Nursing informatics and digital health integration

Health Informatics

Is the study and implementation of computer structures and algorithms to improve communication, understanding, and management of medical information

Role in nursing care

Improves nursing quality by supporting evidence-based decisions and enhancing communication within care teams

Empowerment through informatics

Understanding informatics enables nurses to lead digital healthcare transformation and provide safe, quality care

Health information technology

Processing, storage, retrieval, and exchange of health information in an electronic environment

-Involves both software and hardware

-Used for communication

Interoperability

The ability to exchange and make use of information

Interprofessional practice

Multi discipline practice

Big data

Large volume of information

Health information exchange

Ability to share information across multiple health care organizations

Integrated

Application of technology into systems

Regulatory frameworks

Guidelines from governing bodies such as CMS & DPH

Institutional workflows

Current, future state gap analysis

Data-driven decision making

Evidence-based practice, predictive analytics, improving patient outcomes through data insights, utilizing real-time data for clinical decisions

CMS Public Reporting on Quality Performance

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services 

-Hospital impatient quality reporting program 

-Hospital outpatient reporting program 

-HCAPS-5-star ratings 

-Readmission reduction programs

Empowerment through informatics

Leadership in digital transformation, advocacy and system design, continuous quality improvement, empowering nursing students

Clincial nurse informaticists

Integrate technology into pt care, optimizing EHR to support clinical workflows effectively

Nurse educators in informatics

Train healthcare staff and students on health IT use, promoting digital literacy and competency in clinical settings

Administrative nurse informaticsts

Manage data systems, ensure regulatory compliance, and support strategic planning in healthcare organizations

EHR vs EMR

EHR (Electronic Health Record) is a comprehensive digital record of a patient's health information that can be shared across different healthcare settings, while EMR (Electronic Medical Record) is a more limited digital version that is typically confined to one practice or organization

Benefits of the EHR for nurses

Accurate documentation, effective communication, clinical decision support, training and compliance

Computerized physician order entry benefits (CPOE)

Prompts warn against the possibility of drug interaction, allergy or overdose 

-Accurate, current info that helps physicians keep up with the new drugs as they are introduced into the market

-Eliminates confusion among drug names that sound alike 

-Improved communication between HCP and pharmacist

-Reduced health care costs

Continuity of care ad interdisciplinary collaboration

Clear, thorough documentation ensures seamless communication between shifts and departments, helps prevent duplication of services and medical errors, and provides a shared record of patient progress, goals, and interventions

Telehealth

Includes virtual consultations, remote monitoring, and health education expanding access to care

-Diagnosing and treating patients using telecommunications technology, remote support for patients, and nurse management

Telemedicine

Specific to remote clinical services provided by physicians and advanced practitioners

Telenursing

Subset of telehealth focused on remote nursing care and services

Guide patients in digital health literacy

Nurses help patients find and use reliable online health information amidst conflicting content

-Patient education on websites

-Digital health literacy empowers patients to actively manage their care and trust healthcare systems

Privacy act of 1974

Regulates the collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination of personal information by federal agencies

-Requires public notice of records, written consent for disclosure, and allows individuals to access and amend their records

Confidentiality an privacy

Patients and families should have the opportunity to revise consent after they fully understand the intrusiveness of home monitoring 

-All involved parties, including the technical staff assistants, must have appropriate training in privacy and confidentiality issues

Four major ethical priorities for EHRS

-Privacy and confidentiality

-Data inaccuracies

-Access to data for research and other purposes

-Data breaches

Overview of cybersecurity

Protects systems and data from digital attacks, ensuring data integrity, confidentiality, and availability

Malware

Phishing

Ransomware

Denial-of-Service Attacks

-Viruses, worms, and trojans disrupt and damage systems

-Tricks users into revealing sensitive data by mimicking legit

-Encrypts data and demands payment, halting business operations

-Attacks flood networks with traffic, causing system outages and inaccessibility

Prevention strategies

Accountability security measures, software maintenance, employee awareness training, data protection and monitoring, and authentication of users