The use of Clinical Systems to Improve Outcomes and Efficiencies.

Electronic health records (EHR) has become an integral part of nursing care with the increasing awareness that adopting the right technology can assist with reducing costs, improving quality and increasing efficiency. Some of the advantages that EHR can provide include encouraging patient-centered care, increasing access to medical information, reducing the potential for medical errors, improving medication safety, and facilitating communication between nurses and other stakeholders. EHR can have a substantial impact on nursing care delivery and outcomes. However, as with most other medical technologies, there are benefits and concerns associated with the technology (McGonigle&Mastrian, 2018). As with the implementation and use of any other health care technology, it is critical to explore the opinions of nurses (as end users) regarding EHR benefits and concerns to inform efforts to improve the technology and improve adoption.The use of Clinical Systems to Improve Outcomes and Efficiencies.

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Annotated Bibliography

Atasoy, H., Greenwood, B. N., & McCullough, J. S. (2019). The Digitization of Patient Care: A Review of the Effects of Electronic Health Records on Health Care Quality and Utilization. Annual Review of Public Health, 40, 487-500. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040218-044206

This is a journal article that explores the implications of EHR adoption. It notes that health records have increasingly become digitized with EHR adoption becoming more widespread. This shift has created opportunities for improved information management to include better search capabilities, automated reminders, improved information sharing, increased transparency, and many more. Still, it notes that the effects of these technologies have been extensively studied, although the studies are typically for a single discipline.The use of Clinical Systems to Improve Outcomes and Efficiencies. It mentions that regards of the technology effects, EHR adoption is a trend that is speedily gaining traction because of HITECH Act that places a requirement for medical facilities to adopt the technology. Besides that, study identifies some of the benefits of adopting EHR to include compliance with HITECH Act andimproved quality in terms of facilitating communication and decision making. In addition, the technology has been identified to improve cost management and care efficiency.The use of Clinical Systems to Improve Outcomes and Efficiencies. However, the technology has some unintended consequences that present concerns. These include disrupting the workflow, tool failure, maintenance issues, and user resistance to change. Additionally, it notes the EHR can be further leveraged to facilitate health information exchanges and data analytics. Overall, the study concludes that EHR presents benefits and some concerns that must be addressed to improve its value. This research study is useful for exploring the opinions of stakeholders concerning EHR technology, thus making it useful for justifying the present study on the opinions of nurses regarding EHR benefits and concerns to inform efforts to improve the technology and improve adoption.The use of Clinical Systems to Improve Outcomes and Efficiencies.

Zanaboni, P., Kummervold, P. E., Sørensen, T., &Johansen, M. A. (2020). Patient Use and Experience with Online Access to Electronic Health Records in Norway: Results from an Online Survey. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(2), e16144. https://doi.org/10.2196/16144

This is a journal article that explores patients use and experiences with the use of EHR. It notes that while the use of EHR has been fully established in Norwegian hospitals, there is a need to explore the use and experiences of patients with EHR since they are a key stakeholder group that impact the benefits that can be derived from the technology. In conducting the study, researchers sought to characterize the technology users, use, and experiences. Applying a survey approach that collected both qualitative information and quantitative data, the study reported that only 88.3% of users find the technology useful. 87.9% of patients make use of the technology to keep track of treatment, 64.0% use the technology to make medical appointments, and 37.5% share information with medical personnel while 24.9% share information with family. 29.4% of patients use the technology regularly, and 29.2% use the technology when necessary. While satisfaction with the technology was high, there were concerns about understanding the information content especially when medical phrases and terms are used. Additionally, the study reported that the technology enhances knowledge of health condition, allows for easier control over health status, improves self-care, allows for greater empowerment, improves communication with medical personnel, and increases information/data security. The study concludes that EHR is useful, safe, practical, easy, helpful, effective and informative. This research study is useful for exploring the opinions of patients concerning EHR technology as they have implications for nurses. This makes the study useful for exploring the opinions of nurses regarding EHR benefits and concerns to inform efforts to improve the technology and improve adoption.The use of Clinical Systems to Improve Outcomes and Efficiencies.

Balestra, M. L. (2017). Electronic Health Records: Patient Care and Ethical and Legal Implications for Nurse Practitioners. The Journal of Nurse Practitioners, 13(2), 105-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2016.09.010

This is a journal article that explores the implications of EHR for nurses to include effects on patient care as well as ethical and legal concerns. It notes that EHR is increasingly being adopted in medical facilities across the US health care system and has become a ubiquitous part of the landscape. In addition, it notes that some of the significant benefits of EHR that are galvanizing efforts to adopt the technology include low costs and increased efficiency. However, these benefits are not being realized with patient care, ethical and legal concerns adding to the limitations of adopting the technology. The technology has made it difficult to communicate with patients, presents patient privacy and security risks, and presents liability and ethical concerns. Besides that, the study mentions that EHR has promised to improve patient care quality, reduce costs and increase efficiency, but these promises have been difficult to achieve as the technology requires time-consuming data entry that interferes with patient interactions and causes medical errors. The study makes suggestions for improving the use of EHR to include training for users, addressing concerns identified by users, and establish access protocols. The study concludes that the EHR faces significant challenges that must be addressed to improve adoption. This research study is useful for exploring the benefits and shortcomings of EHR. This makes the study useful for exploring the opinions of nurses regarding EHR benefits and concerns to inform efforts to improve the technology and improve adoption.The use of Clinical Systems to Improve Outcomes and Efficiencies.

Salameh, B., Eddy, L. L., Batran, A., Hijaz, A., &Jaser, S. (2019). Nurses’ Attitudes Toward the Use of an Electronic Health Information System in a Developing Country. SAGE Open Nursing, 5, 2377960819843711. https://doi.org/10.1177/2377960819843711

This is a journal article that explores the attitudes of nurses towards the use of EHR in health care systems that are adopting EHR for the first time. The study acknowledges that adopting EHR for the first time is a major transformation for any health care system since it indicates a shift from a paper-based information management system to an electronic-based information management system. If successfully implemented, the EHR is likely to improve the quality of care, save time, and make the jobs of nurses easier. Still, the study notes that previous research on the benefits and shortcomings of EHR were conducted in health care systems already making use of the technology, and yet no research has been conducted in health systems adopting the technology for the first time. Adopting a descriptive cross-sectional research approach, the results of the study report that nurses understand the need for and are accepting of the technology as indicated by their supportive attitudes. Still, it recommends that nurses be included at every phase of the technology adoption to improve their acceptance and use of the technology. The study useful for exploring the opinions of nurses regarding EHR benefits and concerns to inform efforts to improve the technology and improve adoption.The use of Clinical Systems to Improve Outcomes and Efficiencies.

Conclusion

EHR is increasingly being adopted in health care systems owing to the perceived benefits even as the concerns are addressed. This is particularly so for nursing care. Still, there is a need to understand nurses’ opinions concerning the technology as users. Atasoy, Greenwood and McCullough (2019) explores the topic by discussing the benefits although they are limited by the associated concerns.The use of Clinical Systems to Improve Outcomes and Efficiencies. Zanaboni et al. (2020) explores the opinions of patients concerning the use of the technology, explaining that it is useful, safe, practical, easy, helpful, effective and informative. Balestra (2017) explores the implications of the technology for nurses, showing that the expected benefits of the technology have not been realized because of difficulties in using the technology and unclear access protocols creating security concenrs. Salameh et al. (2019) notes that nurses understand the need for and are accepting of the technology, but their support is minimized by the lack of involvement at the different stages of the technology adoption. The four articles will be useful for exploring the opinions of nurses regarding EHR benefits and concerns to inform efforts to improve the technology and improve adoption.The use of Clinical Systems to Improve Outcomes and Efficiencies.