Introduction
Clinical systems are becoming essential tools for improving the procedures implemented to improve patients’ health outcomes. Informaticists, information technology (IT) specialists, and physicians collaborate to identify emerging technological models and equipment that can transform care delivery. The purpose of this paper is to offer a succinct annotation of four peer-reviewed researches detailing the impact of various clinical systems on nursing efficiency and practice. Specifically, the discussion will outline the systems described in each article and how they have been applied successfully in nursing to maximize efficiency and patient outcomes.
Annotation and Summary
Sun, R., Korytkowski, M. T., Sereika, S. M., Saul, M. I., Li, D., & Burke, L. E. (2018). Patient portal use in diabetes management. JMIR Diabetes, 3(4), e11199. Web.
In this article, the authors completed a detailed review of literature to examine the use of portals among patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D). The professionals consulted 4 qualitative, 16 observational, and 4 mixed-research research works (Sun et al., 2018). From the findings, it occurred that around 29-46 percent of patients had opted to have their personal portal accounts (Sun et al., 2018). These beneficiaries focused on technology availability, provider involvement, and personal traits to embrace their use. However, the overall experiences of these patients were inconsistent due to various barriers. Some of them were unable to use portals efficiently while others reported minimal involvement of practitioners as a barrier to their uptake. These obstacles were disorienting their uptake and acceptance of patient portals. This gap has the potential to affect the experiences and health goals of individuals who might be unable to visit hospitals.
The author went further to indicate that patients who used portals efficiently were able to monitor their health outcomes, seek timely support from their nurses, and improve their disease management practices. The lessons learned from the application of these clinical systems include the presence of barriers affecting acceptance, low practitioner involvement, and absence of mechanisms to monitor patients’ progress (Sun et al., 2018). However, the move to address such gaps emerged as a guiding principle for future research to continue supporting patients with diabetes. The article also presents key areas for future analysts to investigate and shed some more light (Sun et al., 2018). The completion of such studies could ensure that more patients with diabetes were able to benefit from the continued support and use of these portals.
Graetz, I., Huang, J., Brand, R., Hsu, J., & Reed, M. E. (2019). Mobile-accessible personal health records increase the frequency and timeliness of PHR use for patients with diabetes. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 26(1), 50-54. Web.
Modern technologies have led to increased uptake and use of mobile phones. This trend allows more people to have access to mobile-based apps and personal health records (PHRs). In this study, the authors wanted to understand the role of PHR in improving health outcomes among patients with diabetes. The notable observation was that the increasing use of PHR via mobile phones increased the number of patients receiving timely support. Non-white patients viewed their results in 7 days (Graetz et al., 2019). The leading observation was that mobile access to shared PHR data was capable of promoting convenience and encouraging more nurses and patients to engage one another (Graetz et al., 2019). These gains were resulting in improved self-management practices in patients with diabetes. The authors observed that computers had become less reliable due to the challenges associated with them, such as poor portability and the requirement to have Internet connection. Mobile phones were becoming the best option for supporting PHR as a powerful clinical system.
After completing this study, the authors advised future scholars to consider additional strategies to improve the accessibility of PHRs among patients who had access to mobile devices. This outcome is possible since more people today are technologically-savvy and capable of accessing computers and mobile phones. Such an approach would help present additional insights for empowering patients and guiding them to engage in self-management practices (Graetz et al., 2019). The lesson learned from this peer-reviewed article is that PHRs integrated in mobile devices have the potential to improve patient medical experiences and maximize the process of self-management (Graetz et al., 2019). This development is appropriate for more individuals suffering from chronic conditions, such as diabetes. The use of these resources could also meet the medical needs of more patients affected by other illnesses, including malaria, influenza, and tuberculosis.
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), pp. 798-807. Web.
In this article, the researchers were concerned about the role of nursing time and how it impacted care delivery. Using PRISMA guidelines, they reviewed numerous articles detailing the role of emerging clinical systems and health information technology (HIT) on saving nurses’ time. They observed that the use of such systems made it easier to deliver services much faster to their respective patients (Moore et al., 2020). Having achieved their health objectives, most of the beneficiaries of such HIT resources were able to allocate more time on activities that could add value to nursing practice (Moore et al., 2020). Some of them included engaging in interprofessional collaboration with other colleagues and focusing on evidence-based approaches to offer personalized and timely patient care.
The article goes further to reveal that most of the nurses were able to allocate additional time on documentation and provision of advanced medication. The process was attributable to improved care delivery, efficiency, and overall transformation of the healthcare sector. Most of the patients were keen to report improved health outcomes. Some of the emerging lessons from this peer-reviewed article are that HIT systems are capable of empowering nurses, saving time, and allowing caregivers to engage in other practices that will add value to the profession (Moore et al., 2020). More hospitals and health facilities should, therefore, consider some of these insights and integrate advanced clinical systems to improve overall patient experiences.
Hernandez-Boussard, T., Blayney, D. W., & Brooks, J. D. (2020). Leveraging digital data to inform and improve quality cancer care. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, 29(4), 816-822. Web.
Clinical guidelines are informed by past practices and patterns of care that delivered desirable patient outcomes. Currently, electronic health records (EHRs) are becoming available and capable of generation patient-centered procedures that can transform the nature of oncological care (Hernandez-Boussard et al., 2020). The authors of this article used a specific academic medical center to acquire digital sources and apply machine learning to expose adherence. The findings revealed that clinicians offered treatment for most of the side effects and complications associated with their various cancer types. The information also included the outcomes and experiences most of the patients reported. The selected institution had provided oncological medical services for over a decade, thereby becoming a good source of timely information.
From the study, it emerged that the adoption of EHRs could improve population-level assessment and identify the best care delivery practices for cancer patients. The approach exposed some of the best approaches for promoting personalized guidelines depending on the cancer type, gender, age, and stage of the condition (Hernandez-Boussard et al., 2020). The acquired information was also appropriate for augmenting population-based and epidemiological studies. This means that more nurses were finding it easier to formulate workable guidelines for tackling most of the health problems associated with different cancer types. The first lesson gained from the article is that EHR is a new technology that is improving the work processes for many clinicians and nurses (Hernandez-Boussard et al., 2020). The second one is that the “use of digital data can inform patient-valued care, quality initiatives, and policy guidelines” (Hernandez-Boussard et al., 2020, p. 816). Nurses need to consider these developments and engage in policymaking procedures that can eventually help transform the nature of care delivery.
Conclusion
The completed annotated review has presented a strong case for clinical systems since they are becoming instrumental in the healthcare sector. The first article indicates that patient portals are resourceful in empowering diabetic patients to engage in self-care practices and liaise with their respective practitioners. The only challenge is the fact that support mechanisms for such portals remain unavailable. In the second one, the reader acknowledges PHRs are becoming useful in guiding patients with diabetes to engage in personal care and eventually record improved health experiences. The third article reveals that EHR helps nurses allocate additional time for value additions, including embracing interprofessional collaboration and promoting one-on-one communication with clients. The possible outcome is that the beneficiaries will receive high-quality support and record improved health outcomes. In the fourth article, it is evident that the use of digital data resonates with the wider framework for electronic records. Medical institutions can analyze patients’ past experiences and identify clinical practices that could become evidence-based guidelines for improving the effectiveness of the wider health sector. In conclusion, EHRs have become powerful tools for helping nurses to transform their processes, engage their respective patients, and offer personalized health services.