The Impact of Informatics on Healthcare Delivery Essay Example

fields such as health care (Kaminski, 2011). Nursing specialists in informatics uses change theory in directing, guiding and providing technical assistance to the nursing staff and providing leadership when implementing system changes in the nursing technical systems. The change theory follows three distinct stages: unfreezing, moving, and refreezing. Unfreezing stage involves convincing the people to relinquish the old methods of carrying out work, which are considered as counterproductive. The stage involves analysis the current behavior or methods and the informing the people about the best practices they need to adapt. Moving or the change stage which involves the actual change in behavior, thoughts and feelings, into adapting more productive practices. People are convinced into adapting the new technology. Refreezing is the final stage which involves acquiring the new change as a standard practice in the organization (Kaminski, 2011).

Nursing informatics finds applications in various areas in the field of nursing. Nursing informatics, and computers have been applied in clinics, hospitals, labs and diagnostic centers. An example is the Electronic Medical Record (EMR). EMR allows access of information simultaneously in different locations, providing easy access to clinical data and information, thus facilitating research and improving patient care. EMR falls under a type of nursing informatics referred as the Clinical Research (CR). CR informatics ensures that the researchers have access to the clinical information, data and knowledge for further research. Electronic Health Record (EHR) is a component of the clinical informatics that allows efficient exchange of information between different clinics (Shortliffe & Cimino, 2013). Bed Management System is applied in hospitals in managing patient beds. RFID have been implemented in hospitals to allow for tracking of patients and

medical equipment. RFIDs is a type of informatics that falls under the Public Health (PH). PH informatics involves the application of informatics in the public health in areas such as surveillance. Laboratory MIS have been developed to facilitate analysis and storage of lab test results. They improve the quality of data and improve the real time. Laboratory MIS falls under the clinical informatics (Shortliffe & Cimino, 2013).
Nursing informatics ensures that the nursing professionals have integrated the nursing science and the information technology, improving service delivery and their productivity.

The nursing informatics plays a role in decision making through integration of information, knowledge and data. Information technology and processes have provided easy access to information and knowledge and have supported decision making processes. The nursing informatics have enabled easy documentation of clinical and health data, reducing patient and operational costs involved when handling patients. Nursing informatics has made communication more efficient and now medical experts, nurses and researchers are able to share information with the aims of improving health and patient care. Informatics has facilitate research work, through provision of access to larger databases of data across the data. This has helped in providing solutions to the many health problems facing the people. Nursing practices improves the data integrity and ensures security of the stored and transmitted data. Clinical management systems have minimized errors in the medical field and also have ensured improved monitoring and assessment of various ailments and diseases. The nursing informatics has improved nursing competency and has improved their nursing skills.

Nursing informatics has revolutionized the nursing profession and has improved the nursing productivity and service delivery. Despite the many beneficial contributions the nursing informatics

has brought in the nursing sector, it also faces numerous challenges. The lack of the informatics skills among the nursing fraternity presides a greater challenge to the implementation of the nursing informatics (Bath, 2008). Many of the nurses lack the skills to use and apply the informatics in their field. This calls for training of special group that would help in training and guiding of the nurses, transferring into them, the necessary informatics skill. Establishing nursing competencies is a challenge. Nursing competencies would ensure that the nurses possess the basic skills in IT such as provision of data privacy and use of the EHR systems in record documentation. Minimum informatics competencies need to be set in the field nursing (Bath, 2008).

Technology is evolving every day. New technologies are currently emerging that may have great impact in the field of nursing. These include computerized physicians, robotics, 3-D printing and biometrics (Huston, 2013). Robotics would revolutionize the nursing sector by providing improved diagnostic capabilities. The robotics would provide good patient experience and would improve treatment of mental and physical health issues. Robotics would provide nanotechnology which would be applied in treatment of various human diseases (Huston, 2013).

Biometrics in the nursing field would improve the security and confidentiality of patient data in the health care system. Biometrics would thus improve the costs of managing and storing passwords. Computerized physician order would computerize the ordering process and ensure that costs are minimized and making sure that medical errors are reduced during ordering processes. Informatics in genetic would ensure that most of the ailments which are based on lifestyle and genetic components. The genetic technology would provide therapies to such

genetic conditions and ensure that solutions are provided to the genetic disorders. Genetic advancement would help in eliminating the need for organ transplant. Genetic technology would ensure that tissues grown from the individual’s body and would thus eliminate the need of organ transplant (Huston, 2013).

Nursing informatics has brought great developments in the field of health care. Great developments in record keeping, communication, data entry and data confidentiality are some of the many benefits that informatics has brought in the health care sector. Nurse productivity has increased and service delivery in the US has taken progressive steps (Saba, 2001). However, technological development is associated with various challenges such as lack of technological skills among the nurses. Challenges have hindered the full implementation of the nursing informatics. Technology is evolving and nursing informatics is faced with great technologies which will revolutionize and change the service delivery in the health care system. Informatics in nursing plays a role in enhancing communication and promoting research work. Informatics would provide a larger information base to the nurses and help in providing solutions in the current problems in the health sector. Health is important and therefore calls for need for advanced technologies.

References

1. Bath, P. A. (2008). Health informatics: current issues and challenges. Journal of Information Science.
2. Graves, J. R., & Corcoran, S. (1997). The study of nursing informatics. Image: The Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 21(4), 227-231.
3. Huston, C. (2013). The Impact of Emerging Technology on Nursing Care: Warp Speed Ahead. Nursingworld.org.Retrieved1June2016,from http://www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/ OJIN/TableofContents/Vol-18-2013/No2-May-2013/Impact-of-Emerging- Technology.html
4. Kaminski, J. (2011). Theory applied to informatics-Lewin’s change theory. Canadian Journal of Nursing Informatics, 6(1), 1-4.
5. Saba, V. K. (2001). Nursing informatics: Yesterday, today and tomorrow. International
   

Nursing Review, 48(3), 177-187.