulte – Response #2 – Colleen Lewis
Hello Colleen, thanks for posting! As you note, the growing trend of telehealth in general but also the remote patient monitoring and other wearable devices is really taking off! The recent pandemic certainly helped springboard this trend as technology had been on the verge but the push to utilize beyond current processes came with COVID 19 (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022). Some of the other really beneficial outcomes of some of these devices is that it has resulted in an increased engagement and interest in maintaining health and wellness by the patients (Graham & Jones, 2020). Which, in turn has helped reduced hospital time.
References
Graham, C. M., & Jones, N. (2020). Impact of IOT on Geriatric Telehealth. Working with Older People, 24(3), 231–243. https://doi.org/10.1108/wwop-04-2020-0012
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2022). 18/ Introduction. In Nursing Informatics and the foundation of knowledge (pp. 403–403). essay, Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Post a brief description of general healthcare technology trends, particularly related to data/information you have observed in use in your healthcare organization or nursing practice.
The most helpful healthcare technology trend in the healthcare organization I work for is electronic health records. Technology brought electronic health records, which have been improved to fit various healthcare needs of the organization and growing changes in the healthcare system. The electronic health record is a real-time chart with patient medical-related information that healthcare professionals can access and retrieve easily while patients can use to track their overall health status (Tayefi et al., 2021). The electronic health record contains various health information, including the patient demographic, tests and diagnostics, medical history, food, drug allergies, and procedures they have undergone.
The hospital I work for allows authorized personnel to access the electronic health records charts and share them with other authorized persons, including the physicians and other healthcare team members. Often patient information, including medical history, is taken when they are admitted for the first time. That information is updated as the patient continues to receive care at the facility. When the patient visits the hospital subsequently, the previously entered or stored data is easily retrieved and updated based on their complaints and the treatment they will be given (Dinh-Le et al., 2019). The healthcare professional attending to the patient would only need to log into the secured electronic health records to obtain previous patient health information.
Describe any potential challenges or risks that may be inherent in the technologies associated with these trends you described.
While the electronic health record has had many benefits, the organization I work with is not exploiting all the benefits adequately. For instance, the organization’s departments use a different system instead of using one system across the departments. This means that the lab technicians can access the specific electronic health record system they use. The same is true for the emergency departments which use the Medi Tech system. In addition, most nurses have access to all these systems, but healthcare professionals in these specific departments, such as lab technicians, do not have access to some of the systems. If the system is similar for the whole hospital, that could increase efficiency (Dinh-Le et al., 2019). However, I am waiting to hear colleagues’ opinions on the same because I do not understand why each department has its system.
Then, describe at least one potential benefit and one potential risk associated with data safety, legislation, and patient care for the technologies you described.
As said earlier, one of the benefits of electronic health records is that it enables patients to easily track their health status and treatment progress at the convenience of their home and can be monitored remotely. For instance, we follow patients with diabetes remotely, following up on their adherence to medications, how they inject the insulin, whether they change the injection site, and their adherence to self-care activities (Dinh-Le et al., 2019). So whenever I want to confirm the treatment a patient was put on or their blood sugar, I easily take my phone and open the chart where the blood sugar recordings are t medication the patients should receive and other instructions. I can also meet with patients remotely and ask them about their progress and areas where they need help. The rise of electronic health records brought telemedicine, which enables not only remote interaction but also quicker sharing of information and offloading hospitals a load of too many patients lining up for care in the accident and emergency rooms when their conditions can be cared for adequately and complications leading them to urgent cases prevented (Shahnaz et al., 2019). We learned a lot during COVID-19, which are eye-openers in terms of investing in telemedicine to reduce dependency on traditional care approaches encouraging physical interaction.
One significant risk that electronic health record faces in the organization are cyber-attacks on patient-protected health information. Hospitals have been attacked in the past, and we have seen how a hospital can be held ransom by such cyber theft (Dinh-Le et al., 2019). While we have been so lucky that the cybercriminals have not flagged our systems, there was a time they almost succeeded. They held our system at ransom but did not access the protected patient health information, and most services had to stop. We also had to turn to paperwork whenever there were blackouts.
Describe whether this promise will improve patient care outcomes, efficiencies, or data management. Be specific and provide examples. Next, explain which healthcare technology trends you believe are most promising for impacting healthcare technology in nursing practice.
The ineffective communication, lack of adequate patient health information, and inability to share information before electronic health records were associated with delays in care, and ineffectiveness, that eventually led to low quality and potentially harmful care. All these have been reduced by the use of electronic health record systems, which have enabled the easy sharing of patient health information leading to more individualized and preventive care. In addition, people for a long time have been encouraged to take charge of their health. The electronic health record system through MYChart helped patients track their health by simply logging in and out when they wanted to check the progress of their health status. Still, I caution that electronic health record systems must be used with much caution. Healthcare professionals must be able to ensure patient privacy, confidentiality, and protection of their information is a personal responsibility because it is one thing that can break the whole institution (Shahnaz et al., 2019).
References
Dinh-Le, C., Chuang, R., Chokshi, S., & Mann, D. (2019). Wearable health technology and electronic health record integration: scoping review and future directions. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 7(9), e12861. https://mhealth.jmir.org/2019/9/e12861/Links to an external site.
Shahnaz, A., Qamar, U., & Khalid, A. (2019). Using blockchain for electronic health records. IEEE Access, 7, 147782-147795. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/8863359/
Tayefi, M., Ngo, P., Chomutare, T., Dalianis, H., Salvi, E., Budrionis, A., & Godtliebsen, F. (2021). Challenges and opportunities beyond structured data in analysis of electronic health records. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Computational Statistics, 13(6), e1549. https://wires.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/wics.1549Links to an external site.
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Barkisu,
Your post is very thorough and descriptive. I really enjoyed reading it as it covers all of the topics asked in discussion post which includes benefits and potential risks of electronic health records. The way healthcare professionals interact, record, and examine patient data has been significantly altered by electronic health records (EHRs). Medical mistakes have been reduced thanks to EHRs, which have also improved patient outcomes by enabling professional teams to view the same data. The capacity of EHRs to use artificial intelligence (AI) to absorb data and infer information useful for patient diagnosis is what makes them so exciting. Utilizing this data and conducting research can help shape how we will deliver care in the future (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022).
EHRs include significant data on things like age, way of life, comorbidities, medicines, and family history. These data may be analyzed by artificial intelligence to assist healthcare professionals in making quick choices and enhancing patient outcomes (Jiang, 2017). A new age in healthcare is being established by AI’s capacity to use algorithms to monitor, diagnose, and treat patients (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022).
Unfortunately, data security is not perfect. Healthcare data breaches are on the increase and more likely to occur than in other sectors, such as banking (HIPAA Journal, 2022). The finding by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) that human error accounts for more than half of all security breaches is more intriguing (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022). This is a result of staff members’ negligence, carelessness, and lack of software experience (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022).
References
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Journal. (2022, August 26). Healthcare data breach statistics. HIPAA Journal. https://www.hipaajournal.com/healthcare-data-breach-statistics/Links to an external site.Links to an external site.
Jiang, F., Jiang, Y., Zhi, H., Dong, Y., Li, H., Ma, S., Wang, Y., Dong, Q., Shen, H. & Wang, Y. (2017). Artificial intelligence in healthcare: past, present, and future. Stroke and Vascular Neurology. doi:10.1136/svn-2017-000101
McGonigle, D. & Mastrian, K.G. (2022). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (5th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Main Post
General healthcare technology trends observed in use in Healthcare organization
In the past decade or so, healthcare and technology upcoming technology have merged. More recently, the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic pushed technology companies to venture into the healthcare space and healthcare companies into the tech space (Marr, 2022). Various trends have emerged in healthcare technology, including the Internet of Medical Things (IOMT), Telehealth, cloud computing, and machine learning, among others.
My organization uses a cloud-based electronic health record (EHR) system known as CERNER for our in-patients. This is where the patient’s medical information is stored and can be accessed by the facility staff while providing care.
Our out-patients also can sign up for telemedicine services, which is where they can access Healthcare without physically coming into the facility.
Potential challenges or risks associated with the trends described
With the healthcare industry still playing catch-up when it comes to technology integration (Kruse et al., 2017), breach of patient data becomes a potential challenge with the use of EHR systems. There is always the risk that any unscrupulous persons can get into the system and access private patient information.
When we look at the telemedicine aspect as another side to it, there is the risk of losing pertinent patient information stemming from miscommunication. For instance, if a patient is relaying information to their Healthcare provider and one party loses internet or cellular connection, valuable information the patient thinks they have conveyed may not be received by the provider. This could potentially lead to misdiagnosis or mismanagement of the condition.
Potential benefits and risks associated with data safety
Some telemedicine services provide basic health care and information without requiring any identifying data from the client. This becomes a potential benefit as data safety concerns are eliminated from the get-go. Since telemedicine is primarily an online service, a potential risk is the denial of service (such as no internet or cellular service) occurring to either of the parties involved, interrupting communication between the patient and their provider. A potential benefit of the EHR system is the convenience of multiple healthcare providers accessing patient records simultaneously without a physical document being carted around, decreasing the risk of the wrong persons seeing confidential patient data. On the other hand, a potential risk is hackers gaining access to multiple patients’ sensitive data, compromising their security and privacy.
Which Healthcare technology trends are most promising
Wearable technology and Health trackers can be promising for impacting nursing practice because they are portable, not cumbersome, and more convenient for use by both patients and their healthcare providers. Wearable technology is also fast catching on as a fashion statement, and nursing practice can piggyback off that.
Whether this promise will contribute to improvements in patient care outcomes
Wearable tech and health trackers will contribute significantly to improvements in patient care outcomes because they provide an avenue for real-time monitoring of patients – even when they are outside the health care organization. Healthcare providers can remotely provide information about lifestyle or treatment modification. This, in turn, means that patients who will not – or cannot – present to the health facility still get taken care of, leading to the eventual improvement of overall population health.
References
Kruse, C. S., Frederick, B., Jacobson, T., & Monticone, D. K. (2017). Cybersecurity in healthcare: A systematic review of modern threats and trends.
Technology and Health Care, 25(1), 1-10
Marr, B. (2022). The Five Biggest Healthcare Tech Trends In 2022. Retrieved from
https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2022/01/10/the-five-biggest-healthcare-tech-trends-in-2022/?sh=77e7991f54d0Links to an external site.
Skiba, D. (2017). Evaluation Tools to Appraise Social Media and Mobile Applications. Informatics, 4(3), 32.
Yeganeh, H. (2019). An analysis of emerging trends and transformations in global healthcare. International Journal of Health Governance, 24(2), 169-180.
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Response #1
Hi Benedicta,
Thumbs up for the work you did on this post. You provided great insight into the advantages and challenges we face daily in nursing using technology. As I was reading through the challenges you presented, I wanted to expand on the breach in security we face as most of our patient’s information is being moved to electronic medical records. We easily remember not to share information by word of mouth or involve someone outside of the treatment team in a patient’s confidential medical information. Still, I often forget to “badge out” of my workstation or close out a patient’s chart when I’m busy or on the move. I can easily forget that this small misstep can compromise the confidentiality of the patient by exposing their confidential medical information and leaving it unprotected. Safe technological integration is important to maintaining patient confidentiality and is a beneficial strategy to promote patient safety (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2018).
The evolution and integration of technology into health care are exciting and can lead to better patient outcomes as patients learn to take better accountability for their health. Their treatments have become more focused on modulating their behaviours to improve their health. In a study by Dykes, et al. (2017), they concluded that “patient-centred care” combined with online technology and involving the patients in the discussion regarding their care led to decreased rates of adverse events and increased rates of patient satisfaction (pg. e812).
References
Dykes, P.C., Rozenblum, R., Dalal, A., Massaro, A., Chang, F., Clements, M., Collins, S., …Bates, D.W. (2017). Prospective evaluation of a multifaceted intervention to improve outcomes in intensive care: The promoting respect and ongoing safety through patient engagement communication and technology study. Critical Care Medicine, 45(8), e806-e813. Doi: 10.1097/CCM.0000000000002449
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2017). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (4th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
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Telemedicine is changing how doctors and patients connect. Telehealth means getting medical care and information over long distances using technology like video calls, the internet, and wireless communication (HealthIt.gov, 2019). At my workplace, a state prison, we use telemedicine more now because it’s cheaper than taking inmates to specialists in person. While telehealth was originally meant for people in remote areas and those who have a hard time accessing healthcare, the COVID-19 crisis made it even more popular as in-person visits became difficult (Jin et al., 2020). Nowadays, many people find telehealth a practical and affordable way to get medical care (Gajarawala & Pelowski, 2020).
The increasing cost of healthcare, an aging population, and more people dealing with chronic illnesses are some of the reasons why telehealth is becoming more popular (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2020). As our population gets older and more people have chronic illnesses, it’s crucial to find ways to provide healthcare for those who can’t easily visit a doctor’s office (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022). These ongoing health issues affect more people with disabilities and diseases, which in turn drives up healthcare costs (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2022).
Telemedicine in clinics and hospitals brings many benefits. It can save money because fewer people need to go to the emergency room or stay in the hospital for a long time (Gajarawala & Pelowski, 2020). People in remote areas, especially where there are not many healthcare providers, can benefit from telehealth as it gives them access to care and resources (Gajarawala & Pelowski, 2020). And for those who live far away or have trouble traveling due to chronic illnesses, telehealth can make getting medical care easier (Gajarawala & Pelowski, 2020).
Unfortunately, telehealth has its downsides too. One issue is that it can’t replace a full physical examination, which includes listening and feeling to help with diagnosis and treatment (Gajarawala & Pelowski, 2020). Another challenge is that some older folks may find it hard to use new technology (Gajarawala & Pelowski, 2020). Lastly, not everyone has access to the internet or devices like smartphones or tablets, so they can’t use telehealth (Gajarawala & Pelowski, 2020).
To provide safe telehealth care, healthcare professionals must be aware of potential risks. For instance, the lack of a unified license for telehealth across different places can be a problem (Gajarawala & Pelowski, 2020). To practice telehealth legally, providers need a license for every state where they work (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2020). There’s also a risk to patient privacy and confidentiality because telehealth systems may not always protect against hackers and data breaches (Gajarawala & Pelowski, 2020). Patients’ concerns about the safety of telehealth have slowed down its widespread use (Gajarawala & Pelowski, 2020). Finally, there’s some uncertainty about the legal responsibilities in telehealth compared to traditional medical practices. Telehealth is relatively new, so clinicians need to check their liability insurance to make sure they’re covered (Gajarawala & Pelowski, 2020).
References
Gajarawala, S. & Pelkowski, J. (2020). Telehealth benefits and barriers. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7577680/
HealthIT.gov (2019, October 17). What is telehealth? How is telehealth different from telemedicine? https://search.usa.gov/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&affiliate=www.healthit.gov&query=telehealth Links to an external site.Links to an external site.+
Jin, M., Kim S., Miller, L., Behari, G. & Correa, R. (2020). Telemedicine: Current impact on the future. National Library of Medicine. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7502422/Links to an external site.Links to an external site.
McGonigle, D. & Mastrian, K.G. (2022). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (5th ed.). Jone & Bartlett Learning.
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