The development of electronic healthcare records (EHRs) technology has significantly changed the ways patient information is recorded, stored, and transferred between providers. According to HealthIT.gov, “EHRs are real-time, patient-centered records that make information available instantly and securely to authorized users” (“What is an electronic health record (EHR)?,” n.d., para. 1). In the past few decades, new tools associated with this system have emerged, making healthcare delivery safer, faster, and more efficient. Computerized physician order entry, bar-code medication administration, and clinical decision support system are among the most notable ones.
However, with the introduction of these technologies, novel challenges and risks in data safety, legislation, and patient care have arisen. Medical professionals can be reluctant to adopt new methods in their work or even develop workarounds to compensate for the lack of time, funding, or equipment malfunction.
Bar-code medication administration (BCMA) is one of the tools that has been widely used in the healthcare industry for the past decades. It helps prevent medication errors, such as wrong timing or wrong dosage (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017). Moreover, according to Shah et al. (2016), “BCMA has the potential to improve compliance with the requirements to check patient identity before administering medications” (p. 402). While numerous studies have proven the cost-effectiveness of this technology, deviations from the standard procedures can significantly reduce its efficiency (Kelly et al., 2016). These workarounds represent a serious threat to patient safety, and further research is required to find the best solution to this issue.
Computerized physician order entry (CPOE) is another tool used in the management of the medication administration cycle. This system is used to store the information about all medications patient takes, therefore preventing potential harmful interaction between drugs (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017). McGonigle & Mastrian (2017) state that “CPOE solves the safety issues associated with poor handwriting and unclear or incomplete medication orders” (p. 303).
It also provides information on dosing parameters, adjusted for specific cases (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017). As CPOE is used to store a significant amount of personal health information, data safety can represent a serious issue. Cloud storage can be easily accessed by hackers, leading to data breaches and potential lawsuits (Mohammed, 2015). CPOE system and EHR, in general, should be regularly updated to meet the latest cybersecurity standards to protect patients’ personal data.
The rising popularity of health apps has marked the beginning of a new era in healthcare. Patients can obtain essential information from the apps, including advice on potential adverse effects of treatments (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017). Research shows that this tool is extremely useful in increasing patient engagement and medication adherence (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017; Morawski et al., 2018).
One of the concerns associated with the apps is that they can significantly vary in quality, which can affect data safety and patients’ experience, in general. Skiba (2017) states that “it is important that educators begin to incorporate knowledge and skills for evaluating social media tools and mobile apps into the curriculum of health care professionals” (p. 38). Hence, while health apps can become a useful tool in healthcare, medical institutions should implement meticulous approval processes before recommending them to their patients. Some of the factors to consider are security, information accuracy, and usability.
Universal implementation of radio frequency identifiers (RFID) technology can have a significant impact on nursing practice. This tool would greatly improve patient care efficiency and data management. Besides being a reliable alternative to bar codes, RFID tags can be used by medical staff to track equipment and supplies and to check patients’ medication adherence (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017). McGonigle & Mastrian (2017) add that “RFIDs used in the medication supply chain protect patients by reducing the potential that a counterfeit medication might be inadvertently introduced into the supply” (p. 307). Therefore, despite the relatively high costs of this technology, it has enormous potential, as it can prove to be a solution to multiple issues in the healthcare industry.
References
Kelly, K., Harrington, L., Matos, P., Turner, B., & Johnson, C. (2016). Creating a culture of safety around bar-code medication administration: An evidence-based evaluation framework. JONA: Journal of Nursing Administration, 46(1), 30-37. Web.
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2017). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (4th ed.). Burlingtom, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Mohammed, D. (2015). U.S. healthcare industry: Cybersecurity regulatory and compliance issues. Journal of Research in Business, Economics and Management, 9(5), 1771-1776. Web.
Morawski, K, Ghazinouri, R, Krumme, A, Lauffenburger, J. C., Lu, Z., Durfee, E., Oley, L., Lee, J., Mohta, N, Haff, N, Juusola, J. L., & Choudh, N. K. (2018). Association of a smartphone application with medication adherence and blood pressure control. The MedISAFE-BP randomized clinical trial. JAMA International Medicine, 178(6), 802-809. Web.
Shah, K., Lo, C., Babich, M., Tsao, N. W., & Bansback, N. J. (2016). Bar code medication administration technology: A systematic review of impact on patient safety when used with computerized prescriber order entry and automated dispensing devices. The Canadian Journal of Hospital Pharmacy, 69(5), 394–402. Web.
Skiba, D. (2017). Evaluation tools to appraise social media and mobile applications. Informatics, 4(3), 32-40. Web.
What is an electronic health record (EHR)? (n.d.). HealthIT. Web.