Initial post Week 6
There have been several recent additions to healthcare technology trends. Some of these include wearable devices to identify abnormal heart rates, oxygen levels, or glucose levels as well as personal health monitoring equipment such as CPAP devices or pacemakers that can connect and upload remotely to report results. Additionally, over the last 18 months, there has been a boom in telehealth medication. Both for well visits and for hospital visits. In fact, telehealth visits have increased more than 150% over pre-pandemic rates (Sugapong, 2018). Current estimates are that 75% of all visits to the doctor, urgent care, or emergency room could be covered via a telehealth platform with no detriment to patient care or safety (Sugapong, 2018). These visits are now required to be covered by most providers and are seen as a way to save time and money for both the patient and provider (50 Telemedicine Statistics, 2021).
There are certain risks associated with using telemedicine. At our facility, a patient has to sign a consent waiver prior to using telemedicine communication to protect providers against possible privacy concerns. Privacy concerns, lack of physical interactions to complete an exam, and equipment security concerns are all reasons that patients sometimes struggle with the idea of telemedicine (Feldman, 2021).
Though there are certainly concerns, with new technology there is also a benefit. During the last 18 months, telemedicine has been utilized in hospitals to provide real-time care while protecting providers from additional risks. Additionally, with a shortage of medical providers available, telemedication can be used to allow a provider, or set of providers to provide care for patients in more than one area or setting.
I do think that the telehealth trend has the potential to impact nursing care. This can be used to treat patients safely and compassionately while providing high quality care. In fact, in 2020, CMS allowed 6 hospitals to begin to treat patients who met certain criteria at home via daily monitoring and assessments instead of having them be admitted to an acute care hospital (Wicklund, 2020).
These trends will enhance patient care by allowing providers and patients to interact while decreasing infection risks, increasing time management, and enhancing care for removing barriers for vulnerable patients (Feldman, 2021).
50 Telemedicine Statistics New For 2021 | Modality. Modalitysystems.com. (2021). https://www.modalitysystems.com/hub/blog/telemedicine-statistics.
Feldman, D. (2021). Your patient is logging on now: the risks and benefits of telehealth in the future of healthcare. The Doctors Company TDC Group. https://www.thedoctors.com/articles/your-patient-is-logging-on-now--the-risks-and-benefits-of-telehealth-in-the-future-of-healthcare/
Sugapong, G. (2018). Just the Facts: 30 Telehealth Statistics for Doctors to Know | OrthoLive. OrthoLive. https://www.ortholive.com/blog/just-the-facts-30-telehealth-statistics-for-doctors-to-know/.
Seabrook, J. The promise and the peril of virtual health care. New Yorker. 2020. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2020/06/29/the-promise-and-the-peril-of-virtual-health-care
Wicklund, E. (2020). CMS unveils new telehealth program to treat acute care patients at home. mHealth Intelligence.https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/cms-unveils-new-telehealth-program-to-treat-acute-care-patients-at-home
Discussion: Healthcare Information Technology Trends
Throughout history, technological advancements have appeared for one purpose before finding applications elsewhere that lead to spikes in its usage and development. The internet, for example, was originally developed to share research before becoming a staple of work and entertainment. But technology—new and repurposed—will undoubtedly continue to be a driver of healthcare information. Informaticists often stay tuned to trends to monitor what the next new technology will be or how the next new idea for applying existing technology can benefit outcomes.
In this Discussion, you will reflect on your healthcare organization’s use of technology and offer a technology trend you observe in your environment.
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.
I remember a while back; my husband used to talk to me about how if he were smart enough, he would design something that could monitor us while we slept, things like HR oxygen levels and any significant changes because he is afraid he will fall asleep, and never wake up. I used to think his fear was illogical, and the "sleeping buddy," as he called it, would never be possible. Now that I work in healthcare, I understand so much more and know that it is possible; in fact, as you mentioned, these devices do exist. Another interesting aspect is that so many people are afraid to go to sleep because they do not want to have something happen to them or their loved one. This is because they are motivators in groups of patients with chronic diseases and unhealthy people( Leth, Hansen, Nielsen, & Dinesen, 2017). When it comes to self-monitoring devices (SMD), one thing to think about is the accuracy they are truly able to report and how accepted they are by your medical provider. This study found that SMD has mostly positive implications. The use of HIT and SMD is becoming more widely accepted by both consumers and healthcare providers..major positive implications of these findings include a contribution to the body of literature in the health information technology (HIT) arena regarding factors that influence technology acceptance and the potential increase in the adoption of SMD among healthcare providers. ( Francis, 2019) It helps providers get a more accurate clinical picture instead of relying on the patients to recall or remember. It is kind of like the HA1C lab. It gives a good lookback window to how really controlled a problem might be or uncontrolled.
References:
Francis, R. P. (2019). Examining Healthcare Providers' Acceptance of Data From Patient Self-Monitoring Devices Using Structural Equation Modeling With the UTAUT2 Model. International Journal of Healthcare Information Systems and Informatics (IJHISI), 14(1), 44-60.
Leth, S., Hansen, J., Nielsen, O. W., & Dinesen, B. (2017). Evaluation of commercial self-monitoring devices for clinical purposes: results from the future patient trial, phase I. Sensors, 17(1), 211.
response 2
Enjoyed reading your post and agree with you, recent improvements in technology in healthcare has been beneficial to us working in the healthcare field. The healthcare system and the Organisation have improved significantly due to greater use of Advance Technology. Technologies used not only to diagnose or process but also to collect data, information and records in the system. The electronic health record system used to save records, data and all patient medical information is currently in use by most health organizations. This gives both medical practitioners and the patient ease.
Even if the EHR system replaces the paper method, the potential of data abuse or privacy infringements always exists. Data encryption, password implementation, etc. can reduce or decrease this. It has been shown that the use of EHR has superior results, since it saves time and offers information in a given location. It also provides relief for patients because they don't need to re-inform the healthcare institution. It decreases healthcare practitioners' workload.
References
Irizarry, T., Shoemake, J., Nilsen, M. L., Czaja, S., Beach, S., & Dabbs, A. D. (2017). Patient portals as a tool for health care engagement: a mixed-method study of older adults with varying levels of health literacy and prior patient portal use. Journal of medical Internet research, 19(3), e7099.
Ransing, R., Adiukwu, F., Pereira-Sanchez, V., Ramalho, R., Orsolini, L., Teixeira, A. L. S., ... & Kundadak, G. K. (2020). Mental health interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic: a conceptual framework by early career psychiatrists. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 51, 102085.