Discuss an informatics innovation that you have participated in. Describe its purposes what problem was it supposed to solve?
pros and cons how you were educated in its use how it was accepted by staff problems that arose during adoption whether staff used \”work-arounds\” when using the technology whether it solved the problems it was meant to solve what you wish had been different
Discussion Board: Informatics Innovation
Nursing informatics continues to change how healthcare is delivered to patients today. Nurses, in their various organizations and capacities, contribute to the adoption and implementation of informatics technologies as their employers strive to create systems that can deliver quality and safe care to patients. An informatics innovation that I recently participated in involved the development of a mobile app to support telehealth integration during the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many healthcare organizations, my facility integrated telehealth in order to ensure uninterrupted care to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. A mobile app is a key component of telehealth. Its purpose is to create a platform in which patients can interact virtually with their healthcare providers without having to visit a healthcare facility physically. Through the mobile app, patients are able to book appointments, receive guidance from an integrated team of healthcare providers about disease management, and share their concerns with their physicians and the healthcare team remotely. The specific problem that the mobile app for telehealth intended to solve was the lack of healthcare access attributed to the movement restrictions that were imposed by countries to curb the spread of COVID-19. Since the restrictions limited movements even to hospitals, people were unable to access healthcare services which resulted in negative health outcomes.
A mobile app for telehealth has a number of pros and cons. One of its advantages is that it enables patients to interact with their healthcare providers virtually thereby increasing healthcare access during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, a mobile app for telehealth empowers patients to have control over their health and understand their role in disease management. Through the app, patients can view information related to their diagnosis, the diagnostic procedures that have been ordered and performed, and the role of every member of the healthcare team in managing their health problems. The app also allows healthcare providers to conduct continuous monitoring and follow-up of patients. However, one of the biggest disadvantages of a mobile app for telehealth is that it is associated with some privacy and confidentiality concerns, a factor that might hinder the development of meaningful therapeutic relationships between patients and their healthcare providers. Patients can comfortably disclose issues affecting their health when they are assured of the privacy and confidentiality of their personal information. Since they cannot verify the specific persons that are authorized to access their personal data, some patients might be reluctant to provide crucial information required to help them achieve positive health outcomes. The other disadvantage of a mobile app is that its access depends on the availability of the internet. In this regard, its use might be affected by network and internet-related issues thereby preventing patients from reaching their healthcare providers. A mobile app for telehealth is also disadvantageous in that patients can find it challenging to use the app to interact with their healthcare providers when they have limited knowledge regarding its use. Besides, the high implementation costs that include training and internet charges might hinder its smooth adoption.
Just like patients, nurses need the training to equip them with the basics that they require to ensure the successful adoption of a mobile app for telehealth. Personally, I was trained about the primary features of the mobile app, its development, and its use. The training was spearheaded by a team of nurse informaticists and information technology (IT) professionals. All members of the nursing staff received the training. However, the informatics innovation was received differently by members of staff. It is important to note that technologies such as telehealth are likely to disrupt workflow and cause changes to some processes. While some members of staff accepted the change, some of them resisted it citing moral concerns. Those who accepted it were positive about the fact that the app was intended to improve healthcare access to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of staff who resisted the innovation claimed that it was difficult to use and would not give patients equal chances of accessing healthcare. The major problems that arose during the adoption of the mobile app for telehealth include staff resistance, cost constraints, network issues, and resistance from patients citing privacy and confidentiality concerns.
The goal of every nurse should be to ensure that patients have access to healthcare services despite the challenges that they might be facing at any given time. Most of the staff members at the facility were committed to ensuring that the mobile app was successfully adopted to support telehealth integration and increase healthcare access for patients at different locations during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. The staff used workarounds when using the mobile app to deliver health care remotely to patients. This helped to prevent both technical and non-technical obstacles that could have prevented the success of the innovation. Generally, the mobile app for telehealth solved the problem that it was meant to solve. Precisely, the innovation increased healthcare access to patients during the pandemic as they were able to interact with their healthcare providers virtually while they are at home. Despite the successful adoption of the mobile app, one thing that I wish could have been done differently is to conduct a simple survey with patients prior to adoption in order to understand their views regarding how they wanted the app to appear. The organization used a pre-designed app which might have failed to adequately address patients’ needs.