Patient care decisions should be supported by timely clinical information, reflecting the best evidence possible (Institute of Medicine 2013). Present and future professional nurses must be able to use informatics and technology to facilitate critical decision-making for optimal patient outcomes (Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Nursing Initiative 2016). Nursing clinical informatics competencies involve the collection and use of patient data for analysis and dissemination. Nursing informatics with computer science was established to create innovative ways to provide quality care to our patients. Evidence based practice is a cornerstone to making NI better for the future. Without EBP there would be no such thing. 

What I see for the future is that technology would be expanding at a faster rate. There would be less hands on and more robotics. What I mean by this is that robots would be administering meds at the bedside, documenting task, and even doing patient consults. I believe that this would be in the near future to come because it would cut the need for nursing staff in half and it would be cost effective for the company. The only thing that would be the downfall to this is that robots do not pose interpersonal skills so patient questions would go unanswered and in would block the communication to building a rapport. We have already advanced to telemedicine which in some cases can be beneficial to the patient being seen by the physician. 

Another thing that would probably be good for the up and coming future would be if we could use the pyxis like we use Alexa and Siri. If we could give them voice commands where it could dispense patient medications that are due just by giving the first and last name of the patient would cut down on the time spent pulling meds. Instead of your taking 30mins to 1 hour pulling meds could just take about 15 to 20 mins. Modern technology is advancing so much that some of us cannot not keep up with the new demands of the workplace. In nursing we are always learning new things and we must continue to learn as we advance in our careers in order to be successful. New media offer new possibilities in teaching and learning. However, the appropriation of new knowledge and skills in dealing with technology, especially for older adults, is a critical challenge. This needs to be considered against the background of the digital divide. Which describes, among other things, the lack of information on the ability of older adults to use technology among those who have access to ICTs and new media in healthcare. In conclusion informatics will be changing for the better.

Reference 

Institute of Medicine. (2013). Core measurement needs for better care, better health, and lower costs: Counting what counts, workshop summary. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. doi:10.17226/18333 

Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Nursing Initiative. (2016). Massachusetts nursing of the future nursing core competencies. Retrieved from https://www.mass.edu/nahi/documents/NOFRNCompetencies_updated_March2016.pdf (Links to an external site.) 

Reply 2

The origin of health informatics began in the 1950s when computers were introduced into healthcare. Computers allowed new technology to expand the fields of medicine and nursing education (Nelson, 2014, p. 596). Today, health informatics takes the information technology that exists and applies it to systems in place already, creating a more innovative vision for healthcare. This can be accomplished by reviewing the current trends, as well as offering tools for predicting the future. Health professionals and informatics specialists can then prepare their leadership roles in planning effective future healthcare information systems (Nelson, 2014, p. 612).  

Our textbook further explains these changes by dividing the scope of change into three levels. The first level of change makes the process in use more efficient without changing the process or goal. An example of this would be for health care to completely move from paper documentation to an electronic way of inputting patient information. As I have discussed in other posts, this can be achieved by providing organizations that rely on pen and ink with the resources they need to provide all their cases electronic devices for accessing the plan of care for patients and medication administration records. Having patients check in to doctor’s offices with an iPad versus a clipboard and paper is another way the first level of change can occur. Second level changes involve changing how a specific outcome is achieved (Nelson, 2014, p. 614). An example of this today is the rise of telehealth medicine. Allowing patients more access to therapies and physicians through the phone offers more accessibility to those quarantining or social-distancing due to COVID-19. Telehealth medicine allows clinics the opportunity to limit the number of clients that are in a room to minimize risks for other patients and healthcare workers. Another example would be the initiation of apps for accessing health information and scheduling appointments. Phone applications can be downloaded and used at the discretion of patients 24/7 rather than patients calling the doctor for test results, medication refills, appointment scheduling, and taking printouts of visit summaries. The third level of change alters the process and refocuses the goal at the societal and institutional level (Nelson, 2014, p. 614). Phones have had the ability to track location since cell towers were installed. This past summer, location tracking has taken on a new role in the life of coronavirus. Digital contact tracing has become popular with governments of various countries to identify infected individuals and tracing people they have been in contact with. The process uses Bluetooth technology that logs when devices are near another device associated with an infected user for a prolonged period (Frith & Saker, 2020). Changing how phone tracking is used to benefit the community and allowing health agencies to monitor those who should be social-distancing due to a positive COVID-19 virus. The use of technology in this way  shows how a third level change can reflect the changes happening in our society. However, some oppose digital contact tracing because of HIPAA and surveillance concerns. My hope for the future of informatics is to successfully find the balance between technology and patient-centered care. Taking into consideration what nurses need to do their jobs most efficiently, improving patient care to be most accessible, and seamlessly integrate technology into the community to improve health in our neighborhoods is my vision of the future of health informatics.  

References 

Frith, J., & Saker, M. (2020). It Is All About Location: Smartphones and Tracking the Spread of COVID-19. Sage Journals. https://doi.org/10.1177/2056305120948257 (Links to an external site.) 

Nelson, R., & Staggers, N. (2014). Health Informatics: An Interprofessional Approach (2nd ed.). Mosby. 

Edited by Wood, Carmen on Oct 7 at 12:46pm

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