Technology and Decision Making Essay Example for Free

Technology and Decision Making EssayThe quality of affected role tending, parley between wellness divvy up staff, and the safety of patients has greatly alter since the onset of technology. Through the improvement of instruction technology, the ability to collect selective information and manage the conclusivenesss based on the info collected has enhanced in the clinical setting as well as in the business portion. Health c ar information science incorporates theories from informational science, computer science, and cognitive science (Englebardt Nelson, 2002). This information helps to gather and do work it in order to make an informed termination. Important information could be missed if the data is ignored. Some of the most recent technology which includes the internet and cellphone phones has made it possible to main course information quickly in order to make the best decision for the patient in order to provide full quality c are. Technology changes all(a) da y and it is important to keep up with these changes that will help bide clinical decisions made by the tendinggivers. This paper on informatics will show the systems and information theories, the DIK model, and the role of the effective system in nursing care and medicine.System and information theoriesSystem. A system is a set of related interacting spots enclosed in a boundary (Englebardt Nelson, 2002, p.5). There are many types of systems which include but are non throttle to computer systems, school systems, health care systems, and tidy sum. Systems cease be living or nonliving, open or closed. Closed systems do non act with the milieu whereas open system have the ability to act with the environment. Open systems can be used to understand technology and those individuals associated with its use. This type of system takes input from the environment, biddinges it, and hence returns it back to the environment as output, which serves as feedback.This theory can better help the individual understand the bearing people work with systems in the health care industry and all(prenominal)ow for a visualization of the whole picture. A common term using in computer science is GIGO, slobber in, garbage out. This applies in the sense that a system is only as good as its user. If the user is inputting garbage, or poor quality data, the computer is probably to output the same. A system requires an accurate source in order for accurate material to be produced as a topic. Open systems have tercet types of characteristics which include purpose, scarpers, and structure (Englebardt Nelson, 2002). The purpose is the reason for the existence of the system or the program and is most often stated in the organizations billing statement. This is true for health care organizations, churches, and schools.For example, the mission statement of the local public health department to promote health, prevent illness, and control communicable disease by providing quali ty services, health education, and environmental services for the community. Computer systems are often classified by their purpose and may have to a greater extent than one purpose. By selecting a purpose that all individuals agree upon within the organization, a system can be chosen. It is important to take the time to identify the purpose with all those who will be using the system. Functions identify the methods in which the system will achieve its purpose. Functions are activities that a system carries out to achieve its purpose (Englebardt Nelson, 2002, p.6). When a computer system is chosen a list of functional specification moldiness be put in writing to identify each function and how it will be performed. Systems are structured to allow the functions to be carried out.Some examples of structured systems include the nursing department. The nurse in charge will declare patients to the staff nurses with the purpose to provide care. The charge nurse will ensure that the aggr oup is functioning with the ability to provide the care the patient needs and deserves. devil diametrical models can be used to visualize the structure of a system hierarchical and web. In the hierarchical model, each computer is a part of the local area network (LAN) which in turn is part of a wide area network (WAN) that is connected to the mainframe computer system. The mainframe is the attraction of the system or lead part. The web model functions much like that of a spider-web. It has the capability to pass information to many departments that may use it for assorted purposes. For example,laboratory results may be sent to the pharmacy to calculate a medication dosage and patient vitals may be sent to some other department for review and use. A system includes structural elements from both the web and hierarchical model (Englebardt Nelson, 2002, p.7).Everything living or nonliving are in a constant state of change. Six concepts are helpful in understanding the change proce ss 1)dynamic homeostasis, 2)entropy, 3)negentropy, 4) specialization, 5)reverberation, and 6)equifinality. Dynamic homeostasis consists of maintaining an equal balance within the system. At times, increase focusing can throw off the balance and cause challenges to the organization. A health care informatics specialists job is to decrease the stress and restore the balance within the organization. Entropy can be best described as the tendency of the system to break d own into parts. This can be the loss of some data when transmitted from one department to another. All systems, living or nonliving, reach a point where they are no seven-day repairable. When this point is reached, a system must be replaced. Negentropy is the opposite of entropy and is best described as the systems ability to multiply and last more entangled. As the size of the health care industry grows, so do the health care information systems. Information technology. Information technology has the likely to grea tly streamline healthcare and greatly reduce the chance of human error.However, there is a growing literature indicating that if systems are not designed adequately they may actually increase the possibility of error in the complex interaction between clinician and machine in healthcare (Borycki, E., Kushniruk, A., Brender, J., 2010, p. 714). The term information has more than one meaning and the term information theory refers to multiple theories. The two common theoretical theories of information theories are Shannon and Weavers information-communication model and Blums model (Englebardt Nelson, 2002, p. 10). The information theory was presented as a formal theory in 1948 with a publication by Claude Shannon titled A Mathematical surmisal of Communication. In this theory, the sender is the originator of the substance and then the encoder converts the message into a code.A code can be a round, symbol, letters, or words. The decipherer then converts the message to a format that can be recognized by the receiver. Shannon was a telephone engineer and explained this theory in a way that the decoder was thetelephone converting sound waves into a message the receiver could understand. Warren Weaver, from the Sloan-Kettering Institute for Cancer Research, provided the interpretation for understanding the semantic meaning of a message (Englebardt Nelson, 2002, p. 12). He used Shannons works to explain the interpretational aspects of communication as each individual perceives things different from the next. Different types of circumstances may occur causation a message to be interpreted wrong.For example, if a doctor is using medical terminology that the patient cannot understand there is definitely a communication problem. If the patient cannot hear what is being said because the ear is not transmitting sound, then there is a different type of communication problem. The message must convey meaning and produce the intended result. Bruce L. Blum defined ternion types of health care computing applications called Blums Model. He grouped these applications in data, information, or knowledge. information are those things much(prenominal) as height, weight, age, and name. Information is defined as data that has been processed. Knowledge is the relationship between data and information. Using these concepts, it is possible to identify different levels of computing and automated systems.Data, Information, and Knowledge (DIK) modelHealthcare informatics can be explained using a model consisting of three parts data, information, and knowledge (Georgiou, 2002). The three parts are demonstrated using a hierarchy pyramid. Data is the platform in the model, representing the foundation. Data is represented as facts and observations, but without harboring context, the data is irrelevant. Until the information is validated or manipulated the data is not significant, once it is manipulated, the data can provide value to the user. Information is the pro duct of data once the data has been manipulated. The result of data and information is usher-based knowledge. Evidence based knowledge can be used to support evidence based medicine. Some individuals feel that too much focus has been put on data, limiting the ability to figure medicine as a science. Instead, the use of data suggests that medicine is being unspoilt based on statistics instead of science.Yet, the same critics will use the same hierarchy of data, information and knowledge to treat a patient that resurrects a feverishness after hip surgery. The fever alone does not provide significant information but combined with information of arecent surgery, a physician will test further for signs of infection. The end result is the knowledge of why the patient is feverish. Viewing informatics in the form of the decision-information-knowledge (DIK) model allows individuals to see the process as a whole. The data must be accurately representing what is occurring or the informat ion will not be accurate. The statement, dirty in, dirty out, can be applied to the platform of the model. It is essential that clean data be entered into the system, allowing clean data and information to be produced. The product, knowledge, can then be substantiated through with(predicate) the evidence produced. Just as evidence is used to make clinical decisions, the DIK model is used, in conjunction with the scientific information, to build evidence based medicine. Health informatics involves spreading and distributing information as just one piece of the process of producing knowledge which is multifaceted (Georgiou, 2002).The role of expert system in nursing care and medicineNurses and other health care professionals make decisions on a daily basis that affect patients care and treatment. Nurses and health care professionals are not expert in all areas of nursing care and medicine. Health care workers specialized in certain area or field of medicine or nursing are not always readily available to everyone. Expert systems have been developed to attention medical and health care providers with decisions about care and treatment of patient. An expert system is a knowledge-based computer program designed to enhance the human ability to analyze, problem solve, treat, diagnose, and estimate prognosis of health-related conditions (Englebardt Nelson, 2002, p. 114). Nursing expert systems can improve the overall quality of care when designed for the appropriate end-user group and based on a knowledge base reflecting nursing expertness (Courtney, Alexander, and Demiris, 2008, P. 697).Examples of expert systems include MYCIN, a system that advise physicians about antimicrobial selection for patients with meningitis or bacteremia and INTERNIST-1, a system that assist with diagnosing complex problems in general internal medicine (Shortliffe, 1986). Health care workers may not always have the knowledge base to diagnose and treat every condition or situation encounte red. Expert systems are used to close the gap in knowledge providing effective, efficient, andaccurate care. The concept of expert system is driven by the desire to improve patient care, reduce cost, and disseminate expert knowledge. Expert systems are used just as x-rays and lab values are obtained to improve the human understanding of a patients condition. The human memory has limitations. Expert systems can be the answer to eliminating a large number of preventable medical mistakes. This system can alert health care workers about drug interactions and allergies, and provide preferable form of treatment. Expert systems can assist in diagnostic suggestions, testing prompts, therapeutic protocols, and practice guidelines.The utilization of expert systems has an impact on the quality of care, economy, and medical education of staff. Expert systems, when used efficaciously can improve patient outcomes and decrease health care costs. Fewer mistakes lead to lower financial expenditure s and increased profits. Improved quality of care result in improved patient satisfaction that leads to increased reimbursement from Medicare and Medicaid. Expert systems can also decrease the variation in medical practice emphasizing standardize and evidence-based practice of care. Along with expert systems, decision aids and decision support systems are used to improve patient care.The use of decision aids and decision support systemsClinical decision aids help to identify solutions to clinical situations. Decision aids can be either paper-form or electronic. The electronic decision aids can be accessed via recorded media or the Internet. Decision aids are utilized to drive on shared decisions between the patient and interdisciplinary team taking care of them. They help the patient to think about the multiple decisions they must make in the course of their treatment regimen. An example is the Ottawa longanimous Decision Aid. This decision aid helps to determine whether or not p atients should seek antibiotics for bronchitis. Another example is a decision aid about whether or not someone should place his or her family in a long-term care facility for Alzheimers disease (Englebardt Nelson, 2002). A decision support system (DSS) is an interactive, flexible, and pliant computer-based information system (CBIS), which was made to support decision-making as it relates to the solution of an individual problem.A clinical decision support system (CDSS) is an automated decision support system (DSS) thatmimics human decision making and can facilitate the clinical diagnostic process, promote the use of best practices, assist with the development and adherence of guidelines, facilitate processes for improvement of care, and prevent errors (Englebardt and Nelson, 2002, p. 116). Decision support systems utilize data and provide easy user interface that permit for the decision makers own insights. Four components of decision support systems are user interface, model libr ary, model manager, and report writer. User interface makes communication between the executive and decision support system. Model library includes statistical, graphical, financial, and what if models. Model manager accesses available models.Report Writer generates written output (Englebardt Nelson, 2002). Four types of CDSS used in patient care decision-making are systems that use alerts to respond to clinical data, systems respond to decisions to alter care by critiquing decisions, systems suggest interventions at the request of care providers, and systems conduct retrospective quality arrogance reviews. Examples of nursing-specific decision support systems are nursing diagnosis systems such as the Computer Aided Nursing Diagnosis and Intervention (CANDI) system, care planning systems such as the Urological Nursing Information System, symptom management systems such as the Cancer Pain Decision Support system, and nursing education systems such as the Creighton Online Multiple Mo dular Expert System (Courtney, Alexander, and Demiris, 2008).The uses of technology for patient and client managementAs Information Technology continues to have more presence in health care, patients, physicians, and staff are benefiting from on-demand access to information anyplace, anytime it is needed. Advances in technology provide healthcare organizations the ability to improve the quality of patient care. An ultimate finish of using technology is to improve the quality of care patients receive (Become a purposeful User of Health IT, 2010). Technology can be found patient homes, clinics, extended care facilities, and hospitals, to name just a few. As the number of chronic diseases continues to increase technologies like telemedicine and video-conferencing can improve the quality of life of patients with chronic conditions, and reduce costs caused by these illnesses (Finkelstein Friedman, 2000). Improving quality, access, and client management is through with(p) by enhanci ng theexchange of information between providers, institutions, and payers, allowing patients to receive uninterrupted continuity of care.For the people living in rural areas, the restrictions placed on services and specialists can be improved using technology (Smith, Bensink, Armfield, Stillman, Caffery, 2005). Telecommunications in the healthcare environment can provide patients and providers an opportunity to meet and even exceed expectations clients and the community have. A physician accessing a patients record from his home can provide treatment and develop a plan of care without sitting in his clinic to access the patients chart. Caregivers are no longer at the mercy of ongoing education provided at a variety of locations and cost. Learning management systems available via the Internet allow staff to review material and participate in competency testing. Tools are available through the advances in technology, which allow training by developing simulations of patients used for assessment training in virtual environments, assessing cognitive skills of providers (McGowan, 2008).As technologies in healthcare continue to improve, caregivers and patients will continue to experience changes in many areas.Communication, teaching, and documenting will be affected, which change the way clinicians provide care and the way clients will receive it. analytic thinking of the effect of technology on health care and health status Prior to computers and digital equipment seen in todays healthcare facilities, most of what was done for patients was done manually. Manual processes could be time consuming and the opportunity for human error, which could affect the quality of care a patient received, was real. In a recent report from the Institute of medical care, it was stated that humans are inherently imperfect, and error is frequent in medical car (Patton, 2001). Technologies affecting patient care and a persons health status include improvements to imaging systems, docum entation solutions, and scheduling systems. Modern medicine relies on technological systems coming in concert the operating room, clinical laboratory, radiology department, and radiation oncology facility each incorporate interrelated networks of technologies (Patton, 2001). Surgeries that once required large incisions can be done through microscopic incisions resulting in shorter hospital stays. Early diagnosis and improved treatment plans have been inevitably affected by technology. Although technology allows healthcare to improve access to patientinformation allowing easier access that is current and up-to-date there are also disadvantages to this kind of access. Consumers and caregivers have large volumes of information, which can be accessed, not all of the information accessed will be understood or accurate. Society must be aware that not all sites will be able to monitor and ensure information being accessed is credible it is inevitable some of the information provided and r etrieved will be inaccurate.Worse yet information which are by practice of law confidential, may also be accessed without the consent of the patient. In addition to the ability to monitor healthcare information, technology may also make it challenging for physicians to practice under complete autonomy. With the increase in the complexity of technology, physicians must agree on how components relate to one another, also known as standards (Patton, 2001). As a result, some physicians can be seen resisting the adoption of new processes, but with ongoing development of user-friendly systems, resistance can be overcome.ReferencesBecome a Meaningful User of Health IT. 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