It is hard to disagree that this century is marked by increased technology development and the appearance of new technological solutions that make the lives of people and operations of various organizations more advanced. Healthcare is not an exception – there are several technologies that medical workers use to foster communication, access clients’ data, and bring patient outcomes to a higher level. In this paper, I will discuss how our organization uses technology to gather healthcare information and how this data is used to direct patient care.
To begin with, we use several types of healthcare information technology. First of all, our medical facility has replaced inconvenient paper filing with Electronic Health Records (EHR). Indeed, as stated by researchers from Western Governors University (2021), this system allows “nursing experts to document care provided to patients and retrieve information that can help prioritize care” (para. 5). EHR makes communication between medics and patients and access to patient’s data and treatment plan easier and faster. Additionally, the risk of errors or information confusion is reduced, leading to improved outcomes. Moreover, EHR guides nurses’ work and reminds them when further treatment steps or assessments are required. Another technology we use is smart beds – valuable tools that provide us with basic information about the patients, including their vital signs, movement, and weight. Similar to EHRs, smart beds make nurses’ work easier because they always monitor the state of a person, receive regular updates, see some patterns, and ensure the patient is safe. Since these beds prevent falls, this unique technology helps our organization direct patient care and outcomes.
To draw a conclusion, one may say that the benefit and value of the discussed healthcare technologies are undoubtful. Medics can pay attention to emergency cases or other tasks while smart beds monitor patients’ states and prevent them from falling. With EHRs, doctors and nurses spend less time filling in or accessing patient data. As a result, they are more focused and less tired and can care about patients better.
Reference
Western Governors University. (2021). Seven nursing technologies transforming patient care. Web.