NUR 514 Week 6 Assignment Emerging Technology Brief
NUR 514 Week 6 Assignment Emerging Technology Brief
New health care innovations offer the advanced registered nurse an opportunity to apply emerging technologies in practice to improve quality and patient outcomes.
One of the emerging technologies that the author believes will have a significant impact on barriers to healthcare is the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). Accordingly, IoMT refers to medical infrastructure that consists of software, sensors, healthcare IT systems and medical devices that are utilized in medical monitoring, testing, as well as diagnostics. The use of this infrastructure can help the healthcare provider a well as the patient to monitor and inform them on the actual data on potential issues that could result in health problems. Through it, potential health problems are averted before they occur (Balas et al., 2019). An example is the use of skin sensors for blood glucose where diabetic patients are installed with sensors that monitor their blood glucose levels. The sensors notify the patient and healthcare provider incidences of low or high blood glucose levels and the need for an immediate action. In some cases, the sensors deliver insulin depending on the blood glucose levels. Through this mechanism, health problems such as diabetic coma and hypeglycemia and prevented prior to their occurrence in patients suffering from diabetes.
The other way in which the technology could function in healthcare is the management of health problem that affect the elderly populations. The elderly are at a risk of problems such as cardiovascular, renal, and respiratory and memory loss problems. The technology proves significant to these populations. For instance, sensors can be used to monitor their blood pressure and immediate actions taken in case of any deviations from the normal range (Stegemann, 2016). Similarly, they can be used to monitor their adherence to medication and notifications sent to them in cases where they forget their medical regimen.
The use of IoMT technology in health is however associated with some legal and ethical issues. One of them is the
issue of privacy. Scholars argue that the use of such emergent technologies might violate one’s right to privacy. The system information can be accessed by third parties, thereby, weakening their use in the modern world. The other issue is safety concern. The long-term effects of the monitors are yet to be established. There is the concern that too much monitoring might be unhealthy as it raises individual focus on slight health issues that might be of less concern to them (Keramidas, Voros & Hübner, 2017). Therefore, these issues need to be addressed for the emerging technologies to be relevant in the modern practice of healthcare.
IoMT will improve access to care and patient safety in several ways. Firstly, it ensures that the patient and healthcare provider interact constantly on healthcare issues affecting them. The healthcare provider will always be in contact with the patient in case of a notification of an impending health problem (Le et al., 2018). The access to care is also enhanced due to the efficiency in which decisions are made. The easy availability of the patient’s data ensures that healthcare providers can collaborate with ease in determining the healthcare needs of the patients. The monitoring of the patient’s physiological status also promotes safety since health problems are identified before they occur. Besides, incidences of poor adherence to treatment are identified earlier, which leads to minimal occurrences of complications associated with the conditions being managed (Vermesan & Bacquet, 2017). Therefore, it makes it apparent that emerging technologies such as IoMT will eliminate barriers that affect the quality, access, and safety of care given to those in need in the society.
References
Balas, V. E., Solanki, V. K., Kumar, R., & Ahad, A. R. (2019). A handbook of internet of things in biomedical and cyber physical system. Cham: Springer.
Keramidas, G., Voros, N., & Hübner, M. (2017). Components and services for IoT platforms: Paving the way for IoT standards. Cham: Springer.
Le, D.-N., Le, C. V., Tromp, J. G., Nguyen, N. G., & Wiley InterScience (Online service). (2018). Emerging technologies for health and medicine: Virtual reality, augmented reality, artificial intelligence, internet of things, robotics, industry 4.0. Beverly, MA: Scrivener Publishing.
Stegemann, S. (2016). Developing drug products in an aging society: From concept to prescribing. Cham: Springer International Publishing.
Vermesan, O., & Bacquet, J. (2017). Cognitive hyperconnected digital transformation: Internet of things inteligence evolution. Delft: River Publishers.
Emerging technologies have a significant effect on the provision of healthcare in the modern world. The technologies inform the care approaches utilized to achieve optimum, patient-centered outcomes. Legal and ethical issues often accompany the adoption of emerging technologies in healthcare (Duggal et al., 2018). Nurse informaticists have the responsibility of adopting measures to minimize these issues in healthcare. Therefore, this paper explores the use of mobile health applications, as an emerging technology and its impact on nurse informaticist roles.
Overview of the Technology
The selected emerging technology is mobile applications for use in healthcare. Mobile apps are technologies that facilitate healthcare delivery via the phone. The technology enables healthcare providers to offer remote care to their patients. They can perform several roles that include scheduling appointments, providing expert advice, uploading patients’ medical records. Mobile apps also enable healthcare providers to monitor and manage their patients, gather information, and offer patients health education. The adoption of mobile apps enhances care outcomes that include safety, quality, and efficiency. Efficiency is achieved through the elimination of the need for hospital visits and early identification and management of potential complications (Jones et al., 2018). The provision of patient-centered care promotes care outcomes that include safety and quality.
Ethical or Legal Issues
The incorporation of mobile apps into healthcare is likely to experience some ethical and legal issues. One of them is the potential risk of violation of data privacy and confidentiality. Patients and healthcare providers have access to health-related information stored in the apps. Threats to data integrity may arise if patients or healthcare providers do not consider the stipulated security measures in accessing the data. Third parties can also access the data illegally using methods such as hacking to obtain private and confidential data (Vasiloglou et al., 2020). As a result, the adoption of mobile apps in healthcare raises concerns related to data privacy and confidentiality.
The other issue relates to the cost of purchasing, maintaining, and updating the apps. Healthcare organizations bear the responsibility of acquiring, maintaining, and improving mobile apps to address the needs of their patients. They also have to train their staff on the safe and efficient use of the technology in optimizing the care outcomes. The needs increase the costs incurred in healthcare organizations, hence, the challenge (Magrabi et al., 2019). Therefore, a cost-benefit analysis should be performed before the adoption of mobile apps for patient care.
Nurse’s Informatics Role
Nurses have several informatics roles in the adoption of mobile apps in healthcare. One of them is patient education. Nurses educate the patients about the safe use of the technology in achieving their health outcomes. Nurses also play the role of supporting the implementation of policies that will enhance the outcomes of technology adoption in their organization. They ensure the implemented policies underpin the safety, quality, and efficiency goals in the adoption of mobile apps for health (Magrabi et al., 2019). They also propose quality improvement initiatives in their organizations to address issues with technology use.
Workflow Analysis, Human Factors, and User-Centered Design
Workflow analysis is important in mobile apps adoption in healthcare, as it strives to ensure efficiency in technology use. The analysis provides insights into potential benefits and issues that should be addressed before technology adoption. Human factors influence the adoption of mobile apps in healthcare. A focus should be placed on addressing human needs such as training to ensure competencies in technology use. The adopted systems should address the actual and potential needs of the users for them to be user-centered (Vasiloglou et al., 2020). User-centeredness increases the acceptability of the technology for use in healthcare.
Conclusion
Mobile apps for healthare the selected emerging healthcare technology. The adoption of mobile apps for healthcare may raise ethical and legal issues related to data integrity and costs of adoption. Nurses have crucial roles to play in ensuring the successful utilization of mobile apps in healthcare. Workflow analysis, human factors, and user-centeredness should be considered before the adoption of emerging technologies.
References
Duggal, R., Brindle, I., & Bagenal, J. (2018).Digital healthcare: Regulating the revolution.BMJ, 360, k6. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.k6
Jones, M., Morris, J., &Deruyter, F. (2018).Mobile Healthcare and People with Disabilities: Current State and Future Needs.International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(3), 515. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15030515
Magrabi, F., Habli, I., Sujan, M., Wong, D., Thimbleby, H., Baker, M., &Coiera, E. (2019). Why is it so difficult to govern mobile apps in healthcare? BMJ Health & Care Informatics, 26(1), e100006. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjhci-2019-100006
Vasiloglou, M. F., Christodoulidis, S., Reber, E., Stathopoulou, T., Lu, Y., Stanga, Z., &Mougiakakou, S. (2020). What Healthcare Professionals Think of “Nutrition & Diet” Apps: An International Survey. Nutrients, 12(8), 2214. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082214
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, radiation 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.
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