Technology innovation has improved public service delivery in both developed and developing nations. Specifically, the USA has transformed its healthcare operations through the objective integration of inventions in medical facilities organizations (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017). Working at Miami Valley Hospital has exposed me to various adoption rates of general technology trends from Epic Systems.
The administration has ensured the tactical implementation of management policies that improve interaction among stakeholders (Rao-Gupta et al., 2018). Specifically, healthcare technology at the institution aims at improving patient care through coordinated care. The innovation allows remote communication for enhancing medical services to public members in under-developed regions (Dykes et al., 2017). Most importantly, general healthcare technology trends in Electronic Health Records (EHR) are useful in ensuring equal access to quality medical care irrespective of racial or socioeconomic background.
My experience with Epic EHR Systems indicates several potential challenges inherent with healthcare innovation applications. It is worth noting the systems are cloud-based, and therefore, users need to have a stable internet connection (The Office of the National Coordinator, 2018). For instance, as a follow-up after surgery, an effective consultation procedure requires patients in remote regions to ensure uninterrupted video calls via the EHR telehealth interface (Rao-Gupta et al., 2018). Sufficient and reliable bandwidth is a potential challenge to individuals in underdeveloped regions implying unequal access to public healthcare services (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017). In addition, the rising cost of handheld devices might render the innovations obsolete and irrelevant since the technology requires gadgets such as smartphones, tablets, and smart watchers (Skiba, 2017). Most critically, these potential challenges have negative outcomes if neglected or overlooked by healthcare organizations.
However, general healthcare technology inventions from Epic Systems have imminent benefits in improving patient care. The remote connection between medical practitioners and individuals in need of medical attention is a significant achievement for the U.S. medical sector (The Office of the National Coordinator, 2018). The innovations result in healthy public members responsible for the positive growth of the economy. Similarly, there exist potential risks associated with EHR applications, as evidenced at Miami Valley Hospital (Skiba, 2017). For instance, cyber-crime presents a fundamental threat to the effective collection, storage, and retrieval of patient data (Dykes et al., 2017).
Data breaches are a risk that can affect the personal status of individuals to the public. The details acquired unlawfully contribute to related cyber-crimes on online credit card platforms. Consequently, EHR should be tactical in developing defense mechanisms for securing and protecting all medical stakeholders’ details.
Moreover, I believe telemedicine and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are the most promising healthcare innovation outcomes for the nursing practice. The former presents a useful platform where patients consult medical services regarding prescriptions and access to medicines (Rao-Gupta et al., 2018). Telemedicine has been useful to remote community members with poor infrastructure and few healthcare institutions (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2017).
Integration of AI depicts similar positive impacts for medical practitioners, especially nurses. For instance, precise and relevant data collection and retrieval actions required for AI implementation aid in the accurate medication prescription (Skiba, 2017). I believe nurses can improve their efficiency and prompt response to patients’ needs via the tactical implementation of general healthcare technology trends presented above.
Finally, I believe telemedicine and AI will improve patient care outcomes in varying ways. Time accuracy in responding to medical needs will enhance the early diagnosis of potential chronic conditions such as cancer. The technology trends will facilitate objectivity in data collection based on patients’ medical history as recorded from smart devices. Moreover, relevant data gathering will be critical for the strategic management of a patient’s medication. Nurses will become informed regarding useful and obsolete details acquired from varying EHR platforms. The contribution of general healthcare technology trends will be fundamental in transforming medical services’ quality for public members, as evidenced at Miami Valley Hospital.
References
Dykes, P. C., Rozenblum, R., Dalal, A., Massaro, A., Chang, F., Clements, M., Collins, S., Donze, J., Fagan, M., Gazarian, P., Hanna, J., & Bates, D. W. (2017). Prospective evaluation of a multifaceted intervention to improve outcomes in intensive care: The promoting respect and ongoing safety through patient engagement communication and technology study. Critical Care Medicine, 45(8), e806–e813. Web.
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. G. (2017). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Rao-Gupta, S., Kruger, D., Leak, L. D., Tieman, L. A., & Manworren, R. C. (2018). Leveraging interactive patient care technology to improve pain management engagement. Pain Management Nursing, 19(3), 212-221. Web.
Skiba, D. (2017). Evaluation tools to appraise social media and mobile applications. Informatics, 4(3), 32. Web.
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (2018). What is an electronic health record (EHR)? Web.