Technology Used in Direct Patient Care (Coursework Sample)

Technology Used in Direct Patient Care
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Technology Used in Direct Patient Care
It is believed by the public that technology has a great potential in improving the efficiency, safety and quality of health care systems. However, few argue that the technology may be a cause of errors and other adverse events. Common pitfalls that would cause errors while using technology in health care include; poor design of the technology, poor interface of the technology with the clients, inadequate planning on using the technology and inadequate maintenance. Technology has proved to change the world and especially in the health care setting (Hutson, 2013 May 31). It is increasingly transforming the delivery of nursing care. The following paper will identify at least two forms of technology used in direct patient care and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each technology.
Background
Before the application of technology in health care systems, nurses and other health care professionals used their common senses, that is, smell, sight, hearing and touch to identify different complications presented by different patients. This would then aid them to administer treatment or diagnosis accordingly. Over time, technology replaced their unaided senses. Nurses, physicians and other health care professionals now use modern technology to determine or detect the physical changes in the conditions of the patients. For example, the new technology of Pulse oximetry allows the nurses to detect a decrease in the oxygenation even before the clinical symptoms can appear. This helps them to diagnose the underlying causes.
Forms of Technology Used
Various technologies have emerged and have proved to change nursing practice. This section will focus on at least two forms of technology used in health care. That is telemedicine and robotics.
Telemedicine
Telemedicine is a technology, in which health professionals or nurses use medical information to improve the health status of the patient. The medical information is transferred through electronic communications (Darkins & Cary, 2000). Telemedicine comprises of various services and applications using email, wireless applications and smartphones among others. Telemedicine is increasingly being used in various operations in hospitals, health agencies and specialty departments. The American Telemedicine Association considers telemedicine to include e-health, transmission of still images, nursing call centers and medical education. The association also considers patient consultations through video conferencing as part of telehealth and telemedicine (Tuerk & Shore, 2015).
Telemedicine is used when monitoring the vital signs presented by a certain patient regarding a particular diseases or disorder. Nurses use patient monitoring devices to collect data and send it to a Remote Diagnostic Testing Facility (RDTF) for further interpretation. Vital signs in this case may include blood glucose for the homebound patients. Telemedicine is also used when providing health information to customers through the internet. This also includes the provision of online discussion forums that allows peer support. In addition, telemedicine is used in medical education when medical educators organize seminars to train health professionals in remote places or locations (Darkins & Cary, 2000).
Through the effective and efficient monitoring of the vital signs presented by a patient, nurses are able to provide treatment or diagnosis accordingly. On the other hand, through consumer health information, client becomes informed about their health status and this prompts them to seek medical assistance if need be. Through medical educations, health professionals obtain further information and training regarding the provision of health care. Telemedicine is therefore a valuable technology in the field of nursing and health care.
Strengths and Drawbacks of Telemedicine
The fundamental benefits of telemedicine include improved access, cost efficiencies and improved quality (Harper, 2012 July 24). Telemedicine not only improves patient’s access to health information but also allows nurses and physicians to offer their services beyond their offices. Telemedicine has also proved to reduce the cost of providing health care and increase efficiency in managing various diseases such as chronic disorders. Telemedicine also assures privacy which secures medical documents to avoid leakage. Most importantly, telemedicine delivers quality health care that is focuses on great patient outcome and satisfaction (Harper, 2012 July 24).
The major downside of telemedicine is electronic glitches. Inclement weather can disrupt the internet connection or even cause power breakdown. This complicates the patient’s online consultation with the nurse. Others include inadequate assessment and physician resistance. The resistance is caused by the physicians’ struggle to use the new technology (Harper, 2012 July 24).
Robotics
Robotics is also an emerging technology in the field of health care. Evidence shows that it has a significant effect on the nursing practice. Robotics is mainly used due to shortage of health workers, need for quality health care and growth of the elderly population. Robots are used in various areas such as Nano medicine and bio-mechatronics (Hutson, 2013 May 31). Robots are also used to directly provide care .We anticipate to see more robots being used in other area such as medical procedures.
Robots used by doctors or nurses when administering physical therapy to the patient. This has proven to be steadier and more accurate than human caregivers (Hutson, 2014). They are also used when carrying elderly patients. Robots are also used in medical education. To achieve this, they are designed to have a top flat screen that shows the face of the physician. The screen moves around like a human neck. This allows the physician to look around the hall and convey verbal messages to patients and health care professionals (Hutson, 2013 May 31).
Strengths and Drawbacks of Using Robotics in Patient Care
One of the most significant ...