Introduction
Within the framework of this paper, the researcher will concentrate on the review of one of the key aspects of health IT. This technology is called the electronic health record and is used to store and generate the data regarding the patients’ state, safety, care quality evaluation, and possible ways to enhance the efficiency of the given health care facility (Zadvinskis, Chipps, & Yen, 2014). On a bigger scale, it can also be used to measure staffing needs. The problem with EHRs consists in the fact that the majority of nurses dislike the design of this technology regardless of the fact that they seriously benefit from the use of this health IT item. The core problem with EHRs lies in the unwieldy automated processes that serve as the ground for the technology.
Recurrently, the nurses provide their feedback concerning this health IT product so as to provide the developers with necessary info regarding the usability, design, and other features of EHRs that have to be revised. On the one hand, there are nurses’ perspectives and their outlooks toward the action model and the use of EHRs in addition to the different levels of computer literacy and informatics skills. On the other hand, there are different safety concerns and standards that have yet to be taken into consideration in order to increase the efficiency of EHRs. The core issue revolves around the idea of increasing patient safety by means of this health information technology and raising the bar of the health care quality at any given health care facility.
Identification of the Problem
The problem that was identified within the framework of the current paper relates to the use of EHRs in practice, their usability, and how they correlate with the notion of patient safety within any given health care environment. The researcher expects to analyze the literature on this subject so as to identify the variables that influence the EHR – patient safety relationship. Overall, the problem consists of the impact of EHRs on the quality of healthcare and subsequent patient outcomes.
Significance of the Problem to Nursing
If the problem of patient safety in association with the use of EHRs is addressed, the researcher will be able to generate evidence concerning the efficiency of EHRs and the probable future of this technology. Despite the technological progress, health information technologies and the process of their implementation in practice remain the pillars of modern medicine.
To put it mildly, patients’ health outcomes depend not only on their health care providers but the use of technology as well. If the problem of patient safety is not addressed, the patients will not be satisfied with the overall level of healthcare quality. This may lead to stagnation and decreased output among the nurses and other medical specialists. Therefore, so as to prevent this, the researcher proposes to connect the dots between the concepts of patient safety and the use of EHRs with the intention of answering the research questions presented below.
Purpose of the Research
This research is intended to dwell on the aspect of patient safety and how EHRs influence it (Middleton et al., 2013). The researcher will be keen on researching the problems that are inherent in the area so as to come up with solutions regarding the implementation of this technology or any other alternatives that can positively impact the concept of patient safety (Bramble et al., 2013). The researcher expects to identify several ways to improve the current EHR implementation practices and associate these methodologies with patient safety and satisfaction.
Research Questions
- Do EHRs positively impact patient safety? In what way?
- Are there any challenges in the areas of EHR implementation and deployment in terms of patients’ safety? What can be done to either reduce their occurrence or mitigate them?
- Are patients happy with the use of EHRs? What is their opinion on the subject of patient safety when it comes to health information technologies?
- How can the existing EHRs be improved to generate better patient outcomes?
Master’s Essentials
First of all, the current research adheres to the Master’s Essential concerning quality improvement and safety. The core responsibility of any nurse, according to this Master’s Essential, will be to implement evidence-based interventions in practice and research the area of health IT so as to be able to sustain improvements and deploy new technologies that can be beneficial to the health care facility. Also, the nurse will be able to impact the levels of patient safety and quality of care. In perspective, this will reduce the fragmentation of care and positively influence patient outcomes and organizational and professional performance of all actors involved. Another Master’s Essential that is taken into account within the framework of this paper relates to informatics and healthcare technologies.
The researcher believes that this Essential is inextricable but irreplaceable because the existing dynamic nature of healthcare and all the associated areas forces the health care providers to adjust to its fast pace. On a bigger scale, every person involved in the healthcare provision process should realize the importance of technologies and possess at least basic computer skills. The use of technology is inevitable and beneficial in terms of building a positive association between the use of EHRs and patient safety.
References
Bramble, J. D., Abbott, A. A., Fuji, K. T., Paschal, K. A., Siracuse, M. V., & Galt, K. (2013). Patient safety perspectives of providers and nurses: The experience of a rural ambulatory care practice using an EHR with e-prescribing. The Journal of Rural Health, 29, 383-391. doi:10.1111/jrh.12015.
Middleton, B., Bloomrosen, M., Dente, M. A., Hashmat, B., Koppel, R., Overhage, J. M.,… Zhang, J. (2013). Enhancing patient safety and quality of care by improving the usability of electronic health record systems: recommendations from AMIA. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 20(1), 2-8. doi:10.1136/amiajnl-2012-001458.
Zadvinskis, I. M., Chipps, E., & Yen, P. (2014). Exploring nurses’ confirmed expectations regarding health IT: A phenomenological study. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 83(2), 89-98. doi:10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2013.11.001.