Question

2. Surveys show that healthcare provider satisfaction is related to the technology available to them in providing patient care. Identify the health information technology most used in patient care and the advances in technology used to enhance patient care.. Please include references.

Answer 1

Health information Technology:

Information technology applied to the area of health and healthcare and for the health information management is called Health Information Technology. It increases the efficiency of clinical and administrative process of healthcare settings. Health information Technology largely helped the healthcare field to improve the quality care to the patient and satisfaction of employees.

Health information Technology that mostly used in the field is Electronic Health Records ( EHR) / Electronic Medical Records ( EMR). In the past Physicians, nurses and other Health care professionals had to document each and everything on the paper by hand , but now the scenario changed. After the introduction of HIT  to the Medical field, they just have to fill it up the information in their computer or mobile. Electronic medical records helped the healthcare professionals to keep patient's records safely , to avoid medication errors and duplication of work. But it was limited to only to that particular hospital or facility. If a patient get admitted to another hospital, then they had to make again the record of the patient. This limitation of EMR got solved by the introduction of EHR.

Electronic Health Records are the most widely used Health information Technology in the healthcare field. Sharing of data throughout different health care facilities is possible with EHR. A new physician or an Emergency department may get the whole medical history, including allergy to specific drugs all can be obtained with the help of EHR. It save the space for data, avoid mishandling of files, missing of files and document , save the time from endless paper work etc.

Advances in technology to enhance patient care:

* Use of smart phone and different apps to enhance communication, to receive alarms and messages etc.

* Sophisticated Diagnostic devices: enhances the correct diagnosis and patient safety. Example Digital thermometer enhance patient safety than the use of oral thermometer./ Hand held biosensors for identifyingthe disease condition.

* Smarter alarm system : only sounds when there is genuine need .

* Enhanced drug delivery system, medication apps to remind the patient about the time and dose of his medications.

* Patient transport and lifting: Smart beds and improved techniques for transferring the patient from unit to unit made nurse's task easy and prevented the injury for patient as well as nurses'

* Electronic Medical Records: helps health professionals greatly to document and transfer the data and to prevent many errors . Thus they can  provide more quality care for the patient with the saved time.