Respond to at least two of your colleagues* on two different days, offering additional/alternative ideas regarding opportunities and risks related to the observations shared.
David Morris
WednesdayJul 3 at 1:01am
Manage Discussion Entry
My hospital’s electronic health record system is called EPIC. The system is built interoperable with the messaging software called VOCERA. This feature allows s for interactive messaging among hospital staff. When a nurse is signed on to a patient’s chart, all other users , doctors and other departments are able to see who the primary nurse is and can use the instant messaging feature to communicate with the nurse. Likewise, the nurse is able to see other members of the interdisciplinary team and able to contact them directly via IM or phone call. Also, we have portable vocera phones with built in camera. The nurse is able to take pictures of wounds on admission and upload to the chart and is immediately viewable by physicians and wound care nurse.
Electronic healthcare record has become the order of the day in healthcare. As technology improves so has its use in healthcare more evident. This is not without risks.
The main risk associated with use is privacy and security ( Thakkar & Davis, 2006). Cybercrime has been on the rise over the years . Patient’s data can potentially be accessed illegally by criminals. It has been reported that incidences of hacks, ransomware increase yearly( Seh, et al 2020). A potential barrier is cost of implementing an EHR. This enormous financial implication can impact smaller hospitals and healthcare facilities ( Thakkar & Davis, 2006).
Positively , improvement in quality of care, reduction in medication errors, efficiency in workflow, conservation of time and seamless communication are some benefits of Instant messaging with my hospital’s EHR system. ( Junaid, et al 2022). A nurse’s ability to reach a doctor instantly leads to improvement in patient’s outcome.
Data safety is plagued with potential for hacks, leaks and unauthorized access of patient’s record.
I believe that wearable sensors will continue to gain prominence and emerge as the most promising technology trend in healthcare. Sensors capture patients’ data such as vital signs, symptoms, and behaviors regardless of location a transmits to the health provider. Wearable sensors are very affordable and utilizes little energy. ( Seh, et al, 2020). These two practicalities will enable widespread adoption and has the potential to be more effective to improve patient care outcomes.
