Health, Nursing and Medicine (Essay Sample)

Healthcare Information Technology Name Institution Date Healthcare Information Technology Healthcare Information Technology is the use of computers and other software to process and store patients’ information. This data is organized, retrieved and shared among and within healthcare facilities thus facilitates the decision-making process as well as the sharing of knowledge. Health information technology has improved patient care and safety by eliminating human error and enabling effective coordination among healthcare providers (Singh & Sittig, 2016). Scientific evidence shows significant improvement in the process of sharing and retrieving data. The ability to use clinical reminders, medication alerts and clinical flags has improved patient safety in the clinical environment. Health Information Technology has also made it easier to access a complete record of patients during emergencies and also speeds up the consolation process using system generated medical history information. The data stored is used to perform useful diagnostic tests as well as tracking and reporting of patients’ recovery process. Therefore, the system has reduced the workload associated with manual data entry process that is time-consuming and prone to error. Medical practitioners are currently able to use the data gathered from patients to test and improve the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions, especially when handling evidence-based care practices (McCullough, Parente & Town, 2016). Health information technology has brought about uniformity and quality assurance when conducting regular audits thus eliminating various clinical variations to improves the safety of patients. I can change the use of Health Information Technology to improve patient care and safety by proposing an increased engagement of patients in the process. Teaching patients how to access their medical records from the system will make it easier for them to track and report their recovery process even when they ar...