Health Information Technologies and Health Economics Essay

Barbie Rasmussen
RE: Week 8 Blog
COLLAPSE
Discussion Week 8

Health literacy, health information technologies and health economics play a big part in the health care world. Health literacy is the ability to understand basic health care information (HRSA, 2019). This understanding or a lack of understanding has a direct effect on how a patient chooses to be cared for and what they want to have done. It is important to understand health literacy in nursing practice so that we, as nurses, can be an advocate for our patients and help them understand what is happening. Often times I watch when I am talking to patients to see if they are following what I am talking about and when they look like they are lost I explain a word or phrase in a different way.  Health Information Technologies and Health Economics Essay This helps the patient make better informed choices and it has a direct effect on their comfort. Health literacy is one of the necessary topics in the healthcare world that will be discussed in this blog. I work in a long term care facility and these topics are important to the everyday practice and functioning of the facility. Health Information Technologies and Health Economics Essay

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Health economics is used to determine how to promote the best lifestyle choices in order to have the best outcomes for residents. This can be used in the long term care setting as ways to increase activity, maintain strength and function, and encourage positive mental health for the residents in the facility. An example of this is an interdisciplinary team that works together to determine the best activities and necessary interventions for a specific resident. COVID-19 effected this area of clinical practice by making it near impossible to allow residents to leave their rooms which limited the activity choices that they had. This limit on activities effected many residents in a negative way, both mentally and physically. Health Information Technologies and Health Economics Essay

Health information technology on patient outcomes is used in the long term setting to determine the progress of residents. The facility that I work at has both long term care and skilled care options for residents. This means that residents can come and live there or stay for rehabilitation only. There are many requirements for residents who are there for a skilled stay according to the demands of Medicare insurance. Health information technology for patient outcomes is used extensively for reporting to Medicare insurance about the progress of the resident so that their funding can be continued or cancelled. If a resident is not progressing appropriately then the insurance company can determine that they will no longer cover the residents stay. Health Information Technologies and Health Economics Essay This is why proper documentation in the HIT about patient outcomes and goals is imperative in the long term care setting. COVID-19 did not have a large effect on health information technology. Proper and complete documentation continued to be required, however the way that care was delivered was effected and that could be reflected in the charting because providers did not do as much hands on with the residents which could slow their progression. Health Information Technologies and Health Economics Essay

Health literacy involves the patient’s ability to understand and process the information that is being provided by the health care provider. An example of this in the nursing setting that I work at was when we were having a meeting with a resident and their family and the provider was discussing monitoring stools when they go home. The resident looked confused and so it was necessary to take a moment and explain what a stool is. Once the word poop was used instead of stool they understood what they needed to do when they got home. COVID-19 has shown how large of a disparity there is in health literacy for individuals. Many people do not understand medical jargon and COVID-19 and the constant presence of medical issues has added to the chaos and confusion of the entire COVID situation. Health Information Technologies and Health Economics Essay

Two strategies that could be used to overcome barriers in regards to these topics include interdisciplinary team meetings for all residents and their families and having and using a liaison in order for the resident to understand the necessary medical treatments that they may need. Interdisciplinary team meetings will encourage proper progression of the resident for the best outcome available and it will also help determine what is in the best interest of the resident. A liaison for residents could help them understand what is being said, ordered and diagnosed. This could be a safe person for the resident to go to when they have a question because often residents are too intimidated to ask questions of their doctors or providers and lower health literacy is often found in older adults (HRSA, 2019). This liaison could be a great advocate for the resident and improve health outcomes. Health Information Technologies and Health Economics Essay

Reference

Health Resources & Services Administration. (2019). Health Literacy. https://www.hrsa.gov/about/organization/bureaus/ohe/health-literacy/index.html Health Information Technologies and Health Economics Essay