Transforming Nursing
Tinacherry100$
WK.6.PEERS.TRANSFORMINGNURSING.docxTRANSFORMING NURSING
DIGITAL HEALTH: MOBILE DEVICES, WEARABLES, TELEHEALTH, TELEMEDICINE
Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses and respond to two of your colleagues. Expand upon your colleague’s posting or offer an alternative perspective on the use of digital health
PEER # 1
The Use, Implementation and Barriers of Digital Health for Healthcare Organizations and Nursing Practice.
The delivery of patient care has changed in recent years due to the adoption of digital health technologies by nursing practices and healthcare organizations. These technologies include wearable technology, mobile health applications, telemedicine, electronic health records (EHRs), artificial intelligence (AI) systems, and wearable devices. Within healthcare settings, there are many opportunities to improve patient experiences, optimize resource utilization, and increase efficiency by adopting digital health solutions. Nevertheless, despite the possible advantages, nursing practice and healthcare institutions encounter several challenges and hurdles when implementing digital health technologies. These impediments may include budgetary and technological limitations and problems with data security, workflow integration, and regulatory compliance. Healthcare professionals may also resist change, and there may be differences in patient populations' access to technology and worries about the quality of care provided via digital platforms. The use of digital health technologies in healthcare settings and how they affect nursing practice will be discussed in this Discussion. The advantages of implementing digital health will be discussed, including better patient engagement, streamlined procedures, and increased communication. In addition, the impediments to the effective integration of digital health solutions will be recognized and examined, and solutions to these obstacles will be proposed. Nursing professionals and healthcare organizations can more effectively navigate the changing landscape of healthcare delivery in the digital age by gaining insight into the opportunities and challenges related to digital health.
Digital innovation - Telehealth Telehealth, also called telemedicine, is a digital health innovation that has completely changed how healthcare is provided through telecommunications technology. A wide range of services are included in Telehealth, such as remote monitoring, telepsychiatry, tele pharmacy, and virtual consultations. This innovation connects patients and healthcare providers regardless of geographic distance using video conferencing, smartphone apps, and other digital communication tools. Enhancing access to healthcare services is one of the main benefits of Telehealth, particularly for those who reside in underserved or rural areas with limited healthcare facilities. Telehealth lowers barriers to care and improves convenience by removing the need for patients to travel great distances to see a healthcare provider. Furthermore, Telehealth can improve continuity of care by facilitating routine patient monitoring and follow-ups for individuals with chronic conditions, which can improve disease management and outcomes. Telehealth also benefits healthcare organizations by promoting the use of resources and strengthening operational efficiency. By seeing patients remotely, cutting down on wait times, and making the most of clinical space, Telehealth enables healthcare professionals to manage their time and resources effectively. Furthermore, without having to make significant investments in physical infrastructure, Telehealth can assist healthcare organizations in expanding their services and reaching a larger patient population. In addition, Telehealth has proven helpful in times of international health emergency, like the COVID-19 pandemic, by facilitating prompt and secure access to medical care while lowering the possibility of virus transmission. During the pandemic, telehealth utilization increased as medical professionals used virtual care solutions to keep patients' medical records up to date while following social distancing protocols. According to researchers, Telehealth (TH) was presented as a potentially helpful tool for assisting integrated care in treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Its two main objectives are enhancing self-management and offering remote assistance for ongoing illness management, Gaveikaite V. et al. (2020).
Telehealth has many advantages, but there are still several obstacles and difficulties in the way of its widespread use. One of these is the digital divide, which may restrict access to telehealth services for some populations, particularly those with limited internet connectivity or digital literacy skills. Other issues include regulatory and reimbursement concerns, data privacy and security concerns, and technological barriers for patients and healthcare providers. According to researchers, advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) are in a great position to lead the advancement of telehealth initiatives. From a King viewpoint, the article's authors shed light on the telehealth leadership opportunities available to APRNs in the present healthcare systems, Fronczek, A. E., & Cowen, N. (2019).
Challenges and Opportunities have arisen in your Healthcare Organization. The integration of Telehealth brought both opportunities and challenges to our healthcare organization. As we worked to modernize our infrastructure to facilitate smooth video consultations and ensure data security and privacy compliance, technical challenges first surfaced. Employee education was essential since nurses had to modify their clinical and communication abilities to interact with patients from a distance. Careful attention was required during implementation due to regulatory considerations, especially regarding patient confidentiality under HIPAA regulations. Even with these difficulties, there were plenty of benefits to Telehealth. It increased our reach, allowing us to provide care to patients in underserved or remote areas and allowing patients with mobility limitations to receive continuous care. Virtual consultations were convenient for patients, which increased their engagement and satisfaction. Additionally, Telehealth promoted teamwork among medical professionals, improving patient outcomes and care coordination. Through iterative improvements and ongoing feedback, we improved our telehealth practices over time, modifying our healthcare delivery model to more accurately reflect the requirements of our clients. The potential for Telehealth to significantly enhance patient outcomes, healthcare efficiency, and access makes it a transformative digital innovation. Healthcare organizations and policymakers can fully utilize Telehealth to establish a patient-centered and more accessible healthcare system by managing the obstacles and difficulties related to its implementation. According to researchers, numerous ways exist to increase the variety of telehealth services and the number of telehealth sessions conducted. These ways include introducing new technologies, expanding services into several new specialty areas, and modernizing telehealth equipment to improve uptake and streamline workflows, Seto E. et al. (2019).
Further investigation into the implementation of Telehealth revealed more obstacles to patient acceptance and access. Exacerbating already existing healthcare disparities, not all patients had access to the technology or internet connectivity needed to participate in virtual consultations. To overcome these obstacles, innovative ideas were required, like lending out devices or collaborating with neighborhood organizations to install internet access in underprivileged areas; according to researchers, Telehealth—or healthcare provided via computers, the internet, and other communication devices—is increasing in tandem with the advancement of technology and changing social and cultural norms. Professionals must possess the necessary skills to provide these services to ensure their quality and security. Still, one of the obstacles to adopting Telehealth has been noted as the lack of professional training, onasdottir, S.K., Thordardottir, I. and Jonsdottir, T. (2022).
Furthermore, vital patient education and outreach initiatives were needed to win patients' trust and convince them that Telehealth is a practical way to deliver healthcare. Patient confidence in the new modality required a clear explanation of the advantages and restrictions of Telehealth as well as assurances regarding data security and privacy protections. Notwithstanding these obstacles, the telehealth revolution offered a game-changing chance to reconsider conventional healthcare delivery and adopt a patient-centered strategy. We were able to move toward a model of care that put accessibility, convenience, and individualized patient experiences first by utilizing telehealth technologies. This change was primarily the work of nurses, who acted as front-line proponents of patient-centered care and telehealth adoption. We gained critical insight into the significance of flexibility, teamwork, and ongoing development in embracing digital innovations to improve the caliber and accessibility of healthcare services as we successfully navigated the challenges of telehealth implementation. In summary, there were opportunities and challenges when Telehealth was implemented in our healthcare organization. Implementation was initially hampered by access, technical, and regulatory issues, but these problems were overcome with creative thinking, proactive staff development, and patient-centered strategies. After overcoming these challenges, Telehealth became a revolutionary tool that increased our influence, enhanced patient accessibility, and promoted teamwork in delivering patient-centered care.
Fronczek, A. E., & Cowen, N. (2019). Leadership Opportunities for Nurses in Telehealth: A King Perspective. Nursing Science Quarterly, 32(4), 327–330. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894318419864347
Gaveikaite, V., Grundstrom, C., Winter, S., Schonenberg, H., Isomursu, M., Chouvarda, I., & Maglaveras, N. (2020). Challenges and opportunities for Telehealth in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease management: a qualitative case study in Greece. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 20(1), 216. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12911-020-01221-y
Jonasdottir, S. K., Thordardottir, I., & Jonsdottir, T. (2022). Health professionals' perspective towards challenges and opportunities of telehealth service provision: A scoping review. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 167, N.PAG. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2022.104862
Seto, E., Smith, D., Jacques, M., & Morita, P. P. (2019). Opportunities and Challenges of Telehealth in Remote Communities: the Yukon Telehealth System Case Study. JMIR Medical Informatics, 7(4), e11353. https://doi.org/10.2196/11353
·
PEER #2
Digital Infusion Pumps
Benefits
Adopting digital innovations in healthcare and nursing practice, presents several challenges and opportunities. Among the many different technology that exists at my current institution, smart infusion pump technology has provided numerous benefits and some challenges. Smart pump infusion technology can potentially reduce/prevent errors like incorrect dose, rate, and pump failure and demonstrated an 80% reduction in infusion-related drug errors (Alamer & Alanazi, 2023). In fact, the smart pump contains dose error reduction software (DERS) that help to prevent deviations in programming by users to prevent errors (Alamer & Alanazi, 2023).
Challenges
Despite the benefits of smart infusion pump technology, an absence of integration with hospital systems may decrease the support for these pumps. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a class 1 recall of the Alaris pump BD Alaris Syringe Module that could lead to inaccurate fluid delivery (Park, 2023).
The smart infusion Nimbus pump had a recent voluntary recall at my institution for the following reasons identified by the manufacturer. The battery power can potentially affect the performance of the pump by causing an immediate power off event, systems error, flow rate errors, and pump housing design which result in damage over time causing false occlusions and flow rate inaccuracies (Martinez, 2024). To correct the issue for the Nimbus pumps, the battery for the infusion pump will brown out (fail-safe), auditory and visual system error alarm will alert the user and the design will be updated (Marinez, 2024).
Conclusion
There are currently constant software updates to the Alaris pumps and removal of defective ones. The nimbus pumps will be replaced with CADD pumps until the necessary recommendations and corrections are made for usage. Despite the failures of the pumps, opportunities for future improvement are broad and the benefits of having them outweigh the costs. Ultimately, integrating a smart pump infusion with the hospital system and implementing better systems update and design will eliminate the challenges that exists with smart pump devices.
References
Alamer, F., & Alanazi, A. T. (2023). The impact of Smart Pump Technology in the healthcare system: A scope review. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.36007
Martinez, S. (2024, March 29). INFUTRONIX issues voluntary recall of Nimbus Infusion Pumps. 24x7. https://24x7mag.com/medical-equipment/patient-care-equipment/infusion-therapy/infutronix-issues-voluntary-recall-of-nimbus-infusion-pumps/#:~:text=InfuTronix%2C%20LLC%20announced%20a%20voluntary,EpiD%2C%20and%20Nimbus%20II%20EMS.
Park, B. (2023, December 6). Compatibility issues prompt recall of alaris infusion pumps. MPR. https://www.empr.com/home/news/safety-alerts-and-recalls/compatibility-issues-prompt-recall-of-alaris-infusion-pumps/#:~:text=The%20Food%20and%20Drug%20Administration,2004%20and%20September%2022%2C%202023.
. Assignment Rubric Details Close
Rubric
NURS_8210_Week6_Discussion_Rubric
|
NURS_8210_Week6_Discussion_Rubric |
||||||
|
Criteria |
Ratings |
Pts |
||||
|
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeRESPONSIVENESS TO DISCUSSION QUESTION (20 possible points) Discussion post minimum requirements: The original posting must be completed by Day 3 at 10:59 pm CT. Two response postings to two different peer original posts, on two different days, are required by Day 6 at 10:59 pm CT. Faculty member inquiries require responses, which are not included in the peer posts. Your Discussion Board postings should be written in Standard Academic English and follow APA 7 style for format and grammar as closely as possible given the constraints of the online platform. Be sure to support the postings with specific citations from this week's learning resources as well as resources available through the Walden University library and other credible online resources (guidelines, expert opinions etc.) |
|
20 pts |
||||
|
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCONTENT REFLECTION and MASTERY: Initial Post (30 possible points) |
|
30 pts |
||||
|
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCONTRIBUTION TO THE DISCUSSION: First Response (20 possible points) |
|
20 pts |
||||
|
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCONTRIBUTION TO THE DISCUSSION: Second Response (20 possible points) |
|
20 pts |
||||
|
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeQUALITY OF WRITING (10 possible points) |
|
10 pts |
||||
|
Total Points: 100 |
