Part 1

My post

Hello class and Professor,

The advent of the technological era has been linked to improved patient outcomes. Most of the technologies in place are patient-centered and are aimed at improving the quality of care and service delivery. At the facility I work for, there are several technologies in place. The most recent is the point of care technology. As much as this technology is in its initial stages of implementation, the benefits have had profound effects on the operations of nursing. This technology allows nurses to access patient data such as X-rays and medication directly from the bedside. This is achieved through linked computers placed at the bedside of patients to ensure that their records can easily be accessed (Adam, 2017).

Considering that the facility has not yet adopted electronic health records, the point of care technology comes with great significance to the hospital. Through the technology, time is saved which would have otherwise been used to access the documents physically. This also allows for easier update of the patient information ensuring that they stay up to date. Point of care technology also ensures that nursing practice focuses on patient-centered care (Adam, 2017). This means that the patient is engaged in making decisions, follow-ups, and education to better their health.

The facility should, however, consider the importance of implementing electronic health records to complement the point of care technology. With electronic records coupled with this technology, nurses will have diverse alert systems such as mobile phones and tablets to ensure that they can access patient data away from the bedside.

Part2 

Professor Comments and question

It is really interesting that your organization has not implemented the electronic health record (EHR). The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act of 2009 provided $35 billion dollars for organizations to implement electronic health records. The incentive did not cover the entire costs of implementation to organizations, but are mandatory to meet the requirements for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System, or MIPS which will start in 2019. Do you think the organization will change to the EHR in the near future?

 References
Schwartz, S. (2016). Defensive medicine versus value-based care. Medical Economics. Retrieved from: http://medicaleconomics.modernmedicine.com/medical-economics/news/defensive-medicine-versus-value-based-care?page=0,0

Part 3/another students comments and question

I found your topic very interesting. Prior to working on the PCU unit at a hospital, my last employer was just in the process of implementing EMR. They were actually using paper charts. It is interesting that some health care organizations are behind when it comes to information technology. Do you think that this could be due to cost? I think cost was the major reason as to why my prior employer was slow to using EMR. 

 

one of the challenges that students face during this week is a sense of being overwhelmed at the idea of actually writing the essay, which too often leads to procrastination and either late nights or late work (or both!) So, let’s talk about how to avoid this trap.There are many bloggers that post tips for writing a fast draft essay. Do a quick search and look at some of their suggested strategies.Discuss your findings with your peers. Do you agree with any of the tips presented? If so, why?Discuss what steps you plan to take to help you get started with drafting your essay.Discuss whether or not procrastination is something you struggle with and which strategies you could use to overcome it.

  This is a case study the scenario is attached.

1. What smoking cessation information is currently being included in the discharge education of your patients in your practice setting?

2. What, if any, additions related to smoking cessation will you be adding to your discharge teachings as a result of this lesson? Please provide rationale.

3. What are the common symptoms associated with an exacerbation of COPD?

4. What assessment techniques will you use to assess Mary?

5. Identify smoking strategies that would be appropriate for each of the encounters that Mary had with the nurse throughout the video that could have been used to assist Mary in quitting smoking.

6. Find a resource in your community that could assist Mary. Start by searching the Internet for your local health department’s website. What services are available to Mary? Briefly describe the services that the state quit line provides. Does it meet the 4 As? Is it accessible, acceptable, affordable, or available for Mary?

7. What will you do to follow-up on Mary’s smoking cessation process?

In order to effectively manage their own health, individuals need to have competencies in two areas—basic literacy and basic health literacy. What is the difference? Basic literacy refers to the ability to read, even simple language. Health literacy is defined as, “the degree to which individuals have the capacity to obtain, process, and understand basic health information and services needed to make appropriate health decisions” (National Coalition for Literacy, 2009). Unfortunately, according to a Department of Education report on health literacy, only 12% of adults aged 16 and older are considered to have a proficient level of health literacy (U.S. Department of Education, 2006). Acquiring health literacy skills has become more complicated with the explosion of online health information, some credible and some misleading.

In this Discussion, you focus on how to help individuals find credible information on the Internet and develop strategies nurses can use to increase the health literacy of their patients.

To prepare:

• Think about the nurse’s role in improving the health literacy of patients.
• Consider the many ways patients access health information, including blogs, social media, patient portals, websites, etc.
• Reflect on experiences you have had with patients who self-diagnose using online medical sources.
• Using the Internet, the Walden Library, or other trustworthy sources, identify a resource that you could introduce to patients to help them evaluate the credibility of health information found online.
• What are some strategies you could employ to improve the health literacy of patients?

Post your assessment of the nurse’s role in improving the health literacy of patients. Then, identify the resource you would recommend to patients for evaluating online health information and why it would be beneficial. Describe additional strategies for assisting patients in becoming informed consumers of online health information.

One of the pivotal goals of consumer health literacy efforts is to design educational materials that attract as well as educate users. In this Assignment, you design a health information document on a topic that is of interest to you.

To prepare:

• Select a health issue of interest to you.
• Identify the audience or population that you seek to educate about this issue.
• Search the Internet to find credible sites containing information about your selected topic.
• Review the two health literacy websites listed in this week’s Learning Resources. Focus on strategies for presenting information.

To complete:

• Design an educational handout on the health issue you selected.
  • Include a cover page.
  • Include an introduction that provides:
    • An explanation of your issue and why you selected it
    • A description of the audience you are addressing
  • In the handout itself:
    • Develop your handout in such a way that it attracts the attention of the intended audience.
    • Include a description of the health issue and additional content that will enhance your message (i.e., key terms and definitions, graphics, illustrations, etc.).
    • Recommend four or five sites that provide clear, valuable, and reliable information on the topic.

Note: Remember to keep the information in your health handout and its design at the appropriate level for the audience you are seeking to inform. Submit your Assignment as a Word document.