Effects of Technology on Patient Care and Nursing Practice

Effects of Technology on Patient Care and Nursing Practice

EHRs serve as comprehensive repositories of patients’ medical data, accessible via healthcare organizations’ computer systems or mobile devices. This includes diagnostic details, treatment plans, allergies, infections, laboratory results, billing information, radiology images, vaccination records, and overall health indicators (Grewal et al., 2019).

Effects on Patient Care

EHRs expedite and improve patient treatment by enabling nursing staff to quickly identify patient needs and facilitate more effective clinical interventions (Abul-Husn & Kenny, 2019). They systematically aggregate and disseminate patient data to all caregivers, ensuring comprehensive information sharing.

Effects on Nursing Practice

Nurses utilize EHRs to contextualize patient data and enhance interprofessional communication, particularly beneficial for critically ill patients or those requiring close monitoring (Wisner et al., 2019). Secure portal access empowers nurses to efficiently retrieve patient information, leading to improved intervention planning.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

• Facilitation of evidence-based medicine
• Precise documentation
• Streamlined preventive care
• Secure storage of medical records
• Enhanced data management

Drawbacks

• Concerns regarding malpractice liability
• High implementation costs
• Potential decrease in overall productivity (Upadhyay & Hu, 2020).

Communication of Data

EHRs support both structured (e.g., computerized provider order entry) and unstructured communication pathways (e.g., clinical notes), enhancing information exchange within healthcare settings (Zhang et al., 2020). They also incorporate encryption algorithms to ensure secure communication.

Identifying Criteria to Evaluate Data

Integration of 5G technology enhances nurse-patient communication via messages, emails, or phone calls, particularly beneficial for patients in remote areas. Online portals established by healthcare organizations facilitate data collection and evaluation before dissemination to the medical team (Zhang et al., 2020).

Controls and Safeguards to Maintain Patient Safety and Confidentiality

Technological advancements improve patient-staff communication and access to intervention updates, crucial for understanding patient conditions. Safeguarding patient data involves issuing secure portal access to family members of patients with impairments and ensuring open dialogue with patients regarding data privacy (Lee, 2017). Ethical utilization requires proper staff training in data storage and monitoring.