Public health surveillance and prevention efforts in the U.S. reflect the involvement of numerous health care providers and organizations. Government agencies such as the CDC often function as a hub for the collection, coordination, and communication of public health-related data. Common applications of public health IT to promote and improve the health of populations include (but are not limited to) biosurveillance, disease registries, and immunization tracking. The timely and appropriate implementation of these applications can have a significant impact on the ability of providers to deliver health care to the their patients, which, in turn, can have a profound effect on a community’s overall state of health and wellness. Consider the dire impact a SARS outbreak might have, for example, if patient diagnoses were not reported and shared regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Prepare for this Application as follows:

• Conduct a literature review of a specific application of health information technology in public health and locate an example in which the application was used to address a public health-related concern. (You might wish to begin by researching a particular surveillance program, disease outbreak, disease registry, prevention program, or other public health-related event, and then identify the technology involved in this activity.)
• Find out how this application has impacted the public’s health. Learn also about any ways in which health care providers and organizations were involved in the use of this information technology.

Then write a 2- to 3-page paper that addresses the following:

• Describe the specific application you selected and the ways in which it addresses a public health-related concern. Summarize the potential benefits to the public, as well as any possible drawbacks, arising from the use of this application.
• Explain the role of hospitals and other health care organizations in contributing to or making use of this public health-related IT application.
• Discuss other implications of this application for health care providers and organizations. How has it impacted (or might it impact) clinical or administrative practices in hospitals or other health care institutions? Provide a rationale for your response.

Using Information Technology to Improve Patient Safety and Quality of Nursing Care 

For this Application Assignment, you are to write a 4- to 5-page paper on the issues of data quality, patient safety, and access to health care. Reflect on your own practices and review your readings and the media programs about how information technology improves patient safety and quality of care.

Conduct additional research using the Walden Library. Then, addressing the following:

• Describe strategies that are used to ensure the accuracy and safety of data entered into information systems used in nursing practice.
• Explain the importance of data integrity for health care institutions.
• Summarize how information technology contributes to patient safety and to access to health care.

 

 

 

Using Information Technology to Improve Patient Safety and Quality of Nursing Care – due by Day 7 of Week 5

 

 

 

For this Application Assignment, write a 3-4 page paper reflecting on what you have learned about the issues of data quality, patient safety, and access to health care in relation to information technology. Use the headings below for each section. Use a minimum of five references from the professional nursing literature in the assigned course readings and other references in the Walden Library. If they are relevant, you may use one or two professional web sites in addition to the literature references.

 

Begin this paper with a brief paragraph that provides an overview of the assignment and its purpose. There is no separate heading for this paragraph; the heading for this paragraph is the same as the title of the paper. This paragraph will be about 2-3 sentences. The last sentence in this paragraph is a sentence that begins “The purpose of this paper is to ¨. This paragraph is worth 20 points.

 

 

 

Data accuracy and safety – 60 points

 

 

 

Describe at least two strategies that are used to ensure the accuracy and safety of data entered into information systems used in nursing practice. This section is 2 paragraphs.

 

 

 

Data integrity – 40 points

 

 

 

Explain the importance of data integrity to healthcare institutions. This section is 1- 2 paragraphs.

 

 

 

Contributions of information technology – 60 points

 

 

 

Describe at least two ways in which information technology contributes to patient safety and to access to health care. This section is 2 paragraphs.

 

Summary – 20 points

 

End the paper with a one-paragraph summary of the main points of the paper.

 

Format/style

 

Proofread the paper as described in the tips for success in this course and correct any typos, grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, or APA format errors before submitting your paper in the Dropbox. Up to 40 points can be deducted from the grade for this assignment for these types of errors, or for not using at least the minimum number of required references.