How Nurses with Informatics Experience Contribute
to Consumer Health
Barbara Dixon, RN
Thomas Edison State University
Abstract
The
growth of Health Information Technology (HIT) and consumer health informatics
(CHI) occurred in response to a demand for increased safety, improved quality,
and reduced cost in healthcare.
The recent
developments and changes in healthcare with frequent new innovations in
technology have resulted in patients, as consumers of healthcare information,
often being left in the tail wind of these changes.
Patient’s
that have access to HIT such as education on the internet can have improved
participation in the management of their health, resulting in increased satisfaction
with their care. Access to health
education can improve individual’s awareness of disease management options, influence
lifestyle changes and disease prevention activities, and increase their
participation and collaboration with healthcare providers (Darvish, Bahramnezhad, Keyhanian, & Navidhamidi, 2014)
. Gibbons (2011)
explains that despite its proven ability to improve health outcomes, the
adoption of HIT tools is still meeting some resistance by patients as well as
providers.
For example, if the use of HIT
tools is not viewed as being beneficial and convenient, patients and providers
will not likely use it.
Some of the
barriers that exist are limited access to the technology, cognitive and
physical limitations, and limited computer literacy.
Informatics professor Diane Skiba (2010) points
out that the changes in nursing led by technology is a great transformation for
the nursing practice. The nursing changes that are currently happening in the
profession call for all nurses, both new and experienced, both bedside nurses
and Advanced Practice Nurses, to become competent with nursing informatics (Darvish,
Bahramnezhad, Keyhanian, & Navidhamidi, 2014; Gibbons, 2011; Skiba,
2010).
How Nurses with Informatics Experience Can
Contribute to Consumer Health
This white paper
discusses the impact that nurses with informatics
experience have on improving consumer health. There is a growing understanding among health
care professionals, nursing organizations, and the United States government,
that health outcomes are improved when patients actively participate in
managing their health. The development
of recent technologies has provided patients with access to the most current health information. Access to the information that is meets their
healthcare needs that can ultimately improve their ability to make decisions
regarding their own health or the health of individuals they are caring
for. This revolution of Health
Information Technology (HIT) and consumer health informatics (CHI) in
healthcare demands that nurses are knowledgeable about informatics technology
and become leaders in the changes of healthcare, as data and technology
continue to grow and move into a position of commonplace for patients. Nurses already participate in a role of
patient advocate and educator. Therefore,
nurses are in the ideal position to teach patients why and how to participate
and share the responsibility of managing their healthcare with their healthcare
providers. Nurses that are experienced
in informatics are equipped with the knowledge to teach patients about proper
and safe ways to use these innovative technologies (Murphy, 2009).
Identified
need
According to a report by the
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), low health literacy is associated
with an increased risk of death and an increase in crisis care such as
emergency room visits and hospitalization that might otherwise be avoided. The National Network of Libraries of Medicine
(NNLM, n.d.) explains that individuals that are at an increased risk of having
low health literacy include older adults as a result of cognitive decline,
immigrants, minorities, and low-income populations. For many adult’s, their literacy skill level decreases
over time, often three to five grade levels below their highest grade completed
in school. That suggests an individual that
has completed high school might only read at a seventh or eighth grade reading
level. Since a person’s
literacy level is a strong determinant of their health literacy and health
outcomes, it is vital for healthcare professionals to educate patients at a
basic level, helping them to utilize the HIT tools that might otherwise be
viewed as too difficult or inconvenient to use (NNLM, n.d.).
The recent
developments in healthcare, the frequent changes of healthcare policies,
together with the countless innovations in technology have resulted in
patients, as consumers of healthcare information, often being left in the tail
wind of these changes.
Gibbons (2011)
notes that there are several barriers to the adoption of HIT tools by patients
as well as providers.
For example, if
the use of a HIT tool is not viewed as being beneficial and convenient, patients
and providers will not likely use it.
Additionally,
limited access to the technology,
cognitive and
physical limitations, and limited computer literacy are barriers that also
exist.
Patterson (2008)
describes the evolution of HIT as the “problem and part of the solution for
safer healthcare” (para. 2). HIT can
improve disease management leading to a slower disease progression, reduced
complications of the disease, and improved satisfaction for both the patients
and providers. Ultimately, the
relationship between the patient and provider can be improved, perhaps removing
healthcare disparities, and resulting in long-term health improvements
(Powell-Cope, Nelson, & Patterson, para 2, 2008; Gibbons, 2011).
Specific
request for action
In response to the
increase of evidence supporting HIT, Healthy People 2020 has emphasized HIT in
their goals established to improve population health. The changes that have been taking place are
rapidly changing the way individuals are managing their healthcare, and the Healthy
People 2020 initiatives were adapted to support these changes and promote
communication and collaborative efforts in health management between patients
and providers. HIT tools can make the
necessary health information accessible to patients, providing them with the
knowledge and guidance on the actions to take in managing their health. Nurses that are experienced in informatics and
have the skills to use HIT will be better equipped with the knowledge and competence
that is necessary to provide care for patients in a way that supports the goals
of Healthy People 2020 (Huston, 2013).
Informatics
professor, Diane Skiba, reviews the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) Report on the Future of Nursing, Leading
Change, Advancing Health. In her own
article, Skiba (2010) points out that the change in nursing led by technology
is a great transformation for the nursing practice. The nursing changes that
are currently happening in the profession call for all nurses, both new and
experienced, both bedside nurses and Advanced Practice Nurses, to become
competent with nursing informatics. The IOM’s
report emphasizes the responsibility for nurses to take a leadership role in
the healthcare changes and use the technology to benefit and support the
nursing profession. The report petitions for nurses to use their creativity and
to use the current technology in new ways that can improve patient care and to
help patients better manage their own health (Skiba, 2010).
Distinctiveness
of Nursing Informatics
American Nurses Association
(ANA) has demonstrated their understanding and support for an increased
adoption of consumer health informatics with their pledge to empower consumers,
helping them to participate in managing their own health care with the use of HIT
tools. The Alliance for Nursing
Informatics (ANI) has also pledged to work with the ANA as well as other
national nursing organizations to support this movement of significantly increasing
the adoption of CHI tools, such electronic health records, online health
communities, and patient portals. The
ANA and the ANI both called attention to the key role of nurses in this
undertaking, noting that nurses are the most trusted health professionals with
proficiencies such as patient advocacy built into their core values, making
them a key player in carrying out the goals of their pledge. Nurses are well equipped with the skills to
educate patients about how and why to use the HIT tools to help manage their
health and actively participate in their healthcare. Key tasks in their undertaking are to
increase patients’ access to health information and support patient’s
participation in decision-making about health care needs. Nurses, as patient advocates are in the
position to encourage the adoption of the technologies that support the
collaboration of patients and providers. Nurses that are knowledgeable and experienced
in informatics are a valuable resource to patients who require health education
that is provided in a form that is clear and in an understandable format for
their literacy level (Murphy, 2009).
Kathleen Sebelius, secretary
for the Department of Health and Human Services, explains that improving access
to information is critical for patients to be able to successfully participate
in the management of their healthcare.
Having information strengthens patients’ ability to make better
healthcare decisions, have improved communication with their healthcare
providers, and increased satisfaction with their care. Nurses are in the best position to
effectively teach patients the importance of accessing information, how to
access the information, and the significance of participating in their
healthcare decisions (Murphy, 2011).
Conclusion
Informatics is a vital
resource that is needed to successfully execute the implementation of evidenced
based practice (EBP). Databases are
essential for healthcare providers, nurses, and patients to access the most
relevant and current research evidence. Some of the technology listed by Melnyk and
Fineout-Overholt (2015) include simulation technology, social media websites,
mobile devices, and clinical decision support systems. These informatics
systems promote clinical collaboration from any location and provide access to
the resources and evidence needed to answer clinical questions (Melnyk &
Fineout-Overholt, 2015).
The
future of nursing informatics is unavoidably making changes that are shaping
the nurse of today for tomorrows up-and coming technologies. The advantages of being a nurse that is
equipped with the skills and knowledge of informatics technology is that they
will be prepared to lead health care initiatives, access the most recent and
accurate knowledge to guide their nursing practice, and provide the safest
patient care. In review of the
literature and recently performed research, the significance informatics holds
in the future of the nursing profession is clear. Surveys show that nurses are displaying mixed
feelings towards the growth of HIT (Kelley, Brandon, & Docherty, 2011) and
studies on how quality of care that is being impacted by technology is showing
varied results. However, there is solid
evidence that HIT is creating a heath care that is safer, more affordable, and
more accessible (Kelley, Brandon, & Docherty, 2011; Cipriano, 2011).
In a report by the
IOM, the education that nurses have received in the past is no longer
considered sufficient for preparing nurses with the skills and knowledge that is
need to work with the transformations that healthcare has recently experienced. Competence in informatics is vital for nurses
to deliver high-quality care (Huston, 2013). The
advancement of healthcare informatics with such innovations such as telehealth,
genetic testing and DNA modifications, personal health records, and the complex
changes of patient’s needs has created an enormous responsibilities for nurses
to be knowledgeable about the technology that has transformed our
healthcare. Pirschel (2016) also
explains that nurses will continue to need advanced skills and knowledge to
meet the needs of patients as our healthcare continues to evolve. For example, nurses once were required to
have a strong knowledge and understanding of many different diagnoses. Now, there is an increasing need for nurses to
be knowledgeable about different DNA profiles, communication technologies, and
healthcare policies, and the ethical considerations of these advancements
(Pirschel, 2016; Huston, 2013).
Closing
Points
As
nursing informatics continues to grow nurses are called to take a leading role
in managing and directing the development of informatics tools in a direction
that supports the patient’s safety and quality of care provided. Murphy (2009) emphasized the growing need for
nurses to educate and support patients in their use of HIT, helping them to
understand the importance of their active participation as a partner in their
care. Nurses with informatics experience
have the skills and knowledge to support patients in mastering the use of HIT,
empowering them to use these tools to manage their own health and those they
care for, with access to information and ways to share information with their
healthcare providers (Murphy, 2009).
References
Cipriano,
P. F., & Murphy, J. (2011). Nursing Informatics. The Future of Nursing and
Health IT: The Quality Elixir. Nursing Economic$, 29(5), 286-282.
Darvish,
A., Bahramnezhad, F., Keyhanian, S., & Navidhamidi, M. (2014). The role of
nursing informatics on promoting quality of health care and the need for
appropriate education. Global Journal of Health Science, 6(6),
11–18. http://doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v6n6p11
Gibbons,
M. C. (2011). Use of Health Information Technology among Racial and Ethnic
Underserved Communities. Perspectives in Health Information Management /
AHIMA, American Health Information Management Association, 8(Winter),
1f.
Kelley,
T. F., Brandon, D. H., & Docherty, S. L. (2011). Electronic Nursing
Documentation as a Strategy to Improve Quality of Patient Care. Journal of
Nursing Scholarship, 43(2), 154-162. doi:10.1111/j.1547-5069.2011.01397.x
Melnyk,
B., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2015). Evidence-based practice in
nursing & healthcare: A guide to best practice (3rd ed.).
Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer Health.
Murphy, J. (2009). Engaging patients and families in ehealth. Nursing Economics, 29(6), 339-342
Powell-Cope,
G., Nelson, A.L., Patterson, E.S., (2008)/ Patient care technology and safety.
Patient safety and quality: An evidence-based handbook for nurses. Hughes RG,
(Ed.)
Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality (US). Rockville (MD). Retrieved from:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2686/
Skiba, D. J. (2010). EMERGING TECHNOLOGY: The Future of Nursing and the
Informatics Agenda. Nursing Education Perspectives, 31(6),
390-391.
Lessons Learned: In writing this assignment I learned about the White Paper development process, and understanding powerful new ways to present
ideas. In the process I learned about analyzing the audience including their:
1. education,
2. training, experience, and
skills,
3. technical knowledge
I also learned a great deal about the transformation of the nurses role, responsibilities and career
trajectory that is being sculpted by healthcare trends such as meaningful use and Accountable Care.. Key to being a part of this change is nursing informatics!
