Technology Is On The Rise Than Ever Before

Mhealth has reached the poorest of communities (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.). More than 9 million patients email their physician in 2009 (Digital Health Care, 2010), because patients’ busy lifestyles do not allow time for an office visit for non-emergent health conditions. . In recent years, the expansion of mobile health (mhealth) technologies, including health text messaging, mobile phone applications, remote monitoring, and portable sensors, have changed the way health care is being delivered in the U.S. and globally (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.). Patients like the convenience of communicating with his or her physician through advanced technology.

As consumers utilize smartphones, tablets, and other devices for other functions like social media and email, they are starting to look at these features to assist them with their healthcare. Mobile body area network devices will be a growing trend in the coming years as a way to get patients engaged in their healthcare and also to give providers routine updates on the status of patients with chronic conditions. As DeGaspari (2014) indicates, these devices can lead to improved functionality for other devices used in hospitals, such as sensors for monitoring patients that might get up and wander or be a fall risk. Telemedicine will continue to grow as payers, providers, and patients all start to realize the mutual benefits that can be

Unfortunately, along with the good must come the bad. For every positive aspect of smartphones and social media in healthcare related settings, there is an equally negative aspect. One pitfall of smartphones in healthcare is directly related to one of the positive aspects of smartphones: the availability of medical

Two informatics trends that I believe will positively affect the health care industry include tele health and electronic medical records. Telehealth is used “to provide interventions to improve medication adherence” (Shah, Simms, Barksdale, & Wu, 2015, p. #1). Having health care providers communicate with individuals who are in distant or remote areas can increase the amount of individuals who are getting the proper health, which can lead to health promotion; making individuals more aware of problems they can avoid. Informatics is made easy because the communication is often done in front of a T.V. or commuter

According to Health IT News (2016) Digital technologies have improved care delivery in a number of areas. Providers need to align Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems and health management systems with consumer’s needs. Portability and easy access of an EHR system are necessary to empower consumers to engage in their care plan. The following examples indicates how health care providers could align technologies with consumer demand:

There have been huge leaps and bounds in the delivery of health care as a result of incorporation of information technology, creating a wider, more cost effective coverage in health care. These growths cuts across all aspects of the system, ranging from patient care, to hospital maintenance, improvement in data processing, and more. The For example, there are apps that can be installed on smart phones that assist in diagnosis and act as virtual doctors, others also grants patients access to doctors on-line, for example, Doctor-on-Demand, an app which gives access to a video visit with a board certified medical professional, all from the comfort of your

Energy companies have transitioned to smart grids, technology that allows them to measure and monitor and control energy usage from afar to gain efficiencies and eliminate waste. Televisions can be used in exercise routines, they can track progress and estimate calories burned. Medical customer engagement technology has not evolved as quickly as other industries. There are a myriad of lifestyle technology currently on the market, blood pressure monitors, weight scales, glucose monitors that send result electronically to applications. Through the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, we should see tremendous improvements. Patients will be able to upload information from these applications directly to their health portal. We will even advance to video doctor visits through our smartphones, which will be the ultimate in patient engagement, creating real time communication between patient and provider, not when a patient can get to a provide The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act will be viewed as one of the most successful and meaningful pieces of

These past few weeks of health informatics have brought to light many important aspects of technology within the health setting. My fellow classmates and I have gotten the chance to dig deep and learn about the use of health informatics within evidence-based nursing, methods patient’s use to find health information, online Communities of Professional Practice (CoP), and the use of Electronic Health Records (EHR) in addition to Personal Health Records (PHR). I believe these innovations can be increasingly helpful in the care process, but they are each still accompanied by their own consequences or adverse aspects. Further, it will be my job as a nurse to discuss these innovations with my patients and provide care in a way that will bring to

There is limited understanding of what Health Informatics (HI) or Health Information Technology (HIT) is outside of their respective realms. (Hersh, 2009, p. 1) When confronted with the question of what HI and HIT is, I first reach into my past for an early encounter with HI and HIT. A physician I was shadowing about a year ago, Dr. Zamir, attempted to explain the system he used that contained his patient’s electronic health records (EHRs). My limited understanding of the system he was using at the moment was analogous to my grandparent’s understanding of a cellphone. Little did I know, that Dr. Zamir guiding me through an intricate EHR system was but one of many examples of how HIT is used. Now, a year later, with a more thorough understanding of HI and how HIT is used, this essay is written to

In order for technology to be truly interoperable, federal guidelines must be met to ensure the information can easily be accessed by those who need it. A hospital facility would benefit greatly from telecommunication technology that allows physicians to easily place orders and access results on a portable device to facilitate and decide care. According to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) mobile health (mHealth) capitalizes on the growing trend of smart phones by utilizing software apps which allow physicians to access patient health information (Public Health Institute Center for Connected Health Policy, 2016). The use of mHealth meets guidelines established by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate the software used and classifies it as a medical device; the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) guidelines that establish the need for information to be transmitted from patient monitoring devices to physicians in a reliable and quick fashion; and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) which prevent misinformation regarding the effectiveness of apps and software that impact patient safety (Public Health Institute Center for Connected Health Policy, 2016). The use of smart phones changes how quickly physicians can remain informed of a patient’s disease process and is used by staff to facilitate clinical decision making processes.

We live in a world of computers, tablets, smartphones, and social media. Digital technology is so thoroughly merged into our everyday lives that being less connected is nearly unthinkable. But how has this digital revolution affected the way we conduct health care?

Its 2 AM in the morning. I am in post-op care watching my dad in a five-star Metro hotel-hospital.

Since its emergence in 1973 cell phone has become of the most efficient methods of communication but the functionality of the earlier version was strictly restricted only to placing important phone calls and nothing else. It wasn’t until decades later that amazing technological advancement turned this bulky uncomfortable piece of electronic into something extraordinarily more. Smartphones, along with social media, spread like wildfire and invaded every residence, every space, every workspace, every life, and changed forever the way humans interact and communicate. One of the most important workspaces it occupied in society was healthcare, and its use in it has been nothing short of controversy ever since. The controversy being how to delineate the limit usage of smartphones and social media in healthcare. The benefits, as well as the challenges smartphone usage present in healthcare, is something that should be objectively viewed when one weighs the impact it has on patient care. Together with social media, the benefit of smartphone usage in healthcare is apparent – according to 30 Amazing Mobile Health Technology Statistics for Today’s Physician by Govette (n.d), 72% of physician access drug information from smartphones, 63% of physician access medical research from tablets, 44% of physicians communicate with nurses and other staff from smartphones, 50% of physicians also access evidence-based clinical tools at point-of-care. It’s not only the physicians however who has reaped the benefits of smartphone usage and social media in healthcare, according to Wicklund (2015), “A new survey indicates nurses are relying more than ever on their smartphone for clinical care.” Although it is true that the use of smartphone and social media in healthcare is very beneficial as evidently shown in the aforementioned statistics, the challenges it poses to patient care as well as to protection of patient’s privacy and confidentiality is the kernel of the issue that needs attention. Healthcare is one of the major cornerstones of the society and patient care is the cornerstone of healthcare which consequently makes patients the highest priority. Patient care includes

Technology is an ever advancing science. Throughout time and history, it has progressed from the most primitive mechanisms to the most computerized mechanics. It has been stomping on an ever-progressing march, from which an end to it would require special instruments to see even the tiniest glimpse of. However, as the species behind such advancing technology, we must be careful with it or dire consequences lie in store. It is not exactly certain what kind of consequences would actually occur should we grow reckless with its power, but many scenarios have been imagined. However, if something were to go wrong and technology would be free from our reign, what would it do next? Without technology, where would man go? And without mankind, what would technology do? Mankind and technology are dependent on each other, in a relationship where one would be lost without the other. This necessary relationship is explored in Brian Aldiss’ “Who Could Replace Man?” c. 1958.

We live in a world where technology is solving so many of our first-world problems. While we have all these solutions, there are examples of when the old way was very helpful. For instance, a few months ago, I left my cellphone and keys in a building that I had just completed cleaning. It was late in the day and I had no access to either email or my contacts. Here’s the clincher…I also had not memorized my boyfriend’s phone number. That seems ridiculous, but I had never needed to actually know the number before that. I would simply find him in my contacts and call.