With the advancements in Health IT over time, there have been many breakthroughs, the EHR being the most significant example. It has transformed the workflows and how things take place in practice. The days of complicated charting and manual record-keeping are long gone. However, just like the advantages the technologies offer, there are some cons as well. Health IT is a very challenging domain, and sometimes it becomes highly strenuous for not only the doctors but the nurses as well. According to a report by HIMSS Analytics,
“Among 150 participating clinical and IT workers, including doctors and nurses, report that so many interruptions from alerts, alarms, pagers, phone calls, and texts create stress that, in turn, fuels burnout.”
This validates the fact that technology is not so beneficial unless it’s designed in a way that puts the needs of care-providers on top. Nurses and office staff are often caught up with cumbersome systems which become increasingly frustrating with the passage of time. Consequently, the providers have to go back and forth between multiple systems, which seriously affects their productivity
However, looking at the bigger picture, technology has definitely proven to be very useful when addressing and eliminating administrative discomforts, ultimately bridging the gap for a more unified way to work.
Enhanced Accessibility
EMR solution are a valuable asset for the healthcare providers as well as the patients, aiding the patients by building their trust in technology and providers by facilitating them to stay in line with the regulations. Moreover, it enables the ease of data sharing between nurses, patients, and providers. This dramatically improves clinical workflows and decision making, coupled up with significantly improved outcomes.
In addition to that, developments in the telehealth ecosystem have played a primary role in facilitating accessibility, especially for patients who are geographically dispersed. Patients can receive nursing care with the help of remote patient monitoring, video conferencing and mobile applications in a glimpse.
Reduced Human Error
A reduction in human error is always a perk we get to have when new technologies emerge. With better medical technologies in place, routine processes are streamlined, particularly for short-staffed nurses who work for longer hours at a stretch, and are at a higher chance of slip-ups. An example can be automated IV drips, which can smartly calculate the dosage being administered to patients while creating a swift process for switching drip amounts and dosages.
Moreover, the number of bedside mistakes is also minimized, since all the patient and provider information is promptly available. This eliminates bottlenecks in the treatment process.
Positive Impact on Nursing Shortage
Nurse burnout is one of the leading elements of the shortage of nurses in the US. Extended hours and tiresome schedules are other factors that contribute to nurses quitting their jobs at practices. With the breakthroughs in telehealth, the overload of work can be eliminated, and it would take fewer nurses to provide the same amount of care.
Moreover, telehealth provides nurses with the opportunity to cover geographical regions that have a scarcity of health professionals. This majorly includes regions which are located in the countryside. Hence, telehealth aids providers with treating patients, who are situated in remote areas.
Author’s Thoughts!
These progressing healthcare technologies are the future of healthcare systems globally. Moreover, these are surging in popularity, as more and more providers are incorporating them into their practice ecosystems. It’s high time that we start dealing with the nurse burnout problem, especially by making the tech more user-friendly and accessible, so that the provision of safe and reliable care is no longer a hassle, and the nurses can have an improved quality of living.