The technology is generally successfully implemented in the healthcare system. It allows the employees to communicate with each other and with the patients better, making the work processes faster and more efficient. Current progress with innovative technologies attaches all the spheres of human lifestyle, and it would be hard to imagine healthcare without any innovations. The medicine stays up-to-date and bases its protocols on evidence-based practice using statistically reliable data to provide the patients with the best treatment outcomes. Medicine widens its borders by implementing telehealth, Electronic Medical Records of the patients, and the advanced methods of IV fluids. These examples of technological tools improve the work of the staff and provide the patients with wider opportunities and choices. However, there is the other side of the medal, and technologies can cause difficulties in utilization and implementation. In this assignment, the specialties of the technologies usage among the healthcare professionals will be disclosed based on the fishbone diagram delivered previously.
Tools/Software Necessary
The electronic tools simplify the everyday work of the hospital staff; still, it requires various supportive systems, materials, check-ups, and knowledge. The computers are used extensively to get access to Electronic Health Record Systems and find useful information online. To have the computer work in each workplace, the hospital needs access to electricity, install software, and create personal accounts for every healthcare professional. When the system becomes united and spread, it makes it easier to involve the doctors and nurses in it. Regarding personal digital assistants, it is a portable device that is easy to use and that needs periodical charging. Automated IV pumps allow providing the intravenous treatment of the drug at a special speed and during a certain time. This equipment needs charging and proper following of the instructions to start it up correctly.
Staff Education/Usage
Computers with EHRs and personal digital assistants are used by both doctors and nurses, and it allows them to interconnect quickly, reach the detailed data about the patient and make notes about the treatment progress. Automated IV pumps are mostly controlled and taken care of by the nursing personnel. The education about all the mentioned tools is essential for the staff as it is a substantial part of their work (Zadvinskis et al., 2018). Learning new information about routine devices can help simplify daily work and widen the possible manipulations of the workers.
Consumer
The usage of the devices helps both sides of the healthcare process: the staff and the patients. Doctors and nurses can plan their work more logically and efficiently, and patients do not have to worry about remembering the specialties of their previous history since all the information is stored in their files in EHR. Providers of technical devices also benefit if the healthcare facilities purchase them a lot.
Problems
The issues that can be met whilst using technologies at the hospital are cybersecurity, a decrease in patient-doctor interaction, and difficulties in implementation. There is a potential risk that third faces will access the confidential patient information if they manage to break the security of the software. Due to the time spent on the devices and medical documentation, doctors and nurses spend less time with the patient which can potentially decrease the quality of healthcare service (Moore et al., 2020). The interaction with the patient and his education can suffer if the healthcare professional does not specifically prioritize them. Additionally, if the staff is not educated to use and successfully implement technological devices into their work, it can be difficult for them to work with digital tools.
Advantages
Overall, the advantages of technology implementation in the working practice of healthcare personnel are prevalent. Coping with the mentioned above issues can help minimize the risks of electronic device usage. EHRs, PDAs, and automated IV pumps are effectively used by all the professionals at the hospitals. EHRs allow professionals to communicate and decide essential questions about patient treatment tactics which shortens the time and simplifies the interconnection between the doctors and nurses from various departments.
References
Moore, E. C., Tolley, C. L., Bates, D. W., & Slight, S. P. (2020). A systematic review of the impact of health information technology on nurses’ time. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 27(5), 798-807.
Zadvinskis, I. M., Smith, J. G., & Yen, P. Y. (2018). Nurses’ experience with health information technology: Longitudinal qualitative study. JMIR Medical Informatics, 6(2), e8734.