DNP 805 Emerging Technologies
Advancements in the health care field are occurring tremendously due to technological innovations, science integration into patient care, and other quality-driven interventions. Accordingly, health care practitioners are encouraged to take advantage of emerging technologies to improve patient outcomes. Since these technologies are progressively developing, health care practitioners should adequately understand their threats to avoid patient harm. Nurse informaticists should also help their organizations to embrace technologies ethically and professionally. The purpose of this paper is to describe an emerging technology with the potential to overcome barriers to care.
Overview of the Technology
As health care delivery continues to be more data-driven, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) has increased proportionately. In the clinical environment, AI denotes the potential of computer applications to perform human tasks. Accordingly, AI can replace or supplement health care providers in accomplishing routine clinical functions. According to Davenport and Kalakota (2019), AI represents multiple technologies in the health care field, including machine learning, natural language processing, and rule-based expert systems. AI can improve access to care by making services available to patients without primarily relying on the availability of nurses and other clinicians. For instance, AI has been effective in the analysis of diagnostic imagery, rad
iation oncology, and dermatology. Machine learning has also gained relevance in detecting diabetic retinopathy (Guo & Li, 2018). AI’s precision, high speed, and accuracy are integral in enhancing patient safety and ensuring patients get the highest possible care possible. Generally, AI has improved the quality of diagnosis by reducing diagnostic errors. Importantly, it is also consistent in diagnosis, further underlining its critical role in improving patient safety and care quality.
Ethical Issues Accompanying AI’s Incorporation
The widespread use of AI in health care encounters numerous ethical barriers, limiting its effectiveness. Among many ethical issues, transparency, accountability, and privacy concerns should be effectively addressed. As Davenport and Kalakota (2019) observed, some deep learning algorithms for image analysis are challenging to interpret or explain. The implication is that patients might not get adequate information about their ailments. The potential of AI being implemented by private entities raises concerns about obtaining, using, and protecting patients’ private data (Murdoch, 2021). Concerning accountability, there is no one to hold accountable for mistakes that AI systems make. Such issues continue to hamper patient experience with care and general satisfaction.
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Nurse’s Informatics Role Regarding AI
Nursing informatics is the foundation of technology and science integration into patient care. Consequently, the primary nurse’s informatics role in regard to AI is to promote its safe and effective use. According to Kwiatkoski (2021), nurses with an informatics role should guide their organizations in implementing, maintaining, and optimizing collaboration between providers. As educators and technology promoters in patient care, nurses should ensure that ethical issues hampering AI are effectively addressed. They should also collaborate with other professionals to identify AI-related trends, support patient data analysis, and optimize workflows.
Role of Workflow Analysis, Human Factors, and User-Centered Design Concepts
Technology type determines systems and applications that health care organizations should utilize to support it. According to Letourneau-Guillon et al. (2020), successful implementation of AI workflow applications requires organizations to have a robust and integrated informatics infrastructure. Human factors include attitude to technology and technological competency among health care practitioners. User-centered design is crucial to encourage the use of systems that apply AI. In this case, health care facilities should ensure that they have the appropriate infrastructure and technical expertise for effective AI integration into patient care.
Conclusion
Health care technology improves critical outcomes such as efficiency, effectiveness, and accuracy of patient care. AI has increasingly become pivotal in diagnosis and other crucial care aspects of care. Nurses should embrace it as health care delivery evolves in multiple dimensions. However, they should be aware of ethical issues hampering outcomes and develop mechanisms to address them appropriately.
References
Davenport, T., & Kalakota, R. (2019). The potential for artificial intelligence in healthcare. Future Healthcare Journal, 6(2), 94–98. https://doi.org/10.7861/futurehosp.6-2-94
Guo, J., & Li, B. (2018). The application of medical artificial intelligence technology in rural areas of developing countries. Health Equity, 2(1), 174–181. https://doi.org/10.1089/heq.2018.0037
Kwiatkoski, T. (2021). Nursing informaticists are the backbone of technology-driven care. ONSVOICE. https://voice.ons.org/news-and-views/nursing-informaticists-are-the-backbone-of-technology-driven-care
Letourneau-Guillon, L., Camirand, D., Guilbert, F., & Forghani, R. (2020). Artificial intelligence applications for workflow, process optimization and predictive analytics. Neuroimaging Clinics, 30(4), e1-e15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nic.2020.08.008
Murdoch, B. (2021). Privacy and artificial intelligence: challenges for protecting health information in a new era. BMC Medical Ethics, 22(1), 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12910-021-00687-3