The Impact of Information Systems and Computer Technology on Nursing Practice

After decades of paper based medical records, a new type of record keeping has surfaced - the Electronic Health Record (EHR). EHR is an electronic or digital format concept of an individual’s past and present medical history. It is the principle storage place for data and information about the health care services provided to an individual patient. It is maintained by a provider over time and capable of being shared across different healthcare settings by network-connected information systems. Such records may include key administrative and clinical data relevant to that persons care under a particular provider. Examples of such records may include: demographics, physician notes, problems or injuries, medications and allergies, vital

The Database Management System of a healthcare organization is an application to perform administrative tasks on a database and interacts with the data stored in the databases. Years ago information was managed by a hands-on method such as files in the file cabinet. Now, databases are utilized by technology to drive and manage information. These “databases are an organized collection of data typically stored in an electronic format. Databases allow input, manage, organize, and retrieve data quickly” (Cornell, and Morris, 2015). Then Technology takes the data collected and transforms it into information which becomes knowledge to the users. The purpose of the study is to examine the use of the database system in nursing and to determine the benefits and challenges of the healthcare organization to use database systems and data.

Health care providers as well as nurses must keep track of all pertinent patient information and failure to do so leads to detrimental effect on the patient's life. CIS clinical information systems are "large, computerized database management systems that support several types of activities that include physician order entry, result retrieval, documentation and decision support". CIS is intended to replace medical records department of a hospital or any other medical institution. Physicians and clinicians can safely and quickly access information, order medication and treatments and implement appropriate care. CIS will hopefully improve productivity, increase quality care and reduce costs across the organization.

An Electronic Health Record is a computerized form of a patient’s medical chart. These records allow information to be readily available to authorized providers during a patient’s encounter with the healthcare system. These systems do not only contain medical histories, current medications and insurance information, they also track patients’ diagnoses, treatment plans, immunization dates, allergies, radiology images and lab tests/results (source). The fundamental aspect of EHRs is that they are able to share a patient’s information quickly across service lines and even between different healthcare organizations. Information is at the fingertips of lab techs, primary care physicians, pharmacies, clinics, etc. The

We live in a digital age where everything from photos to important documents is saved or stored online. This includes the use of electronic medical records. The electronic medical record (EMR) is useful in assisting physicians to have a complete and thorough health history of the patient. The EMR serves as a continuity of care from one hospital to another within the same organization (Hsieh, 2014). Consulting physicians also have quick access to recent diagnostic imaging, progress notes, and lab results. EMRs can help manage patients with chronic disease states, aid in data collection for use in research, and prevent adverse drug events (Hsieh, 2014).

While many people believe that health information exchange is a relatively new thing, it has been around for over four decades. However, in the beginning phases it was nowhere near as complex as it is now. Sometime in the middle of the 60’s, an early form of a data processing system was formed and it focuses on clinical data management. This system began to catch on even though they were nowhere near as sophisticated and or functional as the health records in today’s time.

It is important to note that the implementation of health information technology should not add to the operational burden on the nurses but provide for improvements in patient care (Jacques& Howell,2015). Clancy states,” that the nurse informaticist play a vital role in the successful planning,design and implementation of information technology” ( 2015, p.535). The selection of this new upgraded software will be easily configured and maintained by the IT department. The nurse informatics specialist will assist with the design and implementation of an app system that integrates to an upgraded electronic health record ( EHR) that will display crucial patient information and vital alarm information to the healthcare providers healthcare certified mobile phone and also a centralized dedicated alarm monitoring area in the nurses station. This upgrade in the EHR will provide easy accessible information to help providers to prioritize patient needs as urgent and critical vs noncritical and can wait. The use of mobile devices displaying patient critcal information enables staff to effectively communicate and collaborate with other members of the health care team to respond to a crisis because of an actual life-threatening actionable alarm event. The use of this enhanced, upgraded EHR not only assist health care providers to prioritze actions and react more proficiently to alarms but it will also help to determine the appropriate treatment plan for the

Nurses in clinical practice are constantly challenged to deal with an abundance of information and multiple technology systems. Use of a computer terminal with various types of information and use of communication technologies are expectations for health care personnel, including nurses. Estimates indicate that since the 1980s, approximately 50% of all new capital investments in health care organizations have been in information technology. Informatics can aid nurses by enhancing personal and private communication among health care staff, accessing or transferring information about patients, retrieving up-to-date health care information, sharing new or common knowledge among colleagues, and assisting in making

According Health IT Gov (2013), “An electronic health record (EHR) is a digital version of a patient’s paper chart that make information available instantly and securely to authorized users.” The EHR system that is currently used in my organization contains the medical and treatment histories of the patients. Depending on the individuals role make a difference in what all he or she will have access to on the system. This is a user friendly system that was built to go far beyond the standard clinical data that is typically kept in the patients paper chart. A purpose of the system is to

The technology implemented by medical organizations is helping to facilitate collaboration and, in turn, continuity of care. In the modern health care setting, nurses play a pivotal role in serving as a liaison between the many disciplines required to deliver services to consumers. While initial technology investment can cost health care organizations considerably, health information technology (HIT) facilities consumer education, promotes coordinated care, and streamlines treatment processes.

In today's world of developing technology, nurses are often required to stay up-to-date with current information systems. A typical day of practice would likely begin by starting up a computer and checking for staff news updates. The day would consist of multiple patient appointments. During each appointment, a nurse will interact with information systems several times whether it is a hand held device or a computer entry to an electronic health record. One of the major challenges healthcare faces today is the time spent with bedside patient care vs time spent using electronic devices. I have heard many experiences regarding the decline of bedside patient care. Because of the technology dependency, nurses are becoming less personal and communicable

The goal of this literature review is to increase our knowledge about technology use in practice and to identify where there is need for improvement. Information technology seems to be a widely discussed topic these days and most nurses have no clear idea how it can transform the way we do things on an every day basis. We will also look at the impact technology has on nursing, patients, and colleagues. We will then focus on a specific nursing setting, in this case the emergency room. This literature review is organized to grow on each independent section so that you, the reader, can form your own opinion, but take with you the universal understanding of how information technology will lead us down a new and exciting career path.

Theoretical perspectives on the use of new technology in nursing. The interaction between nurses and new IT and digitally controlled clinical technology has been theorized from several perspectives.

Clinical information systems are used to store, collect, and retrieve information for use in the healthcare delivery process. This is where information such as patient demographics, history, and provider care are stored (Biohealthmatics.com, 2006). Some examples of clinical information systems are patient registration systems, laboratory information systems, emergency medical systems, and clinical decision support systems. Patient registration systems involve the admission, discharge, and transfer of patient demographics and insurance information. These systems must be linked to all departments to increase the quality of patient care. Laboratory information systems are used for reporting test results as well as a wide variety of other tasks

Today, almost our entire society relies on technology in some form or another and the healthcare field is no different. The culture of nursing has changed dramatically over the past few decades; electronic charts and charting are still relatively new. I graduated nursing school in 2006 and at that time, there was still a fair amount of documentation done on paper. I have been able to watch the evolution of the way we nurse adapt to the technology of today. Currently we almost depend on the computers like a life line in the hospital nursing setting. Our patient 's lab work, test results, medication administration and information, history and more are all stored on the computer. When we are unable to access the information necessary to provide adequate care, it makes our jobs that much more difficult.