In: Nursing
(Healthcare informatics) How will you be able to apply what you learned in this course to your current or future work?
Healthcare informatics is the use of information technology to organize and analyse health care records to improve the health care outcomes.It deals with resources ,methods and devices used in aquisition,storage and organization of health care related informations.It provides an electronic data base for communication among health care personnel like doctors, nurses,physiotherapists,pharmacologists etc.
Healthcare informatics also provide datas which serves as the evidence of quality of health care rendered.It is useful for hospital administrators, insurance personnel and health care information technician.
Knowledge in health care informatics helps in efficient use and management of electronic medical records.The EMR serves as a tool for documenting complete patient details including the assessment findings, treatment given, nursing care given, response to treatment and follow up.EMR also helps in confidential storage of patient information .
Effective and long term storage of accurate information of patients helps in to provide a wide range of of data for evidence based research activities.This can be used as legal document in medicolegal issues.
The health informatics can also be used to attain quality health care decision from experts all over the world.That is , while dealing with complex medical conditions that are difficult to manage we can take opinions from experts in that field through exchanging the patient informations and imaging results such as CT,MRI in a clear way.This will definitely improve the patient outcome.
So in future we can create a global medical community to provide best available health care services.
Aligning best practice with clinical workflow s and care can improve the patient outcome to a great extent.Use of EMR helps to avoid medication errors and also helps in effective communication during handing over and taking over of patients.The data obtained through such records hepls to evaluate the effectiveness of policies ,protocols and procedures and to make necessary changes and new strategies if required.
Healthcare informatics also support the testing and use of new medical devices which will improve the quality of care.
Effective utilization of health care informatics make the health care personnel updated with new interventions and evidence based practices.It will improve the quality of care rendered
Healthcare informatics can be used in co-ordination and standardization of patient information which helps upcoming healthcare personnel to streamline their own practices.