Week 8: Electronic Health Technologies within Clinical Practice Settings (Part 2)

Course Content and Class Discussions

It is our beliefs and values that shape what we will create, (Coeira, 2004). How does this relate to health technologies? This is discussed in the article, Four Rules for the Reinvention of Health Care

Last week, we discussed health technologies in clinical practice settings and focused on mainly the implications to nursing practice related to the patients. This week is part two, and we will be discussing the use of health technologies in clinical practice settings from the perspective of the health care practitioner.

Sassen, (2009), believes that the importance of nurses’ attitudes and opinions of EHRs should not be underestimated because fifty percent of information systems fail due to users unwilling to accept them.

The goal of the EHR is designed to decrease paperwork, save time for nurses, improve documentation, decrease liability, improve access to patient information, and most importantly enhance patient outcomes, (Sassen, 2009). This cannot occur if nurses are not on board with the use of these new technology systems.  

Check out the video below, Meals Per Hour, to see how technology can influence people to become more efficient!

             

Videos/Learning Tools

Meals Per Hour:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EedMmMedj3M

Nursing Implications

             The implications this has on nursing practice is that they feel it may not be geared enough towards the needs of nurses, (Sassen, 2009) and it is because of this that many may have developed a poor attitude towards it. This negative attitude could spill over into the interaction with the client and cause damage to the nurse-client therapeutic relationship.

            Although damage to this relationship could occur regardless, as Sassen (2009) argues, the use of EHRs that rely so heavily on the use of technology could do the same. And many nurses feel it is unable to grasp the intangible aspects of nursing, (Sassen, 2009). This could in turn take away nurses time with patients and impersonalize the art of nursing.

 

            As mentioned in my previous blog (Week 7: Electronic Health Technologies within Clinical Practice Settings-Part 1), I myself was reluctant to use the EMR program implemented during my time working in a physician’s office. And after considering the viewpoints of Sassen, I can see how, in a different setting, my hesitancy could cause a larger issue for my client and in turn affect the impact I will have on that client’s health outcome.

Readings and Additional References

Caldwell, A., Young, A., Gomez-Marquez, J., & Olsen, K. (2011). Global health technology 2.0. Global Health Initiative, 63-67.

Coeira, E. (2004). Four rules for the reinvention of health care. Education and Debate, 1197-1199.

Sassen, E. J. (2009). Love, hate, or indifference: How nurses really feel about the electronic health record system. Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 281-287.