please write at least 4 to 5 sentences reply to 4 posts below.
Question: Technology is never a substitute for clinical judgment or critical thinking. Technology is a tool, an adjunct to nurses’ clinical skills, never a replacement.
What areas of health care can benefit from the use of technology? Name at least two and give specific details.
post 1/ Biomechatronics are a form of technology that healthcare can benefit from. While more research needs to be done on what procedures have better outcomes from the use of robotic surgery, there are a couple that are proven to have better outcomes- such as cataract and prostate removal. Discovering what procedures robotic surgery is actually beneficial in will eventually decrease the cost of using them, due to them not being used for just anything. Another area of biomechatronics that is beneficial to healthcare are prosthetics. Prosthetics can give patients a better quality of life by giving them new working limbs, and there has even been advances in mental prosthetics for paralyzed people.
Computing and communication are helpful to the healthcare system already. Having immediate access to a patient’s chart so that a nurse can understand their patient a bit before they are on their floor can prepare workers for their case load. It opens the door for quick communication between all members of the care team- finding out if a patient ate lunch, what medication they received and when, and immediate access to physician orders. Electronic messages can be sent and work phones using the workplace’s Wi-Fi for quick and efficient communication are other ways technology has benefitted this area of healthcare.
I also believe that with advancements, genome testing will be extremely beneficial to healthcare. It can help in preventing illnesses that are costly or difficult to treat.
post 2/ Telehealth, sometimes called telemedicine or virtual care, allows a health care provider to care for their patient without being seen in-person for an office visit. It is done primarily online with internet access on a computer, tablet or smartphone. It overcomes barriers with in-person visits such as time, distance and even cost. It also prevents the spread of infectious diseases and illnesses. We saw a very large increase of doctors promoting and using Telehealth visits through COVID-19. Without the technology we have no that allowed us to Telehealth during the pandemic, I believe a lot of people who were not comfortable going out in public, especially to a doctor’s office, would have gone without their medication or seeing a doctor for an illness. It is also extremely helpful for mental health services, especially if the patient is not comfortable at a doctor’s office.
Avoiding medication errors is another area of health care that benefits from the use of technology. A medication error is any preventable event that can cause inappropriate medication use or patient harm while in the hands of a healthcare professional or patient. Barcoded Medication Administration (BCMA) is a control system that uses barcodes and barcode readers to reduce medication errors by electronically verifying the “5 rights” of medication administration. A patient’s wristband and medication are scanned in order to prevent any errors.
post 3/ Many areas of health care benefit from technology. An important use for technology in health care is medical records, this is because technology allows easy access to records for health care workers and patients, it also allows easy and organized documentation which is important for authorizations or can be used to reference. Another important use for Technology in healthcare is any type of imaging such as an X-Ray, MRI, or Ultrasounds which and make it easier to diagnose or figure out what’s going on with a patient.
post 4/ Today in healthcare there a numerous companies that have a broad use of technology involved. Two areas that I believe technology is beneficial for health care use is easily accessible patient medical records and patient education.
Having easier access to patient medical records is essential when involving patients care. These records allow health care professionals to see a detailed history involving any testing that has been performed, images that have been taken and any dictation involving a patients previous medical conditions. Often times patients cannot specifically tell you what has been done throughout their life involving medical care and this can become difficult when health care professionals are trying to give current treatment involving conditions. This documentation also saves a lot of time and can rule out an unnecessary tests that may have been performed previously.
Patient’s are always in need of needing proper education involving their medical conditions. Personally, if I was diagnosed with a medical condition and the doctor just told me information regarding that condition without explaining it in depth and in terms that I was able to understand, I would not feel comfortable with the route of care we choose to go with. Therefore, having education resources available through technology, in my opinion, is a very important. Patients are able to find multiple sources of information regarding conditions and how to manage them, along with how to live with said conditions.
