Posted: November 28th, 2022

Question: Technology is never a substitute for clinical judgment

Question: Technology is never a substitute for clinical judgment or critical thinking.  Technology is a supplement to nurses’ clinical skills, not a replacement.
What areas of health care can benefit from technological advancement? Name at least two and provide specifics.
post 1/ Biomechatronics is a type of technology that can help healthcare. While more research is needed to determine which procedures have better outcomes when using robotic surgery, there are a few that have been shown to have better outcomes, such as cataract and prostate removal. Discovering which procedures robotic surgery is actually beneficial in will eventually reduce the cost of using them because they are not used for everything. Prosthetics are another application of biomechatronics in healthcare. Prosthetics can improve patients’ quality of life by providing them with new working limbs, and advances in mental prosthetics for paralyzed people have also been made.

Computing and communication are already beneficial to the healthcare system. Having immediate access to a patient’s chart allows a nurse to understand their patient a little better before they arrive on their floor, which helps workers prepare for their case load. It allows for immediate communication among all members of the care team, such as determining whether a patient ate lunch, what medication they received and when, and immediate access to physician orders. Other ways that technology has aided this field of healthcare include the ability to send electronic messages and use work phones to communicate quickly and efficiently via the workplace’s Wi-Fi.
In addition, I believe that as technology advances, genome testing will be extremely beneficial to healthcare. It can aid in the prevention of costly or difficult-to-treat illnesses.
post 2/ Telehealth, also known as telemedicine or virtual care, enables a health care provider to care for a patient without having to see them in person for an office visit. It is mostly done online using a computer, tablet, or smartphone with internet access. It overcomes time, distance, and even cost barriers associated with in-person visits. It also helps to keep infectious diseases and illnesses at bay. We saw a very large increase of doctors promoting and using Telehealth visits through COVID-19. Without the technology we have no that allowed us to Telehealth during the pandemic, I believe a lot of people who were not comfortable going out in public, especially to a doctor’s office, would have gone without their medication or seeing a doctor for an illness. It is also extremely helpful for mental health services, especially if the patient is not comfortable at a doctor’s office.
Another area of health care that benefits from the use of technology is the prevention of medication errors. A medication error is defined as any avoidable event that can result in inappropriate medication use or patient harm while in the hands of a healthcare professional or a patient. Barcoded Medication Administration (BCMA) is a medication administration control system that uses barcodes and barcode readers to electronically verify the “5 rights” of medication administration. A patient’s wristband and medication are scanned in order to prevent any errors.
post 3/ Technology helps in many areas of health care. An important use for technology in health care is medical records, this is because technology allows easy access to records for health care workers and patients, it also allows easy and organized documentation which is important for authorizations or can be used to reference. Another important application of technology in healthcare is imaging, such as X-rays, MRIs, or ultrasounds, which make it easier to diagnose or figure out what’s wrong with a patient.
post 4/ There are numerous companies in healthcare today that make extensive use of technology. I believe that easily accessible patient medical records and patient education are two areas where technology can help in health care.
When it comes to patient care, having easier access to patient medical records is critical. These records allow health care professionals to see a detailed history involving any testing that has been performed, images that have been taken and any dictation involving a patients previous medical conditions. Often times patients cannot specifically tell you what has been done throughout their life involving medical care and this can become difficult when health care professionals are trying to give current treatment involving conditions. This documentation also saves a lot of time and can rule out an unnecessary tests that may have been performed previously.
Patient’s are always in need of needing proper education involving their medical conditions. Personally, if I was diagnosed with a medical condition and the doctor just told me information regarding that condition without explaining it in depth and in terms that I was able to understand, I would not feel comfortable with the route of care we choose to go with. Therefore, having education resources available through technology, in my opinion, is a very important. Patients are able to find multiple sources of information regarding conditions and how to manage them, along with how to live with said conditions.