The roles and users of the technology in nursing
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A common misconception is that a nurse has the same role and uses technology in the same way in every healthcare institution. But the reality is that a nurse in a hospital does not have the same role or use technology in the same way as a nurse at a healthcare insurance organization or a practitioner’s office. In the healthcare information technology field, it is extremely important to understand the roles and users of the technology. In the discussion topic, consider the following:
How are roles and functions of those roles different depending on the industry?
How does this affect the management of information?
Support your answer with relevant resources.
Sample Solution
The roles of nurses and the way they use technology can be significantly different depending on their place of work. For example, in a hospital setting, it is common for nurses to focus on providing direct patient care and use technologies such as electronic medical records (EMRs) or nursing information systems (NISs) to gather and chart relevant healthcare data. On the other hand, a nurse at a health insurance organization might have more administrative tasks such as working with claims processing, billing software, or online tools used by members to access their coverage plans and benefits. Similarly, someone who works in an outpatient practice may oversee routine procedures like physical exams while utilizing various telemedicine technologies.
Due to these differences in roles and responsibilities between settings, the management of healthcare information also varies accordingly. In particular, hospitals require larger investments into their IT infrastructure due to the amount of medical data that must be collected from patients on a daily basis. In comparison, organizations within private industry are likely to invest less heavily but still need secure systems for ensuring accurate payments from insurers or customers. Ultimately however, all parties involved with managing healthcare information must adhere to stringent regulations such as HIPAA in order for data privacy laws be upheld.
Given how essential it is for both clinicians and administrators alike maintain up-to-date records along with adhering legal requirements when dealing with sensitive health-related information , understanding the user needs associated with each type of health technology can greatly help streamline processes across multiple sectors . As suggested by Kaushal et al., this involves taking into account “the perspective of users when selecting any specific technology” which helps “improve patient outcomes” while also allowing providers “to focus on core competencies” (2016).
