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1. Knowing what you know about technology and healthcare and incorporating your past experience as an RN. What would you like to see (technology wise) that would impact healthcare?
2. There are a vast array of benefits of Informatics – What are your top 2 and why?
3. Kluwer (2016) states that as of 2010 <10% of consumers were utilizing their patient portals and/or email communications to their provider. Do you utilize either?  If so why/why not?

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Benefits of Informatics for the Healthcare Consumer by Akalia Bradford and Christopher Roggen

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Benefits of Informatics for the Healthcare Consumer by Akalia Bradford and Christopher Roggen

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Benefits of Informatics for the Healthcare Consumer

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This video starts out boring but finally gets to the point about the negatives of the current state of Healthcare IT.

Thoughts?

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The Problem With Healthcare Information Technology

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Suneel Dhand MD discusses the current problems with electronic medical records

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Emerging Technology Trends Influencing Healthcare in 2017 and Beyond

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Data is everywhere and it is changing the face of health care. What will health care look like in 2020?

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Here is an interesting info-graphic discussing how mobile technology might assist a consumer to stay healthy!

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Sometimes we take our focus OFF the patient.

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Website discussing the benefits of Health IT for patient/families. Also has links for the providers and researchers as well. Lots of information.

https://www.healthit.gov/patients-families

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Technology is changing the way
we manage our health.

As a patient, consumer, or caregiver, this transformation will enhance both your relationships with your health care providers and their relationships with each other. That change can help to place you at the center of your care - putting the "I" in health IT.

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Technology is changing the way we manage our health. As a patient, consumer, or caregiver, this transformation will enhance both your relationships with your health care providers and their relationships with each other. That change can help to place you at the center of your care - putting the "I" in health IT.

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In response to the cartoon picture, I could not agree more in some situations.

Let me take this back to Labor and Delivery. Through technology we are able to monitor both maternal and fetal well-being from outside the patient room. We have a central monitor at our provider work station and in our break room. With this being said, we still need to interact with out patient, be hands-on and treat the patient not the monitor. Let me give an example, I have a patient going natural without an epidural. I am at the bedside providing comfort care and have not had the chance to chart that her blood pressure cuff went off during a contraction when she was screaming in pain. The provider from outside the room sees the blood pressure reading and orders labetalol. The patient at that exact moment had an elevated blood pressure due to pain, not an underlying disease process. After explaining the situation, the provider cancels the order and I am told to keep a close eye on her blood pressures. They remain normal. This is a common event on my unit and an exact example of treating the patient and not the monitor.

Again, I enjoyed the picture!
Regards, Kaitlyn Morris

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Hi Chris and Akalia, great job on your Padlet.  Lots of great info!

One thing I would like to see in the healthcare technology industry is the creation of a national patient identifier.  A national patient identifier would enable patient and providers continuity of accessing a complete medical record.  The benefits to both providers and patients are numerous and of great value.  Patients would be more engaged in their medical decisions and have access to their complete record in one place.  With a patient’s medical records in one place, providers would have the necessary information needed for care decisions.  Additionally, with less waste, the cost of healthcare would decrease.  With blockchain technology, it seems that idea is becoming closer to a reality.  Another great encouragement for this concept is that Congress has allowed HHS to assist the private sector in its development as part of its 2017 Omnibus spending bill (Monica, 2017).

By far the top two benefits, in my opinion, of informatics is access and efficiency.  Being able to access the Internet for research provides multiple opportunities for providers, patients, and healthcare organizations.  Access is inclusive of networks to third party applications and software which offers convenience and efficiency in today’s fast paced world.

I utilize patient portals, which each have a secure messaging functionality embedded in the application.  Since each of my healthcare providers are on different EMRs, I have three different patient portals that I need to manage username and passwords.  While it is convenient to have easy access to my information, it would be much more beneficial if it was all in one application.  Also, whenever I need to send labs from one provider to the next I need to log onto on application and then electronically send to the other provider.  There is no direct line or connection from one application to the next, unfortunately.

Reference

Monica, K. (2017). National patient identifier gains Congressional support. Retrieved from https://ehrintelligence.com/news/national-patient-identifier-gains-congressional-support

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Great job Chris and Akalia!
In response to your questions this week:
1. I would like to see a national, (someday global!) database to be able to access a patients medical history, medications, and allergies. As an ED nurse, it would be helpful to have at least the basics when we are trying to treat an unresponsive patient with no family or a family member that has no clue about the patient's true health status. As Natalie pointed out, a unique patient identifier would also play a role in this.

2. Two of the benefits of informatics is the ease of availability of a patients information and decreased cost associated with duplication of services from one provider to the next.

3. Yes - I utilize my patient portal and stay on top of any testing that has been completed so I know where I stand before the physician calls me. What I do find frustrating is that some providers use different systems and I end up having to utilize more than one depending on the specialty and their choice of operating system.

Thank you for a great presentation and I look forward to this week's discussion on your topic!

Sewell, J. P. (2016). Informatics and nursing: opportunities and challenges. Philadelphia:

Wolters Kluwer.

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Amazing job Chris and Akalia! Your presentation was a great read and very interesting.

1. Knowing what you know about technology and healthcare and incorporating your past experience as an RN. What would you like to see (technology wise) that would impact healthcare?
Technology in healthcare has come a long way and is already so advanced, playing a pivotal role in safe patient care. I think that this question can be viewed as very open ended so I am going to focus it on Labor and Delivery specifically. On my unit we recently introduced bluetooth external fetal and contraction monitors. It is "suppose" to give us an uninterrupted reading regardless of the patient BMI, position etc. as well as allowing the patient the ability to ambulate right up until delivery without have to make the electrodes. However, there are many glitches in the product, so technology wise I want to see a product such as this succeed. Improving maternal and fetal monitoring and safety , patient comfort, and nurse stressors.
2. There are a vast array of benefits of Informatics – What are your top 2 and why?
I would say accessibility and allowing the patient to make educated decisions regarding their healthcare. It is mind-blowing the amount of information we can access on our smartphones or laptops, and how easy it is, with that being said people need to be educated on how to filter the trustworthy sources so that the information they are reading is in fact true. Then with this information patients are now able to understand their situation or illness and make informed decisions, rather than solely rely on the provider, who while hopefully having the patients best interest at heart might not be perfect especially when viewing the patient personally and their living, support and socioeconomic bigger picture.
3. Kluwer (2016) states that as of 2010 <10% of consumers were utilizing their patient portals and/or email communications to their provider. Do you utilize either?  If so why/why not?
I personally as a patient utilize a patient portal. This gives me direct access to my primary healthcare provider. I think that this is partially due to our rapport, I can send her an email for quick medication refills. An example being Ambein, if I am flying home to South Africa and need to sleep on the plane, this skips the "middle man" so that I do not have to make an appointment just to explain that I am wanting such a prescription, as it is not due to a medical diagnosis. I am also able to relay the urgency of needing an appointment and why, know when things such as lab results have resulted conveniently without having to call or make a follow-up etc. And while some people may not trust the confidentiality of such communication, I very much enjoy the convenience and rapport of such a program.

Again, great presentation!

Reference

Sewell, J. (2016). Informatics and nursing: Opportunities and challenges (5th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer

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I would also LOVE a national patient identifier. As a ED RN, I totally get it when you have a patient come in unresponsive that has never utilized your healthcare system, you have NO idea their allergies, etc... It makes treating them very tough.

After reading your article about the potential for a national patient identifier, I wanted to find an article that discussed the cons. This is a good take on both pros vs cons.

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our medical records probably bear different numbers - one for your primary care physician and his or her medical group, one for each hospital you've been treated in, different ones for different specialists. This can make it difficult to retrieve your medical information.

A common way to match and collect health records is by using a person's name and birthdate. But consider this: In a health database of 3.5 million Houston-area residents, about 70,000 share the same first name, last name, and birthdate.

When the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act was signed into law in 1996, it called for creating "a standard unique health identifier for each individual" to make it easier to link a person with all of his or her health information, no matter where it was stored. In 1998, Congress eliminated that requirement and even prohibited the use of federal funds to develop a unique identifier.

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Twenty years later, the issue is still very much alive. STAT asked experts to offer their perspectives on why the United States should, or should not, create a unique health identifier for each of us.

Tommy G. Thompson: Test identifier to fight medical fraud
Michael D. Greenberg: Unique identifier could protect privacy
Adrian Gropper: Identifier adds nothing beyond "coercive surveillance"
Douglas Fridsma: Make the conversation about patient benefits
Twila Brase: Block the identifier, block national health care
Stephen Smith: Unique identifiers work in the UK

By Tommy G. Thompson: The use of unique patient identifiers could be an important step toward accurately bringing together an individual's health and medical information and delivering it as needed to his or her doctors, but only if certain conditions are met. The identifier must be unique for each individual. It must be completely confidential. It must be secure in cyberspace. The patient - and only the patient - can determine who can access the information. And the identifier cannot be shared without the individual's permission.

There's no question that difficulty sharing medical information - a doctor or hospital can't access important records due to misidentification, or gets the wrong records - is a problem. An even bigger problem we are facing today is the explosion of fraud in the health care system. Since 2009, data breaks have exposed the health information of more than 150 million Americans. By one estimate, fraud adds nearly $100 billion a year to the cost of Medicare and Medicaid.

It would be a worthwhile venture to determine if the use of carefully implemented unique patient identifiers could help combat this epidemic of fraud and provide safer and more secure access to our health information.
Tommy G. Thompson was secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services from 2001 to 2005. He is now chairman of HealthcarePays in Powhatan, Va.
By Michael D. Greenberg: Giving every American a unique patient identifier could reduce errors in retrieving their medical records while improving data sharing and security. A national identifier could also help protect patient privacy, or at least not further erode it. Those are key conclusions from " Identity Crisis," a RAND study I coauthored several years ago.

During the late 1990s, policies blocking a unique patient identifier may have been one way to slow the development of a Nationwide Health Information Network. But even without unique patient identifiers, such a network has largely been cobbled together. It is already exchanging patient records by using common identifiers such as names, birthdates, and Social Security numbers.

There are technical drawbacks to this patchwork approach for matching records. On the clinical side, there's the issue of failing to retrieve needed records or getting the wrong ones. On the privacy side, there are problems with using names and Social Security numbers because these identifiers are inherently vulnerable and are tied to other sensitive records unrelated to health care.

Given that the Nationwide Health Information Network is becoming a reality, efforts to block a national unique patient identifier may now be self-sabotaging. Instead, other privacy-enhancing policies need to be emphasized, such as strengthening the architectural features of health information networks, as well as the regulatory standards for safeguarding records within the networks. Far from imperiling privacy, a careful unique patient identifier scheme might serve to enhance privacy instead.

One takeaway lesson of the RAND study is fundamental tradeoffs likely exist. We want to optimize the privacy and security of health information and make record matching as close to perfect as is practical. Instead of stifling the policy debate about unique patient identifier numbers, we need to reopen that conversation to find the best approach for reconciling these two basic goals.
Michael G. Greenberg, JD, PhD, is a senior behavioral scientist for the RAND Corporation and director of the RAND Center for Corporate Ethics and Governance.
By Adrian Gropper: Implementing a unique patient identifier would add nothing to our health care system beyond coercive surveillance. It would collect information about us without our consent or even our knowledge, much as the National Security Agency has been doing with telephone records.

Patients are just people. Why bother with a number when scanning the iris of the eye is arguably a perfect way to identify each of us. The technology for doing this is becoming almost as inexpensive as that needed to read a credit card. It's not a stretch to imagine iris scanners appearing in doctors' offices, hospitals, ambulances, and the like to match individuals with their health records.

That might be efficient, but it isn't voluntary and offers us no say about what information is matched and who has access to it, nor does it offer any transparency into the process.

There are other ways to accurately match individuals with information about them. The Internal Revenue Service, for example, is quite good at matching people with their financial information by asking for their name, date of birth, and Social Security number the first time they register at a bank or employer. For health, we could ask individuals to supply their name and an email address, cellphone number, or other familiar unique identifier. Then, whenever an entity wants to access an individual's data, be it a physician, lab, pharmacy, insurer, or someone else, a notification would automatically be sent to the person by email or text asking if that's what they intended. This kind of familiar opt-in system gives the individual control over his or her data and the ability to see who is looking at it.

Access to our health information is a first-order privacy issue. Most of the matching and access is done for purposes that don't benefit the patient. Some access is done for risk adjustment, some for marketing services, and some for setting prices while effectively keeping cost and quality in medicine a secret. Take a look at TheDataMap, developed by Latanya Sweeney of Harvard University's Data Privacy Lab, to see the types of organizations that routinely tap into our health information.

Americans need a health care system that encourages trust in our doctors, labs, pharmacies, hospitals, and more. You don't build trust in a system by introducing involuntary and coercive practices like a unique patient identifier just because they are efficient.
Adrian Gropper, MD, is chief technology officer for Patient Privacy Rights.
By Douglas Fridsma: People care - a lot - about the privacy of their medical information. They would like to be able to control who sees it. They also want their medical information to be immediately available when needed. They want it to follow them as they move and age. They'd rather not have to fill in the same information over and over again. And they don't want to worry that their information will be mixed up with someone else's.

Giving every American a unique patient ID could help address all of those issues.

The conversation about unique patient identifiers has often focused on their value for the health care system. What's been missing is the tremendous value they offer each of us.

Unfortunately, rather than focusing on the benefits that a unique identifier would offer all patients - benefits that should rightfully be theirs - we have tended to focus on a technology solution that has been overshadowed by concerns for privacy and fears that our medical information will be exposed to someone other than our health care providers.

Looking at the unique patient identifier as one way to help make us first-order participants in our care rather than observers of the care we receive could help restart a productive discussion on this issue.
Douglas Fridsma, MD, PhD, is president and CEO of the American Medical Informatics Association.
By Twila Brase: The Citizens' Council for Health Freedom opposes the creation of a unique patient identifier, which I call a national patient ID. The most important reason is our opposition to building a national health care system. Without a national identification card for patients, it would be difficult to nationalize health care.

There are other reasons a national patient ID is a bad idea. Patients should be able to get fresh second or third opinions. With a national patient ID, and a nationwide network of electronic health records, clinicians would be able to see the opinions, diagnoses, and treatments of whoever generated the first opinion, which can bias their thinking.

We are also concerned that individuals without a national patient ID would be excluded from getting medical care: No card. No care. And no anonymity.

A national health care system is the antithesis of freedom. We believe it would lead to rationing of care, which would destroy medical ethics and patients' trust in their physicians. Fighting the development of a national patient ID is a key strategy in our battle against national health care.
Twila Brase, RN, is cofounder and president of Citizens' Council for Health Freedom.
By Stephen Smith: The United Kingdom's National Health Service introduced the NHS Number in 1996 to replace a variety of previous conventions and formats. It is now the only national unique single data item used to identify and connect an individual with his or her health records. Anyone receiving NHS-commissioned services in England is allocated an NHS Number. It is used across all NHS organizations. Assigning an NHS Number to a baby at birth enables the creation and maintenance of his or her health care record for life.

The number allows clinicians to accurately pass information about patients to other health and care providers. It helps avoid the patient being mistaken for another person or having his or her information being recorded in another person's file. The NHS number helps simplify sending hospital discharge summaries to a patient's general practitioner, making referrals, linking pathology and other reports to an individual's records, and delivering prescriptions to pharmacists.

The introduction of the NHS Number has been generally supported. It's acceptance was helped by the fact that the number itself does not carry any information about a person, nor does it link directly to other government identifiers, which helps mitigate potential concerns about privacy.

The issues and challenges that have arisen have been more about practicalities due to the scale of the change and impact on processes and information technology systems throughout the NHS. Policies and regulation have consistently stimulated and enforced the requirement for organizations to use the NHS number.
Stephen Smith is program head for demographics at the Health and Social Care Information Centre, which provides data and information technology systems for the United Kingdom's National Health Service.
About the Author

Patrick Skerrett edits First Opinion, STAT's perspective and opinion section.

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Unique patient identifier: Experts argue the benefits, pitfalls

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our medical records probably bear different numbers - one for your primary care physician and his or her medical group, one for each hospital you've been treated in, different ones for different specialists. This can make it difficult to retrieve your medical information.

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Your point about having multiple logins for patient portals is completely accurate. I too have multiple portals, not only for me, but for my kids as well. I have a hard time remembering which password, email combo is for whom.  It would be extremely nice if I could login to one account and access all of my information and my kids information as well.  Too many laws and regulations make it very difficult. This is a great tongue-in-cheek article on having too many patient portals.

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In case you missed the last day of HIMSS 2016 (which is most of you since the keynote area was pretty empty), you missed a number of interesting keynote sessions and other education sessions. However, as I thought through the sessions that day, this comment from a patient attending one of those sessions really stood out to me:

I'm afflicted with hyperportalotus. I have 9 patient portals. #ePatient #HIMSS16

- John Lynn (@techguy) March 4, 2016

Based on the reaction of the crowd to this comment and my own experience talking with thousands of doctors and patients, this is a very common problem. Meaningful use encouraged providers to have a patient portal, but this had the unintended side effect of what I'd call portal proliferation.

The patient who commented about her "hyperportalotus" said that she knew that she had portals for most of her providers, but she couldn't keep track of which provider was on which portal. No doubt she was embarrassed when she couldn't remember how to log in to that many portals as well. Plus, the last thing any sick person wants to do is go searching through 9 portals to find the one that has the information they need.

What concerns me most about Hyperportalotus is that I don't think there's a clear pathway to treating this debilitating problem. There are some treatments that make it better, but the problem still remains and I don't see a cure for the problem coming anytime soon. Is the government going to come out with a portal non-proliferation treaty? I don't think so.

Before I get a wave of pitches that you've solved this problem, I'll make it clear that I don't think the patient being an HIE of one is a scalable solution. That idea might work for some patients, but it won't work for most. Plus, the complexity of each portal having their own format and design causes so many issues with the concept of the patient being the repository and aggregator of their health information.

I'd love to hear how people think this will play out? We got a bunch of doctors on the portal. Now what?

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Hyperportalotus: Condition Whereby Patient Has Too Many Healthcare Acquired Portals

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In case you missed the last day of HIMSS 2016 (which is most of you since the keynote area was pretty empty), you missed a number of interesting keynote sessions and other education sessions. However, as I thought through the sessions that day, this comment from a patient attending one of those sessions really stood out to me: I'm afflicted with hyperportalotus.

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My wife is also a Labor and Delivery Nurse and I asked her about her monitoring equipment. She hates their "wireless" monitoring and said the same as you that she wished that it worked better.  Technology is grand when it works.....right?

How do you propose that patients get better educated? I believe having more information available on a patient portal that is medically accurate would give the patient the information at their finger tips. Although, that would require the patient to utilize their portal. The attached article discussing patient portal utilization rates with much more current data than our book.  They state that age is not a major determining factor of portal utilization rates although the highest portal utilization was 35%. The article also discusses portal adoption rates do not vary among practice size either.
They go on to discuss specific efforts on engaging patients to drive portal utilization and adoption comes with a focus from all office staff on engaging and signing up patients in office.

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athenaResearch Study The Current State of Patient Portal Adoption

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athenaResearch analyzed more than 1,100 provider groups on the athenahealth network to determine exactly what distinguishes physician groups with very high patient portal adoption rates from average programs. Review their data and learn about the four key insights they uncovered.

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Chris- great article explaining both sides.  It seems most of the concern stems from privacy ad security issues related to a unique identifier.  This is why I think blockchain technology is going to be revolutionary for healthcare.  While blockchain started in the financial industry, many are starting to see its potential for healthcare, one of them being a secure means of keeping patient data.  Using blockchain technology, patients would be able to control who has access to their data and how it is shared.  The power stays with the patient.  Also, by nature, data cannot be altered along the chain without the other nodes agreeing to the modification.  Here is a great link of how blockchain can revolutionize healthcare:
https://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/11-74-ablockchainforhealthcare.pdf

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Thanks for the response Chris, I am glad that your wife agrees and yes it would be amazing if they actually worked. I do believe that in the future they will solve the problems, I just hope I am still practicing when they do.

Great article! I think the most interesting point taken away, is that regardless of age patients are using these portals, even at age 80+. I would never have thought, this is great and shows that such programs are in fact patient friendly.

To answer your question, I think that in a perfect world resources online need to be screened, we cannot have false information readily available to patients seeking information floating around on the internet. I also think that patients need to be encouraged to seek medical help first before diagnosing themselves and then once a diagnosis has been made by the provider, given the appropriate resources to educate themselves further via the internet, books or other means.

Again, thank you for your response!
Regards, Kaitlyn Morris

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Chris,
Thank you for the chuckle with "hyperportalotus"! I think we all experience this across a variety of programs we utilize in our lives every day.

Your link to Natalie regarding the pros and cons of a unique patient identifier presents multiple arguments to consider. Iris scanning seems to be a real possibility in the future and something to consider. With identity theft on the rise and overuse of social security numbers, this would be a great alternative.

Thank you for the additional reading material and information!
Kathye

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Week 4_Response to Mrs. Bradford and Mr. Roggen

I would like to express my appreciation for your post.  As stated in your presentation, information technology has become a crucial component in healthcare.  The benefit of using this technology has impacted the delivery of patient care.  Unfortunately, the risk that is associated with using this technology forces the healthcare organizations to established security measures in order to protect the patients’ electronic medical record information.  In the case of patients that have multiple providers who may work in different healthcare organizations, the inability to share the electronic medical record system information among these providers due to the security measures established by each institution, still presents a threat to safe patient care.  Consequently, in the future of healthcare information technology it would be of immense contribution to have a national electronic medical record system.  As stated by Ozair, Jamshed, Sharma and Aggarwal (2015), “Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) capacities must be maximized in order to improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of healthcare and healthcare delivery systems” (p. 76).

There are many positive contributions that information technology (informatics) has made to the delivery of patient care.  One of the major benefits of using the electronic medical record system is the easy access to the patient information within the specific healthcare organization.  The other component of informatics that is beneficial to patient care is the ability to connect the organization’s electronic medical record system with the patient’s pharmacy.  This allows the provider the ability to prevent duplication of prescription medication such as narcotics.  It also allows the nursing team to gather the accurate information regarding the medications the patient actually takes on a regular basis.

In my case, the Electronic Medical Record system patient portal use by my institution allows me to effectively communicate with my healthcare providers.  The patient portal system gives me the ability to send medical concerns questions to my healthcare providers, request appointments, receive test results among many other beneficial functions.  I can access the information within my patient portal from any electronic device by logging in with my password.  According to Sewell (2016), “patient portals provide patients access to their data” (P. 192).  This function allows me to share important test results with other providers, who do not work for the institution and do not have access to my Electronic Medical Record information.

References

Jamshed, N., Ozair, F., Sharma, A., & Aggarwal, P. (2015). Ethical issues in electronic health records: A general overview. Perspectives in Clinical Research, 6(2), 73. doi:10.4103/2229-3485.153997

Sewell, J. (2016). Informatics benefits for the consumer. In Informatics and Nursing: Opportunities and Challenges (5th ed., pp. 187-197). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.

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1. Knowing what you know about technology and healthcare. What would I like to see impact healthcare? I would like to see how we can assist our older generation in educating them on  the use of  this ever so changing and fast paced technology.  To me it seem as if they are left out the the younger generation do not have the time. We must not forget the elderly. They too are still a part of this advanced time.
2.Vast array of benefits of informatics. What are my top 2 and why?  Benefit of  informatics is  personal health records and patient portals. The benefit personal health records is the ability for the individual to manage their disease treatment more efficiently ( Sewell, 2016). I have noticed that more patients when admitted into the hospital are asking questions about their medical condition and medications. Patients are more aware of their rights and want a part of the decision making concerning their own bodies. Another benefit of informatics is patient portal. Per Sewell,  patient portals provide patients access to their electronic health record data.  A form of communication that include the ability to make routine appointments, renew prescriptions, or receive alerts. I must say that patient portal has notified me on several occasions about upcoming appointments that I had forgotten.
3. Kluwer (2016)  states, consumers were utilizing their patient portal/email. Do you utilize either?   Yes. Patient portal has reminded me countless of times of upcoming appointments that I had made several months in advanced.  Also, in PP I can cancel appointments if times do not permit.
Reference
Sewell, (2016). Informatics and Nursing: Opportunities and Challenges (5th e.d). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer

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Hi Emily-
In reading your post, I am sorry to hear about the difficulties your providers are having, despite IP and Ambulatory clinics using the same EMR. I have implemented Epic IP at several healthcare organizations, and have not heard this response before. It is actually quite the opposite! Once we get everyone up and running on the same EMR platform, the waste and errors decrease significantly. The end user facing tools, while they look different from IP to AMB, that is by design, to efficiently fit within the provider's workflow. I think this goes to show that technology can only get us so far. We need the human element to ensure that the technology is designed to work for the clinician and not the other way around. This was the main reason I went into Informatics. As a nurse, I can draw from my clinical experience and design a system and workflow that meets the needs of the nurse. I hated having to dig for information constantly on my patients. One of the very first optimization projects I worked on was to redesign the tools within the EMR for shift-to-shift handoff. It significantly cut back on over-time because nurses were not wasting time hunting through the chart for information. We then implemented a different tool for the Trauma, Neurosurgery, OB, and SICU teams. Once the providers were comfortable navigating the new tool, it further reduced over-time and unnecessary tests. The system would automatically update the report, eliminating manual entry, which leaves room for human error.

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Questions1. Knowing what you know about technology and healthcare and incorporating your past experience as an RN. What would you like to see (technology wise) that would impact healthcare?2. There are a vast array of benefits of Informatics – What are your top 2 and why?3. Kluwer (2016) states that as of 2010 <10% of consumers were utilizing their patient portals and/or email communications to their provider. Do you utilize either?  If so why/why not?  1-	I’d love to see more patients accessing their portals and reaching out to their providers; receiving results and easy triage assessments that way. I think technology needs to be used to the fullest and Patient Portals are a great way of doing that.2-	I think the number one benefit of Informatics is the gathering and analyzing of data to formulate evidence based practice. The second would be making patient’s lives easier by using telehealth, portals and such; where patients can get real time information, results, make or cancel appointments.3-	I would love to see the numbers for 2016. I think there’s been a huge push since 2010 for patients to access their charts from home. I absolutely use my portal and encourage each of my patients to do it as well. It makes my life so much easier and that’s a plus.Thanks for these wonderful questions,Carol Guimaraes

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Questions1. Knowing what you know about technology and healthcare and incorporating your past experience as an RN. What would you like to see (technology wise) that would impact healthcare?2. There are a vast array of benefits of Informatics – What are your top 2 and why?3. Kluwer (2016) states that as of 2010 <10% of consumers were utilizing their patient portals and/or email communications to their provider. Do you utilize either?  If so why/why not?  1-	I’d love to see more patients accessing their portals and reaching out to their providers; receiving results and easy triage assessments that way. I think technology needs to be used to the fullest and Patient Portals are a great way of doing that.2-	I think the number one benefit of Informatics is the gathering and analyzing of data to formulate evidence based practice. The second would be making patient’s lives easier by using telehealth, portals and such; where patients can get real time information, results, make or cancel appointments.3-	I would love to see the numbers for 2016. I think there’s been a huge push since 2010 for patients to access their charts from home. I absolutely use my portal and encourage each of my patients to do it as well. It makes my life so much easier and that’s a plus.Thanks for these wonderful questions,Carol Guimaraes

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1.     I would love to see improvements in the fetal monitoring in labor and delivery. In most facilities, continuous fetal monitoring is the norm. Kaitlin, I was very intrigued to read about your experience with the Bluetooth technology for fetal monitoring. Some challenges with most conventional fetal monitors include limitations of tracing capability with distance from the transmitter- if the patient wants to ambulate they are confined to a small area or we lose feedback. Also, a patient’s BMI and the size of the fetus can seriously limit ability of external monitors to pick up the fetal heartrate. Finally, position change is critical to labor progress and pain management, yet current external monitor technology needs to be constantly adjusted to accommodate patient and fetal movement during labor. In such a litigious field, there is a lot of pressure to keep babies on the monitor and we can spend large amounts of time each day trying to accomplish this task. Moms are sympathetic to this cause and often limit their movement to make it easier to trace the baby.

2.     The top two benefits of informatics are the improvement of communication between healthcare teams and patients, and the increased engagement of patients in their health planning. Electronic communication via personal chart access and an email style messaging system can allow patients and providers to communicate at their convenience. Additionally, patients who sign up for access to their charts can look up diagnoses, lab results, etc. that keep them informed about their current health status. From this they may search the internet additionally for more information. It can be helpful for patients who are overwhelmed at visits and forget what they were told by their providers. In the case of the PACU where I work, we provide printed discharge instructions, and verbally review them with the patient and family member. However, many family members forget the instructions after they leave the hospital. In the event that the paper copy of instructions are lost, a digital copy is available on their MyChart account.

3.     I think patient engagement will increase as more proficient technology users age. I do have access to my chart and access it after a visit. I find the access to labwork most helpful.

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Response #2What an amazing graph! Overall this Padlet has been great and this week’s topic is so interesting! Thanks for putting together such a cool and informative page! I love how informative this graph is! This is much better than the 2010 numbers that stated less than 10% of patients use technology to reach out to their physicians. This shows that 80% use their smart phones to reach their providers. 74% use technology to inform themselves on their health. I personally feel that the text reminders are annoying, but 17.8% have had their chronic diseases improved by these simple reminders. I’m happy to see that patients are using technology to their advantage and improving their health because of it.Sources: FICO, 2014: Hana, 2016: Practice Unite; Healthmine, 2015; Mckinsey Global Institute analysisCarol Guimaraes

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Response #2What an amazing graph! Overall this Padlet has been great and this week’s topic is so interesting! Thanks for putting together such a cool and informative page! I love how informative this graph is! This is much better than the 2010 numbers that stated less than 10% of patients use technology to reach out to their physicians. This shows that 80% use their smart phones to reach their providers. 74% use technology to inform themselves on their health. I personally feel that the text reminders are annoying, but 17.8% have had their chronic diseases improved by these simple reminders. I’m happy to see that patients are using technology to their advantage and improving their health because of it.Sources: FICO, 2014: Hana, 2016: Practice Unite; Healthmine, 2015; Mckinsey Global Institute analysisCarol Guimaraes

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Janice Simmonsen

Great topic and Padlet from both of you!! I enjoyed reading the paper very much. Good information.

To answer the first question:

I see that technology in healthcare has changed dramatically in the last 23 years. Remember SOAP charting and having to write things down and understand illegible handwriting from other nurses and doctors? I would like to see more integration of electronic health records across the country. Having one universal system. We are a traveling nation and having records in different systems or not even in a system in some parts of the country is very time consuming and can be dangerous for patients. In Sewell, 2016, they speak about using standard terminologies to help uncover information hidden in healthcare documentation. This is very helpful when test are sometimes called different things or coded as something other than what the person is used to calling it. Example would be Sitz marker study which is sometimes called colon transit study. If patient or practitioners have no idea test may be duplicate or missed altogether.  This is just one way that having an universal EHR would be helpful.

Reference
Sewell, J. (2016). Informatics and Nursing: Opportunities and challenges (5th ed.). Philadelphia,

PA: Walters Kluwer.

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Akalia and Chris, you both have done a marvelous job on the wall with really good information.

Thanks.

1. Knowing what you know about technology and healthcare and incorporating your past experience as an RN. What would you like to see (technology wise) that would impact healthcare?

I constantly find myself feeling like “it shouldn’t be this difficult” with all of the capabilities in the world today, it really shouldn’t.  I know that SyFi is one thing, but really, Dr. McCoy (Star Trek) had it easy.  He had the interoperability and he had the benefit of instant access to information, but he was also able to give his patients the knowledge that they needed to understand what was happening to them.  I would actually like it if we incorporated more biometrics into healthcare.  It would take away the need for a national identification number, it would ensure that you wouldn’t have to remember 4000 passwords (my current issue with computers) and it is totally unique to the user.

In my ideal world-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZjWEVkDrHY
I attached this at the bottom.
2. There are a vast array of benefits of Informatics – What are your top 2 and why?

Oh, one of my favorite benefits is that it reduced paperwork, however, institutions are convinced that they need paper!  We utilize Epic, but we are still inundated with paper; there is a soft chart for each patient on the floors and it drives me crazy.  There are so many features of EHRs that I don’t think our institution connects with them all.  In my opinion there doesn’t need to be a soft chart, data received in the paper form can be scanned and they become obsolete.

The second is related to reducing unnecessary tests and procedures.  A dissatisfied patient is one that has to have multiple blood draws, one that is charged for another x-ray or scan because the images cannot be found.  I believe that being able to access your own records as well as the healthcare team is able to access them allows for the healthcare team to be engaged.  It ensures that you know what has happened, what your results are and what the treatment plan is.  However, it also ensures that you know you have already had a procedure, test, or scan.  Perhaps in the past, you didn’t recall when you had your last dental x-rays, with information technology, and the ability to communicate data, my current dentist knows that it is too soon to re-take x-rays and therefore, decreases my exposure to radiation.
3. Kluwer (2016) states that as of 2010 <10% of consumers were utilizing their patient portals and/or email communications to their provider. Do you utilize either?  If so why/why not?

Yes, access to the patient portal is pivotal to having an interactive role in your own healthcare.  I have accessed mine to retrieve records, review data related to lab results and communicated back and forth through e-mail with my provider.  This particular function ensures that I do not miss appointments, that I don’t have to actually go into the office for refills and that I can have direct access to my provider should something need addressing.

Sewell, J. (2016). Informatics and nursing: Opportunities and challenges (5th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.

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I know the feeling about the same EHR not being able to fully integrate/communicate. We use Cerner FirstNet (ED/UC) and PowerChart (InPatient) and prior to a few years ago we were the same as you. It was very difficult for the inpatient nurses to find data that was done on patients from the ED and vice versa. There are still problems with communication and finding data that was charted, but it is much better than it was.

Regardless, I am looking forward to the day that all EHRs communicate seamlessly with one another and data is easy to find.

Can you imagine a day when you can easily locate hospital records from an inpatient stay from a different hospital? How much easier would the hospitalists have it when admitting a patient? Only a pipe dream at this point.

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Week 4_Response # 2 to Mrs. Bradford and Mr. Roggen

The video you posted titled “Healthcare it trends,” was engaging, clear and concise.  In a way, it is exiting to see the future of healthcare information technology.  On the other hand, it’s scary to see the possible replacement of human direct care in a field that currently makes much emphasis on patient centered holistic care.  One reality is that technology can never replace the care a human being can provide from one another.  The human touch in healthcare is an essential component of patient care.  This video has pointed out a future of healthcare that many of us in this field await with excitement and concerns.

Even though, as some healthcare providers may not agree fully with all the technological advances for improving patient care, the reality is that such changes are inevitable and fast approaching in this field.  It is important to mention the many positive influences healthcare information technology advancements have made to the delivery of safe, patient engaged care.  As demonstrated in this video, thanks to the advancement of healthcare innovations there has been an increase in patient engagement to be active participants in their healthcare decision making process.  This has contributed to the increase investment of healthcare organizations on improving their technology in order to attract patients to their services.  In one of the slides presentation the video mentions the future development of Virtual Nursing Assistant.  This is a very interesting concept that years ago might have been perceived as too far-fetched, but with the current evolving trends in healthcare technology, not too distant in the future it may become a reality.  As stated by Sewell (2016), “information technology (IT) continues to change the face of healthcare” (p. 188).

References

Sewell, J. (2016). Informatics benefits for the consumer. In Informatics and Nursing: Opportunities and Challenges (5th ed., pp. 187-197). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.

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I too like the idea about hospital patients utilizing the patient portal. Unfortunately, far too many times is it offered to them as an afterthought while they are in ED. The last thing they care about is a portal. It truly needs to be discussed in more depth. Typically what I hear is "Do you want to be part of the patient portal?". If then answer no......then no retort or attempt to find out why. Getting patients to utilize a portal helps in a vast array of areas. Lessen time that front office staff is on the phone, answering emails, making return calls, etc....

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Chris,The presentation and the material presented is informative and easy to read and comprehend.1. The ability to have access to the medical records across all services, states or even national would impact healthcare by the ability for immediate excess and healthcare arena, this information is critical for health care workers to the individual’s data without delay in patient care in particular emergency situation. The current process asking for permission for medical documents when you transfer physician services especially if the patient is living remotely or needs to wait for a week or so for critical information data. In the behavioral care arena, when patients are unable to report or verbalize information about their medication or previous treatment, electronic access would become a must.2. There vast array of benefits of Informatics which I have encountered in behavioral health are the allergies to medications, and previous dosage of medications, which the patient was prescribed for.3. I utilize patient portals and/or email because of the ease not to carry documents for the next appointment, or call previous providers for information. The ease also is in not remembering certain medications that a patient may be taking. It is the benefit of the patients that information technology serves the public for. “Public health informatics is an evolving domain in which practices constantly change to meet the demands of a highly complex public health and healthcare delivery system”, (Carney, & Shea, 2017).MannyReferenceCarney, T. J., & Shea, C. M. (2017). Informatics metrics and measures for a smart public health systems approach: Information science perspective. Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine, 1-12. doi:10.1155/2017/1452415Sewell, J. (2016). Informatics and nursing: Opportunities and challenges (5th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer

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Chris,The presentation and the material presented is informative and easy to read and comprehend.1. The ability to have access to the medical records across all services, states or even national would impact healthcare by the ability for immediate excess and healthcare arena, this information is critical for health care workers to the individual’s data without delay in patient care in particular emergency situation. The current process asking for permission for medical documents when you transfer physician services especially if the patient is living remotely or needs to wait for a week or so for critical information data. In the behavioral care arena, when patients are unable to report or verbalize information about their medication or previous treatment, electronic access would become a must.2. There vast array of benefits of Informatics which I have encountered in behavioral health are the allergies to medications, and previous dosage of medications, which the patient was prescribed for.3. I utilize patient portals and/or email because of the ease not to carry documents for the next appointment, or call previous providers for information. The ease also is in not remembering certain medications that a patient may be taking. It is the benefit of the patients that information technology serves the public for. “Public health informatics is an evolving domain in which practices constantly change to meet the demands of a highly complex public health and healthcare delivery system”, (Carney, & Shea, 2017).MannyReferenceCarney, T. J., & Shea, C. M. (2017). Informatics metrics and measures for a smart public health systems approach: Information science perspective. Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine, 1-12. doi:10.1155/2017/1452415Sewell, J. (2016). Informatics and nursing: Opportunities and challenges (5th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer

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As I have continued to review more literature on this subject, the  benefits of informatics in healthcare are clear. While there remains some drawbacks regarding privacy concerns, the benefits seem to be increasing everyday as it meets the increased ability of technology.
I have attached another great video to show many of the benefits. Especially the benefit of having access to records when the patient is unable to provide a history or the family is unable/unavailable.

One area I struggle with is who should take control of this? For the US Government to take the lead and develop one program to link all physicians and patients seems like the most straightforward and basic approach. However, there are so many different software systems already working in healthcare today that it does not seem feasible.

One of the many things I love about the US is that entrepreneurs have the ability to work hard and develop something new and better to improve our every day lives. I also prefer that the government take a back seat to the citizens (and businesses) who can often develop and implement projects more quickly at a much lower cost.

I look forward to the future to see how all of this will play out and come together. Thank you both for an excellent discussion board and the knowledge gained from it this week!
Kathye

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Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT

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Updated: Health IT for You: Giving You Access to Your Medical Records When and Where They're Needed

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Janice Simmonsen

The top 2 uses of Informatics would be the easy at which information is accessible rather than paper records and the easy of the patient to access their records and communicate with healthcare providers now.  The shift in patient center care from provider center care has been a positive thing in healthcare.  It does have it draw backs in terms of what information is out there and how accurate it is, but having a two way conversation with your provider, I think can lead to better patient compliance and outcomes.

Sometimes though I feel that we can get caught up in the computer and miss what the patient is saying. Listening and taking a good history still is extremely important!! See below, I thought this was someone still relevant in today's healthcare.

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Response # 4

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Great job Chris and Akalia, very well done paper/presentation/padlet! Below are my answers to your discussion questions.

1. Knowing what you know about technology and healthcare and incorporating your past experience as an RN. What would you like to see (technology wise) that would impact healthcare? Personally, what would make the most impact on my day-to-day work in healthcare would be if our inpatient/emergency room (ER) and outpatient/ambulatory electronic health records (EHRs) were better able to “communicate” with each other.

Despite our inpatient and ambulatory clinics using the same EPIC EHR system, the actual interfaces look and act significantly different between each setting. Because of these differences, all healthcare providers waste time trying to find information within a patient’s medical record.

Besides wasting time, unnecessary labs and tests are also completed, often due to a provider being unable to find records. Things get especially complicated when facilities also have access to medical records from outside organizations.

2. There are a vast array of benefits of Informatics – What
are your top 2 and why?
The top benefit I see for the field of informatics is improved patient safety. Patient safety should be one of the top goals for any nurse, so I hope to see this on other nurses' answers as well.

The second-best benefit of informatics would be improved nursing efficiency. Sewell (2016) notes, “informatics will improve documentation and, when properly implemented, not increase the time spent in documentation,” (p. 15). Being efficient and saving time really matter to me, I don't have time to waste!

3. Kluwer (2016) states that as of 2010 <10% of consumers
were utilizing their patient portals and/or email communications to their
provider. Do you utilize either?  If so why/why not? I utilize my MyChart quite frequently. This is a patient portal system in which I can communicate directly with my providers/their nurses. I think it's wonderful to be able to communicate with the nurses and provider so quickly and efficiently. I don’t have to waste anyone’s time for an office visit, or telephone call (no phone tag!!).

I also use MyChart daily to communicate with my patients. There is no way we could accommodate the needs of our patients without MyChart!! My provider can talk to and treat her patients immediately utilizing MyChart. This is extremely beneficial to patients that are experiencing acute flares and need treatment urgently. It is also helpful because urgent clinic appointments are simply not available in our specialty care clinic. Through MyChart, patients can speak directly with the provider, who can order labs and provide treatment, all without actually "seeing” the patient.

Reference:

Sewell, J. (2016). Informatics and nursing: Opportunities and challenges (5th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.

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Chris and Akalia,  I do use my patient portal.  We use what is called my chart.   In a my chart you may look at your labs, schedule appointments, and communication with providers and office staff.  Something that I find nice is that for simple questions or needing a note for something it is very easy.  It is better than a phone call for those things.  I wish more people would use it.  In my practice I do communicate with patient this way.  See above our portal for UW.

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I wanted to write this out vs commenting on your specific post....

Great Video and interesting perspective. In response to your comments about paper and being obsolete.  I began thinking about effectiveness of EHRs and charting. The linked article discusses patient safety and the amount of time that is spent in charting and documentation. In addition, it discusses the notes that are charted and how often they are read by someone. A staggering 38% of nurses notes were read by other nurses and 16% of all nurses notes were never even read.
What and Why exactly are we spending all this time charting?

The data I pulled from the attached article but was actually taken from a different study that the article linked to. That original study gives a lot more depth and information.

Hripcsak, G., Vawdrey, D.K., Fred, M.R., & Bostwick, S.B. (2011, March 1). Use of electronic clinical documentation: time spent and team interactions, Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 18 (2), 12–117. https://doi.org/10.1136/jamia.2010.008441

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Over the past 6 months there have been multiple studies documenting how much time various healthcare professionals actually spend on the EMR (electronic medical record) or associated healthcare technologies. Self-reported estimates of time spent on such activities have not always been accurate so studies using methodologies such as direct observation or computer time logs provide us with a better picture.

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I thought that this was an interesting read. It also addresses some of the consumer health informatics barriers. Such a long list especially under personal health record reasons.

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An interesting take on the next step forward for security. Instead of passwords, which can be stolen or written down, things are moving toward biometrics. Biometric logins are secure and employee specific. Lastly, biometrics can also provide multiple benefits to patients as well. The article does a very good job of discussing the potential benefits of identifying patients through biometrics.

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Many consumers became acquainted with biometric security measures last year, when Apple added a fingerprint sensor to its popular iPhone. Although it was once considered the realm of science fiction, biometric technologies are now being considered by industries like banking and health care, as a way to meet the dual demands of data security and physical security.
Biometrics can be defined as the science of identifying people through a physical characteristic. It includes technologies that can differentiate people by analyzing a fingerprint, palm print, retina scan, voice patterns or facial structure. These technologies have been around for nearly three decades, but industry analysts predict they are poised for explosive growth in the next few years, as costs come down, accuracy improves and public acceptance increases.

Nurses may soon be using biometric log in procedures to access digitized patient information, as hospitals begin to move away from passwords, which can be used in unauthorized ways if they are shared or written down in an unsecure location. Many EMR systems will automatically timeout, forcing nurses to log on repeatedly throughout the shift. Imagine how much time you could save if you could log in and out simply by touching your fingertip to a sensor or laying your hand down on a scanner. Facial recognition technologies can be even more efficient - a facial scanner on top of a computer monitor can log you in as soon as you sit down at the workstation and log you out as soon as you move away.

Nurses who currently use smart badges to gain access to secure areas or supply cabinets may also find their facilities are switching to biometric security measures. Such measures can help guarantee the physical safety of newborns and prevent the theft of narcotics, by making a positive identification of people rather than badges.

In the future, the health care and health insurance industries may rely on biometrics for patient identification purposes as well. Blood banks are beginning to use fingerprint scans of donors to help them comply with federal regulations that require positive identification at every donation. The blood bank in this case study says it less frequently has to turn away donors without proper ID. It has also reduced the likelihood of duplicate donor records and has been able to stop storing Social Security numbers, a practice that consumers increasingly object to.

Other potential benefits of identifying patients through biometrics include:

Preventing medication errors. Biometrics can potentially replace patient wristbands and barcodes as identifiers when nurses are administering medication at the bedside.

Reducing billing fraud. Biometric identification can be used instead of paper insurance cards, to prevent a common type of fraud that occurs when one patient poses as another to obtain insurance benefits. It can also deter unscrupulous providers from filing phantom claims, because a biometric scan offers proof of a patient's physical presence at a health care facility.

Improving the capacity to react to medical emergencies. With a fingerprint or palm scan, patients who are unconscious or unable to talk can still be quickly identified - along with pertinent medical history like drug allergies and current medications.

Furthering the state of health information exchange (HIE). When digitized patient information is shared regionally and across providers, accurate patient identification is crucial. When multiple records exist for the same patient, there's a strong likelihood that one or all will be incomplete - potentially putting the patient at risk for drug interactions or inappropriate services. Biometric patient identification can eliminate the need for patients to fill out multiple forms at each provider visit, and ensure that all data are saved into the same patient record.

Are you a tech-savvy nurse? Health care is in need of nurses who can analyze technologies from both the bedside and IT perspectives, to help create patient-centric tools. An online MSN degree in nursing informatics is the perfect way to improve your knowledge, skills, and value to your organization.

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Biometrics as a Security Measure in Health Care

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Many consumers became acquainted with biometric security measures last year, when Apple added a fingerprint sensor to its popular iPhone. Although it was once considered the realm of science fiction, biometric technologies are now being considered by industries like banking and health care, as a way to meet the dual demands of data security and physical security.

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I love the idea of biometrics but I have to say that I am one of those people who's fingerprints just don't work! While moving jobs this last year or two, I have been stalled with the number of times that I have had to get fingerprinting done. Therefore, if the experts are unable to get it right, then the scanners equally have issues. One of my consumer pet peeves, and I have to use a password to access Pyxis or other devices.  If we progressed from fingers to retinal or something similar I hope I would be able to integrate 100%.
This article looks at the pros and cons, with one of the cons being listed as too invasive. I have to question do we really want someone else to pretend to be us?

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Technology is constantly changing and evolving, which leads to innovation and new devices. We are always looking for newer and better ways to do everything. This involves education, entertainment, healthcare and every other field or industry known to man. However, it is especially true for the world of security. As technology improves, we need more secure measures to ensure that data and identities are safe. This is where biometrics comes into play. Biometrics is the science and technology behind measuring and analyzing biological data. This means that biometrics can have many uses and purposes, but authentication is where this type of technology offers the most benefits.

Pros of Biometrics

1. Highly Accurate
When you are looking for technology that can be used for security purposes nothing matter more than accuracy. Devices that are designed to offer security need to be reliable and work properly. Biometrics biggest pros is that this technology is effective and is scientifically accurate. Since biological characteristics that are unique are used to prove identification with these types of devices, biometrics is one of the best methods for proving authentication that is available currently.

2. Not Easy to Forge
Traditional timecards or id badges are pretty easy to forge or duplicate, but biometrics technology is not something that is easily forged. Forging a fingerprint or retina scan is almost impossible for many individuals that are not familiar with how biometrics technology actually works. This means that the amount of people able to forge this type of security device is reduced substantially. Timecard fraud is a major concern among many corporations and can be costly, but biometrics devices can cut down o this type of fraud very effectively. For this reason, many corporations are making the switch to biometric devices in their facilities.

3. More Available
Even though this type o technology is still fairly new, it is much more available and accessible than in the past. There are countless different biometric devices that are now available for purchase. This means that about every building or business has the ability to have some type of biometrics device that helps to ensure security in some capacity. This type of accessibility for this technology has not always exited.

Cons of Biometrics

Even though there are many positive aspects of this type of technology, there are a few negatives that you need to be informed of before you change your security measures to rely fully on biometrics.

1. Cost is High
The biggest drawback of biometrics devices is that they are not exactly affordable. The cost of even the most basic biometrics devices is very expensive. This technology is accurate and innovative, but it is not cheap by any means. Not only do you have to purchase the biometrics device for a high cost, but you are also required to buy software that allows the device to function properly. This means that you have a lot of different costs tied up in your biometrics security system. If affordability is what matters most, this type of technology might not be the ideal solution.

2. Is It Too Invasive?
Another real concern with biometrics technology is that some people find it to be too invasive and are not comfortable with it being the norm for authorization purposes. There are many people that do not want to have to use a fingerprint scanner, facial scanner or retina scanner regularly. Some people feel that having to give this type of biological data is not safe. However, as biometric devices continue to become more common, the comfort level with this type of technology should increase drastically.

What Human Characteristics Are Measured?

Since biometrics is the science and technology of measuring and analyzing biological data, it is important to understand the types of biological data that can be evaluated and measured. The human body characteristics that can be analyzed include DNA, fingerprints, eye retinas, voice and facial patterns. All of these human body characteristics have the ability to be measured and analyzed, which means that they can then be used for identification purposes. If you are looking for more secure ways to determine authentication, biometrics is something that would be interesting and meaningful to you.

It is Gaining Ground

Biometrics is the science and technology behind measuring biological data that is gaining ground at a rapid rate. It is type of technology that is becoming increasingly common and can be seen in many different facets. It is becoming prevalent within corporate and public security systems in a way that we have never seen before. Not only is biometrics technology designed to offer more security, but convenience is also at the core of what this type of technology provides. It is innovative and different, but it is also an effective way to prove or verify authentication for almost any reason.

What is an Example of a type of Biometric Device?

There are many different types of biometric devices that have been developed in recent years. However, the finger scanner is probably one of the most popular. It is a type of biometric device that consists of different components. This includes a reader that scans the fingerprint, software that acts to convert the fingerprint into a digitized form and a database that keeps all biometric data that is needed for analyzing and comparing. Biometric security devices exist in a number o different forms and types. This include face scanners, door locks, retinal scanners, gun locks and much more.

More Prevalent

This type of advanced technology is more prevalent than ever before. Just going to an airport or using a computer, might put you in direct contact with a biometric device. They are in different forms and offer different levels of security or convenience.

Matching Data is Key

Biometric devices are only effective if matching data is available. This means that match points in the database are processed using a type of algorithm. If this match data is not available, it is impossible to use a biometric device effectively. You have to have data to compare or match with the data that is converted into digital form when the device is used. Biometric devices are ideal for businesses or facilities where entrance requires authentication.

Is Biometrics a Practical Solution?

Now that biometrics is becoming more accepted and more biometric devices are being developed, some are wondering if this really is a practical solution to security or convenience concerns. If you are deciding if biometrics is the right type of technology to use in your home or business, it might be a good idea to take a closer look at the pros and cons of biometrics. Even though this type of technology is extremely innovative and offers a variety of benefits, there are a few downsides that you need to be aware of before making a decision.

The Verdict?

Biometrics is a type of innovative technology that involves the measuring of biological date. It can be used for both security and convenience purposes. While there are a few minor downsides, the benefits of this type of technology make it a great advancement in the world of security. Biometrics is a type of technology that should be pursued and improved overtime.

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Technology is constantly changing and evolving, which leads to innovation and new devices. We are always looking for newer and better ways to do everything. This involves education, entertainment, healthcare and every other field or industry known to man. However, it is especially true for the world of security.

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Week 4_Response # 3 to Mrs. Bradford and Mr. RoggenThe graphic outline you posted titled “5 ways mobile technology can get help patients healthy and keep them that way” is informative and educational.  Nowadays, the use of mobile devices is integral part of life.  The regular use of this type of information technology devices is influence the constant development of software applications that help to improve the mobile devices functions.  In healthcare, mobile devices are used to communicate among healthcare providers and with patients.  The software applications are constantly modified to deliver secure, fast and user friendly information for everyone involved in the care plan, especially the patient.  In the graphic posted for this presentation, the benefits patients receive by using mobile devices such as the smartphones are clearly stated.  This graphic outlines the following components as benefits for patients using smartphones.  These are that it connects them, reminds them, prepare them and empowers them to be active participants in their medical care.  Next to each of these components the graphic outline presents numbers that supports the positive influence of using mobile technology.  This graphic outline is an indication of how technology contributes to decrease healthcare cost and aims to improve the health status of patients.  According to Scott, Mileski and Moreno (2017), “mobile devices, applications and technologies that have become indispensable in society today offer a modality of care that should not be ignore” (p. 444).  Mobile devices and software applications are essential tools use by healthcare providers and patients to improve health status outcomes.   

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Week 4_Response # 3 to Mrs. Bradford and Mr. RoggenThe graphic outline you posted titled “5 ways mobile technology can get help patients healthy and keep them that way” is informative and educational.  Nowadays, the use of mobile devices is integral part of life.  The regular use of this type of information technology devices is influence the constant development of software applications that help to improve the mobile devices functions.  In healthcare, mobile devices are used to communicate among healthcare providers and with patients.  The software applications are constantly modified to deliver secure, fast and user friendly information for everyone involved in the care plan, especially the patient.  In the graphic posted for this presentation, the benefits patients receive by using mobile devices such as the smartphones are clearly stated.  This graphic outlines the following components as benefits for patients using smartphones.  These are that it connects them, reminds them, prepare them and empowers them to be active participants in their medical care.  Next to each of these components the graphic outline presents numbers that supports the positive influence of using mobile technology.  This graphic outline is an indication of how technology contributes to decrease healthcare cost and aims to improve the health status of patients.  According to Scott, Mileski and Moreno (2017), “mobile devices, applications and technologies that have become indispensable in society today offer a modality of care that should not be ignore” (p. 444).  Mobile devices and software applications are essential tools use by healthcare providers and patients to improve health status outcomes.   

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References

Kruse, C. S., Mileski, M., & Moreno, J. (2016). Mobile health solutions for the aging population: A systematic narrative analysis. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 23(4), 439-451. doi:10.1177/1357633x16649790

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1. Knowing what you know about technology and healthcare and incorporating your past experience as an RN. What would you like to see (technology wise) that would impact healthcare?
That is an interesting question, and being that I am more of a people person rather than an application focused nurse, I am not sure how to answer.  I honestly do not like having a computer system where patient care is performed from a nursing care perspective.  I think that technology is a great addition to healthcare and is a huge time saving measure however, I do not like it at the bedside because that is the patients face to face time with their provider.
2. There are a vast array of benefits of Informatics – What are your top 2 and why?
I have to admit working in the Risk/Quality and Safety arena currently has lended me to be a bit jaded these days when it comes to information sharing and accessibility. However, on the other hand if information is appropriately protected and secured, sharing with primary care, specialists, inpatient and pharmacies dispensing systems is extremely desirable and promotes a positive patient outcomes. The people component is the variable that needs the most attention as I currently see it in my role.  I was told once by an IT implementation specialist that the technology is only as good as the user.  The technology is built with functionality in mind and only the person using the platform can input the data necessary to yield the output.

Nice Job!
Trina Biringer

Reference

Sewell, J. (2016). Informatics and nursing: Opportunities and challenges (5th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer.

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Janice S.,You are absolutely correct about the needed uniformity of electronic documentation. Yes I do remember SOAP and BIRP documentation from over 30 years ago. The hand writing and the inability to read what certain individuals attempted to convey, is amazing.” Most commonly observed problems with documentation include; poor record-keeping; poor planning of care; incomplete admission records; lack of documented care planning; failing systems of communication”, (Chand, 2014). Also having spending time in court with legal cases, it is amazing what a lawyer presents your performance as not reliable, not professional, and the understanding of your assumption of patient’s physical presentation as deficient. Electronic health records should become the standard practice to all hospitals and medical facilities.  The need of a uniformed verbiage is a must. You are very correct about the patients traveling issue. When I was traveling between all my assigned hospitals across five states, it was amazing to ascertain laboratory names, and also at the interpretations of such. A uniform platform for all is needed.                            Manny                                    ReferenceChand, S. (2014). Electronic nursing documentation. International Journal of Information Dissemination and Technology, 4(4), 328-331. Sewell, J. (2016). Informatics and nursing: Opportunities and challenges (5th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer

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Janice S.,You are absolutely correct about the needed uniformity of electronic documentation. Yes I do remember SOAP and BIRP documentation from over 30 years ago. The hand writing and the inability to read what certain individuals attempted to convey, is amazing.” Most commonly observed problems with documentation include; poor record-keeping; poor planning of care; incomplete admission records; lack of documented care planning; failing systems of communication”, (Chand, 2014). Also having spending time in court with legal cases, it is amazing what a lawyer presents your performance as not reliable, not professional, and the understanding of your assumption of patient’s physical presentation as deficient. Electronic health records should become the standard practice to all hospitals and medical facilities.  The need of a uniformed verbiage is a must. You are very correct about the patients traveling issue. When I was traveling between all my assigned hospitals across five states, it was amazing to ascertain laboratory names, and also at the interpretations of such. A uniform platform for all is needed.                            Manny                                    ReferenceChand, S. (2014). Electronic nursing documentation. International Journal of Information Dissemination and Technology, 4(4), 328-331. Sewell, J. (2016). Informatics and nursing: Opportunities and challenges (5th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer

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Kaitlyn,Agree, agree and agree. IT is a “present” to all the medical staff and the consumers in particular. The ability to communicate pertinent information, retrieve information from various medical services, and the ability to transmit information to all is incredible. The ability and the ease that some programs able patients of all ages and education to utilize it is a wow affect. However, resources are variable and generated by various organizations for different purposes and for different reasons. Some are educational, but some are a marketing avenue to follow a certain medication or a treatment modality. Patients always have the right to look at resources prior to or after seeking medical emergency. Unfortunately, I witnessed patients refuse to be admitted or admitted to the ED, based on partial information that they read on the internet. There should be a disclaimer at each recommendation.As all agree, the internet is a great asset for all, for information is great but it should be utilized as an adjunct to personal medical advice. “Participants appeared more willing to branch out to alternative methods of computer-based communication, such as the patient portal, if they had a dissatisfying relationship with their provider”, (Zickmund, Hess, Bryce, Mctigue, Olshansky, Fitzgerald, & Fischer, 2008).MannyReferenceSewell, J. (2016). Informatics and nursing: Opportunities and challenges (5th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters KluwerZickmund, S. L., Hess, R., Bryce, C. L., Mctigue, K., Olshansky, E., Fitzgerald, K., & Fischer, G. S. (2008). Interest in the use of computerized patient portals: Role of the provider-patient relationship. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 23, 20-6. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11606-007-0273-6

# data[].attributes.subject
Kaitlyn,Agree, agree and agree. IT is a “present” to all the medical staff and the consumers in particular. The ability to communicate pertinent information, retrieve information from various medical services, and the ability to transmit information to all is incredible. The ability and the ease that some programs able patients of all ages and education to utilize it is a wow affect. However, resources are variable and generated by various organizations for different purposes and for different reasons. Some are educational, but some are a marketing avenue to follow a certain medication or a treatment modality. Patients always have the right to look at resources prior to or after seeking medical emergency. Unfortunately, I witnessed patients refuse to be admitted or admitted to the ED, based on partial information that they read on the internet. There should be a disclaimer at each recommendation.As all agree, the internet is a great asset for all, for information is great but it should be utilized as an adjunct to personal medical advice. “Participants appeared more willing to branch out to alternative methods of computer-based communication, such as the patient portal, if they had a dissatisfying relationship with their provider”, (Zickmund, Hess, Bryce, Mctigue, Olshansky, Fitzgerald, & Fischer, 2008).MannyReferenceSewell, J. (2016). Informatics and nursing: Opportunities and challenges (5th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Wolters KluwerZickmund, S. L., Hess, R., Bryce, C. L., Mctigue, K., Olshansky, E., Fitzgerald, K., & Fischer, G. S. (2008). Interest in the use of computerized patient portals: Role of the provider-patient relationship. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 23, 20-6. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11606-007-0273-6