Table of Contents
Discussion: Informatics and Technology
Discussion: Informatics and Technology
Discussion: Informatics and Technology
Week 9 discussion Described the role of the nurse manager in integrating informatics and technology support in healthcare risk management and quality improvement. Examined how informatics and technology support enhances the nurse manager’s work and strategic decision-making processes
Today, health informatics and technology — a discipline that combines information systems, data, communications and medical care —are revolutionizing the health care industry, as the majority of medical institutions become compliant with the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH). In accordance with HITECH, health care facilities are now required to maintain electronic records for every patient, giving researchers, clinicians, and medical facilities access to data they have never been able to leverage before. Now, the possibilities this data holds for human health are being explored from every angle.
Here are eight ways health informatics and technology will shape the future.
1. mHealth
mHealth, the use of mobile technology for patient care, is offering a much more convenient patient experience and streamlining care. An increasing array of mobile apps are enabling patients to better manage their health, communicate with healthcare providers, schedule appointments, and access health information. The technology is also helping providers improve patient compliance with tools that provide remote monitoring of certain health conditions and medical devices, Wellframe, Retrofit, MedWand, WellDoc, Pager, Oscar Health and Hometeam are just a handful of mobile technology companies that are working on applications to transform how doctors and patients interact in the modern era.
2. Telemedicine
Telemedicine, much like mHealth, deals with virtual communication between patient and physician. With telemedicine, doctors are able to see and treat patients through video conferencing, eliminating the need for patients to drive to a physician’s office or clinic. Telemedicine is a boon for the thousands of people every year who don’t have access to medical care because they live in a remote location, lack transportation options, or are not ambulatory. In recent years, some medical centers have even expanded their telemedicine capabilities to the surgical suite – remotely performing intricate robotic surgeries on patients many miles away – or even around the world.
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3. Interoperable Healthcare Information Technology (HIT) Systems
Interoperability, “the extent to which systems and devices can exchange data, and interpret that shared data,” according to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), is still a pipe dream for the health care industry. Yet, it is a goal that those in the industry are working steadily toward achieving. In order to gain the most benefit from the new influx of patient data and realize the full potential of the healthcare informatics movement, systems and networks must be interoperable. The healthy and open flow of information among health care practitioners, patients and networks will ultimately lead to better health care and more informed patients who are in charge of their own health.
