Technologies are meant to enhance everyday life in many areas, and healthcare is not an exception. For example, Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are intended to improve the efficiency and quality of health care delivery (Kruse et al., 2018). However, aside from various benefits, EHRs also have some drawbacks, both of which may overlap each other. Table 1 presents the “Pros” and “Cons” of EHRs based on research by Kruse et al. (2018) used for a more comprehensive analysis.
Table 1. “Pros” and “Cons” of EHRs.
The Role of Advanced Practice Nurses
In the modern world, many areas are constantly and rapidly changing, and in most of them, there are expected to be people maintaining the changes for the benefit of the set area. For example, in healthcare, those people may be advanced practice nurses (APNs). Historically, APNs are meant to “respond to the needs of the system and its users,” referring to complex and highly specialized practice (Calero et al., 2019, p. 122).
APN’s can be identified as the managers of knowledge who apply scientific criteria to complex decision-making in healthcare (Calero et al., 2019). The relationship between the role of APNs in supporting the changes can be seen by clinical practice. As APNs are considered to be the drivers of change, their key practice is focused on changes and the use of technology in specialized settings (Calero et al., 2019). APNs are supposed to support transformations that would advantage healthcare, such as those related to the use of technology.
Furthermore, APNs play an important role in safe effective care. APNs are professionals responsible for improving care quality and ensuring clinical safety (Calero et al., 2019). As a result, these specialists need to constantly assess changes and adapt to them using new technologies to help deliver care (Calero et al., 2019). Health information technology can be used for innovative solutions to adapt effective practices and abandon those of low value (Calero et al., 2019). APNs are supposed to promote the delivery of safe care using new technologies to make the process efficient. With that being said, this objective may impact my role as an APN in clinical practice in terms of following more news on innovations that could improve my work.
Health Care Delivery System
As many aspects of people’s lives are transforming, so is the health care delivery system. Changes in the system are facilitated by new technologies and the relationships between healthcare workers, hospitals, and insurance companies (Sklar et al., 2018). Any transformation within the system should be aimed at enhancing the health of populations and improving one’s experience of care while reducing the overall cost (Sklar et al., 2018).
Those goals can be achieved using big data and various health information technologies (Sklar et al., 2018). For example, professionals could use Electronic Health Records more often to systemize data (Sklar et al., 2018). While various factors can drive the health care system transformation, its speed and effectiveness depend on the engagement of the professionals in the area and their behaviors (Sklar et al., 2018). As a result, this objective may impact my role as an APN in clinical practice by reflecting more on my practice and determining what may need to be changed.
References
Calero, M. Á. R., Gomila, C. J. V., & Fullana, P. S. (2019). Advanced practice nurses and evidence-based practice. An opportunity for change. Enfermería Clínica (English Edition), 29(2), 119-124. Web.
Kruse, C. S., Stein, A., Thomas, H., & Kaur, H. (2018). The use of electronic health records to support population health: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Medical Systems, 42(11), 1-16. Web.
Sklar, D. P., Hemmer, P. A., & Durning, S. J. (2018). Medical education and health care delivery: A call to better align goals and purposes. Academic Medicine, 93(3), 384-390. Web.