Emerging technologies in practice to improve quality and patient outcomes
Assessment Description
New health care innovations offer the advanced registered nurse an opportunity to apply emerging technologies in practice to improve quality and patient outcomes. For this assignment, research an emerging health care technology that you think has the potential to overcome current or emerging barriers to care.
Write a 500-750 word brief. Include the following:
Provide an overview of the emerging technology and its role/function in health care. Consider its potential for improving access to care and promoting patient safety and quality.
Describe ethical or legal issues that would accompany the incorporation of the technology.
Explain the nurse’s informatics role in regard to the technology. Provide examples of the roles and job functions.
Outline the role of workflow analysis, human factors, and user-centered design concepts for your chosen technology example.
Refer to the topic Resources for samples and resources to help you construct your brief.
You are required to cite three to five sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years and appropriate for the assignment criteria and nursing content.
Complete the “APA Writing Checklist” to ensure that your paper adheres to APA style and formatting criteria and general guidelines for academic writing. Include the completed checklist as an appendix at the end of your paper.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
Emerging Technologies in Nursing Practice Essay Example
Introduction
Healthcare technology innovation allows Advanced Registered Nurses (ARN) to use evolving technologies in their practice to improve quality and patient outcomes. This study aims to investigate and assess an emerging healthcare technology’s ability to address present or emerging barriers to care. Telemedicine was chosen as the technology. Telemedicine, an emerging healthcare technology, can remove present or new barriers to care by enhancing access, promoting patient safety and quality, and lowering costs. Nonetheless, ethical and legal considerations must be considered while incorporating it. Nurses, through their informatics roles and the use of workflow analysis, human factors, and user-centered design concepts, play a vital role in its implementation.
Overview of Telemedicine
Telemedicine refers to the remote provision of healthcare services through telecommunication and digital communication technologies (Haleem et al., 2021). It involves using telecommunication tools like video conferencing, remote monitoring devices, and mobile applications. Telemedicine is a convenient and cost-effective method of providing healthcare services, particularly to persons living in remote or rural locations. By using telemedicine, healthcare providers can enhance access to care, improve patient outcomes, and promote patient safety and quality.
Potential for Improving Access to Care and Promoting Patient Safety and Quality
Telemedicine can potentially enhance access to healthcare services, particularly for people in remote or underserved areas. Telemedicine helps to overcome the geographical barriers that limit access to healthcare services. With telemedicine, patients can access healthcare services from the comfort of their homes, which increases convenience and improves patient outcomes. Telemedicine also helps to reduce the risk of infections, especially in the case of contagious diseases (Wang et al., 2019). Healthcare providers can avoid cross-infection by avoiding physical contact with patients, which is crucial for promoting patient safety and quality.
Ethical and Legal Issues
Telemedicine raises various ethical and legal issues that healthcare providers need to consider. One of the ethical issues related to telemedicine is the potential for compromising patient privacy and confidentiality (Tedeschi, 2020). Healthcare providers must ensure that patient information is secure and confidential, especially when using telecommunication tools. Another ethical issue is the potential for creating a digital divide, where certain members of society are left behind due to their inability to access telemedicine services (Tedeschi, 2020). Legal issues related to telemedicine include licensure, credentialing, and reimbursement policies. Healthcare providers must ensure that they comply with legal requirements when using telemedicine.
The Nurse’s Informatics Role
Nurses play a crucial role in telemedicine. Nurses can use telemedicine to provide healthcare services, monitor patients’ conditions, and communicate with other healthcare providers. Nurses also play a critical role in educating patients on how to use telemedicine tools and supporting patients who need assistance. Nurses must be knowledgeable about telemedicine technologies and use them effectively to provide quality healthcare services (Chike-Harris, 2021).
Some examples of the roles and job functions of nurses in the informatics role of telemedicine include; First, providing virtual consultations to patients, including triage and assessment, secondly is collaborating with other healthcare providers to develop telemedicine policies and procedures, educating patients and families on the use of telemedicine technology, monitoring patients remotely using telemedicine tools and devices and finally assisting in the design and implementation of telemedicine programs.
Role of Workflow Analysis, Human Factors, and User-Centered Design Concepts
Workflow analysis helps to identify the processes involved in providing telemedicine services and how they can be improved. Human factors consider the interaction between humans and technology, ensuring that telemedicine tools are user-friendly and easy to use. User-centered design concepts ensure that patient’s needs and preferences are considered when designing telemedicine tools (Haleem et al., 2021).
Conclusion
Telemedicine is a new healthcare technology that can help patients overcome existing or upcoming barriers to care. Telemedicine is a convenient and cost-effective method of providing healthcare services, particularly to persons living in remote or rural locations. Telemedicine can improve medical outcomes, increase patient safety, and promote patient quality and safety. However, healthcare practitioners must evaluate the ethical and legal considerations associated with telemedicine and ensure that legal criteria are met. Nurses are important in telemedicine; their informatics function is essential in providing high-quality healthcare services. Process analysis, human factors, and user-centered design concepts are critical in telemedicine deployment.
References
Chike-Harris, K. E. (2021). Telehealth Education of Nurse Practitioner Students. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 17(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2020.12.029
Haleem, A., Javaid, M., Singh, R. P., & Suman, R. (2021). Telemedicine for healthcare: Capabilities, features, barriers, and applications. Sensors International, 2(2), 100117. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sintl.2021.100117
Tedeschi, C. (2020). Social, Legal and Ethical Challenges in the Development and Implementation of Disaster Telemedicine. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness, 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2020.118
Wang, X., Zhang, Z., Zhao, J., & Shi, Y. (2019). Impact of Telemedicine on Healthcare Service System Considering Patients’ Choice. Discrete Dynamics in Nature and Society, 2019, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/7642176
Related Services