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reply #1 with 2 references

Gilia Wilder

Gilia Wilder

7:45pmApr 3 at 7:45pm

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Discussion week 6:

Post a brief description of general healthcare technology trends, particularly related to data/information you have observed in use in your healthcare organization or nursing practice.

Healthcare technology can be defined as “the application of organized knowledge and skills in the form of medicines, vaccines, medical devices, and procedures, alongside systems that are used to solve numerous health problems and improve the quality of life across the world” (Aliouche, 2022). With the new emerging technologies, healthcare is changing and offering more solutions to problems that have been pointed out. Some of the new technologies are things like AI, telehealth and remote patient monitoring, virtual collaboration, IoMT, EHR’s and precision medicine.

Describe any potential challenges or risks that may be inherent in the technologies associated with these trends you described.

            One of the potential challenges I see associated with the new technology is lack of human-to-human interaction. With things such as tele-intensive programs, there is almost no need for providers to come and see the patients, and, to me, things can get missed this way. This was not an actual thing during Covid, but a hospital I worked at in Texas utilized this with the use of an iPad,  not for the benefit of the patient, but because this was at the height of covid, and a lot of the doctors would refuse to come and actually see the patient in the quarantined ICU more than once, so if you had a problem, the only solution was to facetime the doctor essentially. There is only so much you can show and see via a telehealth modality screen, as opposed to being able to touch the patient physically and see them in person, so to me, this could pose a huge safety risk for higher risk patients.

Then, describe at least one potential benefit and one potential risk associated with data safety, legislation, and patient care for the technologies you described.

            One benefit that I do see with the integration of more technologies into healthcare is the use of AI in healthcare organizations. Some of the most time-consuming tasks end up being mundane, but they are important and have to be done. With the use of AI, this can shorten the processes by being able to complete it for the provider so that the provider in the end is not rushed and it can cut down on mistakes due to tiredness. In an article I read, it stated that some of the ways AI is being used are in CT scan reconstructions, which deliver higher quality images for radiologists to read, leading to more accurate and faster diagnosis for the patients (Phillips.com, 2023). I think this is very beneficial because it will improve the oversight of scans that  can sometimes happen, leading to delays in patient care and diagnosis, or causing unnecessary fear in patients when they think something was found on their scan, and it was actually a human error in the read of it.

Next, explain which healthcare technology trends you believe are most promising for impacting healthcare technology in nursing practice and explain why. Describe whether this promise will contribute to improvements in patient care outcomes, efficiencies, or data management. Be specific and provide examples.

            I think that the most promising healthcare technology trend would be in the use of IoMT, and wearable devices. Having to wear these devices previously, I now know how convenient it is to be able to be monitored away from the hospital and or doctor’s office but have the peace of mind that if something did go wrong, someone would contact you and give you further instructions. With nursing, the medical wearable devices allow for the monitoring of your patient when they are away from the bedside, early interventions if necessary, and possibly detecting other health issues that were underlying. I think this would all improve patient outcomes. With anything, there will be flaws and things that need to be fixed, but with IoMT, I think the pros outweigh the cons, and with some fixes, can be a major plus for the healthcare field moving forward.

 

References

10 healthcare technology trends for 2024. (2023, November 14). Philips. https://www.philips.com/a-w/about/news/archive/features/2023/20231114-10-healthcare-technology-trends-for-2024.html

Aliouche, H. (2022, June 17). Health Technology Around the World. News-Medical.net. https://www.news-medical.net/health/Health-Technology-Around-the-World.aspx

Reply #2 with 2 references

Crystal Johnson

10:21amApr 3 at 10:21am

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Post a brief description of general healthcare technology trends, particularly related to data/information you have observed in use in your healthcare organization or nursing practice.

This is certainly an era of individuals or groups wanting information, answers, and solutions immediately. Patients have become more open to accepting electronic technology such as patient portals, lab results, and secure messaging with providers (McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2022) p. 358).

There are many emerging healthcare trends relating to technology. One that is well known and has been in use for quite some time is EMR. More recently we have had telehealth capabilities and the introduction of artificial intelligence in the medical field. One technological advancement we use in my facility is a telehealth neurological consult, called “specialist on call”. I live in a relatively small town and we don’t always have neuro on call. In my freestanding ER, if we have strokes, new onset seizures, unexplained altered mental status, or any other condition requiring a neuro consult, we can do this via telemedicine. We have a monitor on wheels with a camera and we set it up in the patients room. We then request a consult and a provider comes on shortly after. The RN is at the bedside and helps the physician with the physical aspect of the exam. 

 

Describe any potential challenges or risks that may be inherent in the technologies associated with these trends you described.

The telehealth consult for neuro situations typically runs seamlessly. Although sometimes it has some issues. The neurologists who are on call for these instances, perform the consults from an office area in their home. Sometimes this comes with background noise like their children or pets. Occasionally we run into technical issues such as not being able to get the camera to come on, or get the sound to work. Another challenge is that many people are more “old-school” and prefer face-to-face interaction with the provider (Antonacci et al., (2023).

Then, describe at least one potential benefit and one potential risk associated with data safety, legislation, and patient care for the technologies you described.

A benefit of utilizing telemedicine for a neuro consult is that we can assess the patient with the neurologist and have the neurologist give us an immediate plan of care. If we have to TPA a stroke patient, the neurologist stays on the camera and many times will calculate the dosage for us to ensure that there are no errors. A risk for data safety would be if somehow the calls are intercepted or hacked by those not included in the case. This compromises patient information security.

 

Next, explain which healthcare technology trends you believe are most promising for impacting healthcare technology in nursing practice and explain why. Describe whether this promise will contribute to improvements in patient care outcomes, efficiencies, or data management. Be specific and provide examples.

I believe that the continuing evolution of telemedicine coupled with incorporating AI into our practice will have the most promising impact. Telemedicine is incredibly helpful for the elderly or those who are unable to easily leave their homes and access medical care. Adding AI into the mix, solutions and healthcare plans can be generated based on a patient’s specific situation. This still makes care tailored specifically for each patient instead of a blanket treatment approach.

 

Antonacci, G., Benevento, E., Bonavitacola, S., Cannavacciuolo, L., Foglia, E., Fusi, G., Garagiola, E., Ponsiglione, C., & Stefanini, A. (2023). Healthcare professional and manager perceptions on drivers, benefits, and challenges of telemedicine: results from a cross-sectional survey in the Italian NHS. BMC Health Services Research, 23(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-10100-xLinks to an external site.

 

McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2022). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (5th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.