The Role of Information System in Improved Patient Outcomes

Write 3–5 pages in which you discuss how a current information system used in the delivery of patient care contributes to improved patient outcomes.

In using information system technology, nurses are able to track and measure data to improve patient outcomes.

Continued rapid changes in information technology reflect significant progress in health care delivery and the practice of nursing. The use of patient monitoring devices, robotics, electronic medical records, data management resources, and ready access to current science are a few examples of how technology is used in providing care to patients across multiple settings.

How technology will continue to interface with nursing care, research, and future practice is significant to advancing the profession and maintaining high quality of care standards and delivery.

The following search terms relate to nursing informatics and evidence-based practice. Keeping an eye on them will help the nurse informatics practitioner stay up to date about current trends and applications of technology:

• Electronic Health Records (EHR) Incentive Programs.

• The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

• Office for Civil Rights - A Healthcare Provider's Guide to the HIPAA Privacy Rule.

• Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act (PSQIA).

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

To deepen your understanding, you are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of the business community.

 

Consider the following questions from the point of view of a specific organization:

• Technologies used for direct care:

o How are data used to improve patient outcomes?

o How does technology contribute to safety and quality of care in this setting?

• Technologies used for data management:

o How are data tracked, monitored, stored, or trended in your data management system?

o How is technology used for data archiving and retrieval?

o How do you know your data are reliable?

o What types of safeguards are in place to protect patient data?

o How are data extracted and used for research endeavors in your organization?

o What are examples of how nurses at the bedside are involved in technology design and testing in your organization? In other organizations? How might you do it differently?

o What are the challenges for successful implementation of new technologies in health care environment and nursing practices—in general? Specific to your organization?

o If you had the power to improve the way technology is used in your organization, what you would like to see changed or enhanced?

Technologies used for Direct Care

The following optional resources are provided to support you in completing the assessment or to provide a helpful context. For additional resources, refer to the Research Resources and Supplemental Resources in the left navigation menu of your courseroom.

Write a paper in which you analyze an information system for its effectiveness in improving patient care.

Select an example of a current information system used in the delivery of patient care. Note: Ideally, select a system from your workplace to examine. If you are not currently working, select a system from an organization close to where you live. This technology should be used for data management designed to improve patient care.

Familiarize yourself with the technology. Do some personal research to gain a deeper understanding about the technology. Visit the Web site of the company who markets the technology to familiarize with how the company positions the technology in the market. Read articles online and in the library related to your chosen system. Remember to take notes to keep track of what you discover. Examine the following aspects of the technology:

 How is the information system designed to contribute to safety and quality in the care of patients?

1 What types of data are tracked, monitored, stored, and trended in the system?

2. How well does it accomplish what it is designed to do in your chosen real-world setting?

3. How is this information system used to support research or action by nurse researchers, leaders, and informaticists? If it is not currently being used to support research, how could it be used in the future?

4. What types of opportunities are available for nurses, in any scope of practice, that gives them the chance to participate in the design and testing of this system?

5. How might the technology be enhanced so it better meets the needs of the professionals currently using the system? Compare what you learn with how your chosen technology is being used in the workplace. Think about your own workplace and consider speaking with other professionals who currently use the system.

Write an paper in which you discuss and apply what you have learned about how your chosen information system is used in the delivery of patient care and how it contributes (or does not contribute) to improved patient care. Include the following categories:

• Describe your chosen information system used in nursing and how it contributes to evidence-based nursing practices.

• Describe the types of data that are tracked and how the data are monitored, stored, and trended.

• Describe how a nurse researcher, nurse leader, and nurse informaticist use information technology to define patient safety within the context of outcomes.

• Describe how nurses can enhance the technology through participation in design and testing of the system.