Health Care Informatics

Throughout these last five weeks of this health care informatics class, I have learned so much useful and important information and material related to technology in healthcare such that of what meaningful use is and how using technology meaningfully is crucial today in healthcare, interoperability, health care and government data bases, create a blog utilizing visuals and videos, and different ways to present while keeping employees and the audience engaged such as movenote, SnagIt, and picktochart. All of these enlightening technologies and information have given me the knowledge to feel more confident when utilizing and discussing health care informatics with other healthcare professionals. These are important tools to use because they each improve staff knowledge, staff satisfaction, patient satisfaction, as well as safety and quality of patient care being delivered. Reflecting on all that I have learned the past few weeks, I will discuss with you, in my opinion, the most important aspects of what I have learned.

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Meaningful Use

 

In my own opinion, the most important term that I learned was “Meaningful Use”. This term describes the guidelines and regulations which must be met during the use of electronic health records. Some of the regulations are bettering care coordination, security of patient records, and allowing patients access to their records. “Meaningful use” is important to both patients, providers, nurses, and families. Meaningful use consents the electronic health record to deliver information and data about ones’ healthcare in real time and is much more useful to patients and their families. This is important to providers because it is the difference between being reimbursed or not reimbursed. Meaningful use is important for leaders to understand because it improves the quality of patient care as well as reimburses the physicians and hospitals. A crucial part of the meaningful use of the electronic health record is being able to share patient data and reports to supplementary healthcare providers of the patient rapidly. Since the HITECH act, there has been an increase in use of interoperability. Interoperability is the ability to which devices and technological systems can share information and interpret that data (HIMSS, 2016). Having interoperability allows for improved patient-family awareness, allowing all patients, family members, and other health care providers to have access to information leading to vital decision making decisions in regards to the health of the patient (HIMSS, 2016).  It is crucial that we are using technology to its fullest potential to reap the benefits. The leader must understand this in order to use and educate other staff members on the importance of using technology meaningfully.

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Databases

Health care, education in the health care world, and nursing research are solely based on the utilization of technology and databases. Today, there are numerous data bases that occur in order to help teach and permit staff members and students to have a strong and evidence based literature review. There is an extensive history of evidence which supports the connection between the care directed to the patients and the patients’ outcome. The use of health IT and databases for research and evidence has demonstrated to be cost effective, high quality, and safest patient care (Dykes & Collins, 2013). The National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) is the solitary national nursing database that offers quarterly and annual reporting of structure, process, and outcome indicators to gauge nursing care at the unit level. Nursing-sensitive quality measures can be followed and associated to local, regional and national standards for hospitals applying a nursing database called National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI). Operating databases is an exceptional way to ensure the patients are in receipt of the best care and healthcare staff members are educated and researching best practices. It is essential for leadership to encourage the use of databases from their nurses in order to provide them with the tools for education and learn best practices to ensure our patients are receiving the highest quality of care.

NDNQI Information

 



Technology Challenges

Each week I was assigned a technology challenge to complete. I thoroughly enjoyed these challenges and assignments because they were engaging and useful tools to help present while engaging staff members. Most of them allowed “Voice over”, therefore the presenter did not necessarily need to be present when the project was being viewed.
The first technology challenge was using SnagIt presentation using a nursing sensitive quality outcome dashboard. My SnagIt was based around my HCAHPS dashboard and what we can do as a team to improve and what we are doing as a team really well. This presentation allowed for voice over as well as “cursor movement” to help engage the staff members. I definitely could see myself using this, now and in the future, as a way to explain and present information to my staff members.
The second technology challenge was to use Picktochart. We had to create an infographic representation of quality improvement strategies using technology. We then had to utilize SnagIt in order to present the graphic and audio. I found this exceptionally easy and a great way to address any issue in a fun and educational way. I would see myself using this technological tool as a leader as well.
Week three we were taught to use Prezi in order to present an article that each student was assigned. My article was that of “Text Data Mining”. I had to create a Prezi presentation of the clinical implications and nursing interventions of text data mining. This article was not only interesting, but so was the technology we used to create the presentation. Prezi allowed for a presentation similar to power point which allowed “voice over”. This was another technology I would definitely use in the future.

Last week, week 4 the students were asked to create a Powtoon about data sets and information management. Powtoon was much more difficult to use. It was fun to watch once it was completed, but the creating and placing of each icon was time consuming. The information in which we had to place into the Powtoon was helpful and useful. Data sets and information management are crucial terms and important for healthcare informatics, leaders, and staff nurses. I would use this technology if I had a short, boring presentation that I could “spice up” with some animated graphics.
The technology challenges were always interesting. I enjoyed learning from them because not only did we learn new technologies, but we learned new information about healthcare informatics in the process.

Individual Assignment

For the individual assignment, we were asked to interview three key leaders in our healthcare informatics team where we work. I found this assignment to be very helpful because I was able to learn much more about health care informatics at my workplace. I was also able to introduce myself to many key leaders and have conversations with them about their jobs and daily functions. I think in this assignment, I learned the most that I have in a class.
I interviewed a multitude of nurses, doctors, and key informatics leaders at Unity Hospital throughout this class. I found three key leaders to be crucial to the informatics team at Unity. They each described their job to me and the job of John Glynn, the Chief Information Officer, who could not find time for me to interview him. The three leaders I interviewed were Karan Sharma, the manager of clinical informatics; Maureen Doyle, Maureen is currently the associate director of nursing clinical practice; and lastly Dr. Matos, Dr. Matos is the Chief Medical Information Officer. John Glynn’s role as the Chief Information Officer. He stated that Johns job as the CIO is to manage and direct all information technology in the hospital. He must understand how each technology is integrated within the hospital. He thoroughly understands and can apply all technologies to the overall system and is able to show and describe what each technology has to offer the hospital, physicians, nurses, and all other staff members. Johns role is to implement and optimization clinical informatics systems for the purpose of enhancing the quality of patient care and clinical efficiency of the organization. He works closely with the function groups of IT, internal departments, and clinicians to achieve involvement and support of the projects. He must keep up to date on the developments if clinical informatics. He also leads the effort to design and standardize the process related to the EHR to improve quality, safety, and efficiency of patient care. John must provide, plan, and implement training programs for the clinical informatics staff so they may also develop a solid understanding of informatics and the systems.

Dr. Matos then described to me his job as the Chief Medical Information Officer. He provides clinical direction to the to the clinical informatics team to help problem solve, design solutions, and validate the building of the system to meet providers’ requirements. He champions the use of technology to all care team members. He must maintain empathy and understanding of the providers needs to gain support of IT initiatives.
Upon meeting with these three key leaders, I also gained an understanding for the job role of the Privacy Officer at Unity Hospital. The privacy officers main job role is to monitor the electronic health record for compliance with state and federal privacy laws. He or she must demonstrate a high level of integrity, maturity, and responsibility due to the confidential nature of the information handled. They are responsible for monitoring and running privacy reports including same name reports. They must determine if access was appropriate and investigate protected health information as a result of patient complaints. They must keep all privacy monitoring to strict confidence and provide reports when requested by a manager. They must maintain knowledge of HIPPA privacy laws and educate awareness within the health system. They have the ability to educate others on these law, and therefore should.

 
Throughout this individual assignment, I learned all about our electronic health record as well as four technologies as to which I researched. Throughout this individual project and assignment, I have gained an incredible amount of knowledge. Not only did this assignment permit me to introduce myself and meet the informatics team such as the CMIO which I do not see very often at all. It gave me an all new insight to the IT and informatics side of nursing. Learning informatics is one thing but seeing it play out in the real world is a completely different experience. I have a whole new respect for each and every individual in the informatics department. Their job is much more important and detailed than I could have ever imagined.

It is very important and crucial for the nurse leader to understand and be a part of the area of health informatics. I believe this because leaders should comprehend how to use technology to its fullest potential in order to deliver highest quality care to patients as well as educate staff members on how to do so. Technology allows for improved care and safety of the patients; leaders want this as well as an improved cost to the hospital which will be attained. It is important for leaders to understand how to utilize databases offered to them and be able to educate others on how to use them since they are of great knowledge to the health care world. Health informatics has so many different aspects in which I feel are important to leaders and nurses.

Reflection

 

Reflecting back on the last five weeks, I have a new respect and understanding for the informatics health care team. Their roles entail much more than I could have ever expected. The past five weeks have been challenging, but in a very positive and educational manor. I appreciate everything that I have learned and will utilize this new education from here on out in my leadership role. The terminologies, technologies, and projects have given me the tools to be a better leader and educate other staff members on the importance of using technology for improved quality of care for our patients. I am thankful for the opportunity to be educated on the topic, and look forward to sharing my new knowledge with others.