The Impact of Healthcare Technology
Determine how health care technology, the coordination of care, and the use of community resources can be applied to address the patient, family, or population problem you defined in Week 2.
Plan to spend at least 2 practicum hours exploring these aspects of the problem with the patient, family, or group. During this time, you may also consult with subject matter and industry experts of your choice.
Document the time spent (your practicum hours) with these individuals or group in the NURS4900 Volunteer Experience Form in CORE ELMS.
Use the Practicum Focus Sheet [PDF] provided for this assignment to guide your work and interpersonal interactions.
Requirements
The assignment requirements, outlined below, correspond to the scoring guide criteria, so be sure to address each main point. Read the performance-level descriptions for each criterion to see how your work will be assessed. In addition, note the additional requirements for document format and length and for supporting evidence.
- Analyze the impact of health care technology on the patient, family, or population problem. Cite evidence from the literature that addresses the advantages and disadvantages of specific technologies, including research studies that present opposing views.
- Determine whether the evidence is consistent with technology use you see in your nursing practice.
- Identify potential barriers and costs associated with the use of specific technologies and how those technologies are applied within the context of this problem.
- Explain how care coordination and the utilization of community resources can be used to address the patient, family, or population problem.
- Cite evidence from the literature that addresses the benefits of care coordination and the utilization of community resources, including research studies that present opposing views.
- Determine whether the evidence is consistent with how you see care coordination and community resources used in your nursing practice.
- Identify barriers to the use of care coordination and community resources in the context of this problem.
- Analyze state board nursing practice standards and/or organizational or governmental policies associated with health care technology, care coordination, and community resources.
- Explain how these standards or policies will guide your actions in applying technology, care coordination, and community resources to address care quality, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual.
- Describe the effects of local, state, and federal policies or legislation on your nursing scope of practice, within the context of technology, care coordination, and community resources.
- Explain how nursing ethics will inform your approach to addressing the problem through the use of applied technology, care coordination, and community resources.
- Document the time spent (your practicum hours) with these individuals or group in the NURS4900 Volunteer Experience Form. Support main points, assertions, arguments, conclusions, or recommendations with relevant and credible evidence.
Technology has become an integral part of the healthcare system with its enormous benefits in the United States. The use of digital technology enables patients to access top-notch diagnostic tools and a myriad of minimally-invasive procedures that hasten the healing process and more minor pains. Remote consultations with specialists have increased the healthcare experience and access to quality services. This essay explores the impact of healthcare technology on patients, family, and accessibility to primary care and follow-up among the American underserved communities.
The impact of healthcare technology on the patient
Digital technology poises enormous benefits to the patients. Notably, more types of diseases keep evolving whose prevalence relies on various spectrums such as age, gender, and race, among others. With digital healthcare, new treatment technologies are easily developed that enhance patients’ quality of life. Besides, the patients can easily access accurate medical information through their handheld devices, get reminders of their medication, and keep track of doctors’ appointments. Patients can also use fitness and health apps to improve their health status by tracking activity levels and food intake through customized solutions (Ryu et al., 2017). These technologies include remote monitoring tools that ensure a constant interaction between the patients and the physicians as they monitor the disease remotely. According to Alotaibi & Federico (2017), patient monitoring tools present both crucial opportunities and challenges. However, their study revealed more benefits of this technology than the harms and hence recommend it for use in healthcare. Wearable and sensor technologies have also flooded the healthcare industry following their impact on wellness and lifestyle monitoring leading to positive patient outcomes. However, a literature review by Schukat et al. (2016) reveals that this technology initiates unintended consequences, as discussed in their article. The authors asserted that unwanted user behavior modifications are part of the outcomes of this technology. The evidence is consistent with the current technology use as most people owning smartphones tend to download the healthcare apps and keep constant interaction with their healthcare providers.
Potential Barriers and Costs associated with the use of Specific Technologies
The healthcare technologies present potential barriers and costs that reduce their effectiveness. For instance, the remote monitoring tools have limited accessibility. Remote monitoring tools require broadband connectivity which is hardly achievable by remotely residing patients and small healthcare institutions. Besides, not everyone owns a smartphone, especially the elderly patients who experience difficulties in using modern gadgets, hence the technology is significantly unreliable. Also, the tools require monetary investment. Therefore, it is capital-intensive and which limits its extent of use, hence decreased accessibility. Further, electronic health records (EHR) face potential privacy and security issues. The technology used to store patient data electronically is vulnerable to hacking which threatens access to unauthorized personnel. EHRs also poise a possibility for inaccurate information. The EHR is instantaneous in nature and requires an update of information immediately after a change is implemented (Friedman et al., 2016). While human beings are prone to forgetting, failure to make the updates prompts other healthcare providers to rely on inaccurate data hence inconveniencing the decisions on the appropriate treatment protocols. Correcting such errors prompt more expenses in terms of the procedures implemented to reverse the results.
How care coordination and the utilization of community resources can be used to address the patient
Care coordination and utilization of community resources contribute significantly to improving the effectiveness and safety of patient outcomes. Chronic disease patients have complex medical needs and interact with multiple healthcare providers; hence, care coordination is essential to enhance outcomes. Some patients may develop other minor diseases such as fractures and muscle stiffness as they undergo treatment for major diseases. In this regard, the medical practitioners may recommend the patients be attending local clinics for physical therapy to avoid recommending multiple dosages that could complicate the outcomes. Community resources such as affordable housing, employment opportunities, and food security are crucial in enhancing patient outcomes. Health care providers use special programs such as Health Leads to screen low income families whose lack of basic needs could lower their healing process and connect them to community resources. The patients are referred to these services regardless of the population targeted by the organizations and their insurance status. The study by Friedman et al. (2016) cites evidence of how community resources enhance clinical practice. As the organizations provide basic needs to the communities, they ease them such burdens and save money for treatment processes.