Role of information technology and management in caring for vulnerable populations
Discuss the role of information technology and management in caring for vulnerable populations. What role does health literacy play in the age of information technology? Use reference quotes from articles to support your point of view
#1 – Over the last few decades, the implementation of electronic health records (EHR’s) has transformed the field of medicine and health care professions. There are many reasons why EHR systems are becoming more widespread. Reasons such as ease of information navigation, real-time charting/clinical results, and increased efficiency and productivity, all make EHR systems a viable tool compared to paper charts. Not only are EHR systems benefiting health care professionals, but they are also benefiting patients. One example of this is the widespread use of patient portals. Patient portals allow patients to view their health records remotely and contribute to their care. According to Sakaguchi-Tang and colleagues (2017), patient portals help older adults better manage their health information. The researchers also found that communication between patients and providers increased. This research highlights the importance of EHR systems, especially patient portal applications and how it benefits patients.
One advantage of utilizing EHRs is the ease of information transmission and plan of care discussion. Providers are now able to talk to each other simultaneously while in different geographical areas and contribute to patient care. According to George and colleagues (2021), the EHR is a useful tool to improve interdisciplinary care as well as timely information transmission between providers. Providers are now able to chat in real-time regarding clinical information regardless of physical location. EHR application and patient satisfaction should be researched further in the future. At the present time, EHRs are being utilized in most health care systems due to its efficiency and positive outcomes regarding patient interaction.
References
Sakaguchi-Tang, D. K., Bosold, A. L., Choi, Y. K., & Turner, A. M. (2017). Patient Portal Use and Experience Among Older Adults: Systematic Review. JMIR medical informatics, 5(4), e38. https://doi.org/10.2196/medinform.8092.
George, R. R., Winden, T. J., Manos, L., Herrman, A., Campos, M., & Dittrich, C. B. (2021). Improving Coordination During Care Transition between Ambulatory and Inpatient Care Facilities: Evaluating the Utilization and Scope of Ehr Facilitated Longitudinal Plan of Care. International Journal of Nursing Education, 13(3), 153-160. https://search-ebscohost-com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm& AN=151392671&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
#2-Electronic health records (EHR’s) are a beneficial tool the healthcare system uses to collect data, improve quality, access patient data, and extract useful clinical data (Alzu’bi et al., 2021). EHR’s continue to improve and become more accessible each year. Advance Directives Absent in EHRs (2015) discusses the absence of integrating specifically elderly patient’s preferences into EHR’s in the United States. Specifically, advanced directives. Advanced directives are often discussed when patients come into the hospital as it is extremely important. Although this question is routinely asked, it does not always get transferred into the patient’s chart (Advanced Directives Absent in EHR’s, 2015). Whether the advanced directive gets entered into the chart or not, if a patient comes in to an emergency room unable to communicate with healthcare staff, it is not very beneficial (Advanced Directives Absent in EHR’s, 2015). A gap was noted in the system where patient’s records were not required to make a note of where the advanced directive could be found and only were required to say if the patient did or did not have an advanced directive (Advanced Directives Absent in EHR’s, 2015). To correct this, some vendors created an online registry where patients can enter their own end-of-life preferences (Advanced Directives Absent in EHR’s, 2015). This step is beneficial to both patients and healthcare staff because it makes information easier to access for both parties.
Creating patient portals and online registries is an effective way of capturing and communicating patient preferences. This is an easy way for patients to access their chart and medical records, make changes, make appointments, and offers several additional benefits. When a patient is able to do this online, it can provide a smoother process in comparison to having to do everything by phone. Patients feel like they have more control over their healthcare and decisions which can improve satisfaction in patient care. Not only does it benefit the patient, it also benefits the providers. This saves time and allows healthcare staff to spend more time in person with patients.
The increased use of technology and EHR’s can have both negative and positive effects on interdisciplinary collaboration. Interdisciplinary collaboration is a way for each member of the team to learn more about patients and work together to obtain the best outcome. When all members of the team can meet with patients to discuss plan of care, I think it is the most beneficial. The patient can ask questions and each member of the healthcare team can work together and communicate. The increased use of EHR’s can also be beneficial to this as they can be faster and more efficient. However, with increased use of technology such as EHR’s, less interdisciplinary communication can be a result. Lack of communication among healthcare staff can lead to negative outcomes and have a negative impact on care (Peek & Campbell, 2020). Overall, I think the increase in EHR use can be beneficial as long as it does not interfere with the in-person communication of the interdisciplinary team.
References
Advance Directives Absent in EHRs. (2015). Journal of AHIMA, 10.
Alzu’bi, A., Watzlaf, V., & Sheridan, P. (2021). Electronic Health Record (EHR) Abstraction. Perspectives in Health Information Management . Retrieved September 27, 2021.
Peek, G. K., & Campbell, U. (2020). Interdisciplinary relationship dynamics. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 77(6), 424-426. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajhp/zxz353