Healthcare has transition from depending on paper charting,
to using health information technology, to improve quality of care. Over a decade the government advocated for a
national system of electronic health records (EHR). In 2009 the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act was signed addressing healthcare technology called Health Information
Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH). Since the government experienced some resistant’s
from healthcare providers during the implementation of EHR. Health Information Technology (HIT) systems
are to facilitate a more reliable exchange of information among practitioners
and patients and significant improvements in the way care is delivered (McBride
et. Al., 2012) using electronic health records, with meaningful use guidelines.
The concept of meaningful use is a strategic
plan that uses EHR to provide better healthcare within an organization. The Center for Medicare & Medicaid
services provided reimbursement incentives (Martin, at. El., 2011) for
healthcare organizations to use electronic health records to improve patient
care (Nelson & Staggers, 2014). It
is vital for interoperability between multiple health systems in healthcare to
exchange health data without restricted access (Healthcare Information and
Management Systems Society, 2013). The optimal
goal is for each individual to have a panoramic electronic health record from
birth to death, from any health provider.
.
Nursing informatics is a subcategory of health informatics
that incorporates nurses' interactions with healthcare technology systems. Nursing informatics (NI) is the specialty
that integrates nursing science with multiple information management and
analytical sciences to identify, define, manage, and communicate data,
information, knowledge, and wisdom in nursing practice. For nurses to be visible within the era of
the patient’s electronic record requires academic preparation of nurses not
only in terms of using equipment and knowing how and what to document, to make
data meaningful. Using standardized nursing languages to capture data will provide
new opportunities for national and international research to improve care.
Nurse Leader on Frontline |
References
Kirby, K. (2010). Are your nurse managers ready for health care reform? Consider the 8 'Es'. Nursing Economic$, 28(3), 208-211
Martin, K. S., Monsen, K. A., & Bowles, K. H. (2011). The Omaha System and meaningful use: applications for practice, education, and research. CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 29(1), 52-58.
Nelson, R. & Staggers, N. (2014) Health Informatics: An Interprofessional Approach. Elsevier: St. Louis, Missouri.