The Impact of Nursing Informatics on Patient Outcomes and Patient Care Efficiencies
Healthcare in this day and age is riddled with cost and patients take a keen interest in quality before making a preference for one hospital over the other. Since most care services in health institutions attract a favorable cost, these facilities venture into technological approaches that enhance efficiency and save time for patients (Mosier et al., 2019). Nurses in these care centers are required to have sufficient knowledge on technology so as to translate tedious approaches in patient care into efficient service delivery. In order to achieve this, nurses need to utilize informatics competencies to improve efficiency in patient care.
Nursing informatics is the integration of nursing information with current technological practices to address health needs of individuals and communities. Simply put, nursing informatics guides nurses to consolidate multiple data on patient care as it enhances identification of patient cases, managing as well as dissemination of information on care during nursing practice (Sipes, 2016). Nursing informatics can be integrated with the concept of artificial intelligence to improve service delivery to patients. The present discussion elaborates on a project on nurse informatics that dwells on the utilization of Kura Care to optimize patient quality.
The Proposed Project
The present study focuses on the adoption of Kura Care as the proposed nursing informatics project to respond to the need for quality care in the given health facility. Kura Care is an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that allows nurses and other health staff to monitor the well-being of patients remotely (Pateraki et al., 2020). Kura Care uses an AI-based mobile application platform called the kardioPAC which records patient vital details such as temperature, blood pressure, and weight to allow nurses to prepare reports that are shared with other medical professionals during care (Svedberg et al., 2022). Kura Care is a secure online platform that health professionals can use to share data with patients to guide them on self-care.
Kura Care is an incredible artificial intelligence tool that also displays medical history, diagnostic results, clinical summaries, prescription renewals as well as medication lists of patients. While the platform enhances monitoring for hospitalized patients, it offers incredible services to clients in need of remote care. The platform can be a suitable project for implementation because it has special solutions for chronic care management, remote therapeutic monitoring, remote patient monitoring, and principal care management (Carini et al., 2021). Kura Care can also enhance cost management for patients with chronic illnesses as their vitals and treatment options can be administered without the patient visiting the care facility.
To access the kardioPAC platform of Kura Care, a patient is registered using a secure username and they are also allowed to select their preferred password which they can use to access the health information conveniently (Pateraki et al., 2020). In addition, Kura Care has an embedded messaging platform that adheres to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) regulations which allow secure sharing of information between healthcare providers and their patients. Nonetheless, the platform features educational materials that allow patients to access health education resources that they can use to promote self-care based on the nature of their illnesses.
Stakeholders Impacted by the Project
The Kura Care project has a direct impact on patients and primary care providers. Patients use the platform to create a profile, update their demographic information, and also make appointments with their primary care providers (Svedberg et al., 2022). The project as well allows patients to submit their medical bills online using a secure internet connection. Based on this, patients will benefit from the use of the online tool to improve their care as well as enhance their health outcomes. Findings by Mosier et al. (2019) affirm that when patients access their health data efficiently, it improves their functional status and enables them to manage on cost of care. In other words, patients can use the information about their health to consult with primary care providers so that they gain more insights on approaches to self-care which can optimize the quality of their health.
Healthcare providers are also part of the internal stakeholders directly affected by the project. These include nurses, physicians, and other health cadres in the continuum of care. These providers collect and update patient information using the Kura Care platform thereby streamlining the workflow during service delivery. An information piece by Carini et al. (2021) indicates that the Kura Care platform facilitates effective communication between health providers and patients that can help reduce instances of medication errors during service delivery. In fact, health providers will benefit more from the project as it will streamline provider workflow especially when patients schedule online appointments through secure messaging.
However, since Kura Care can be used remotely, it can affect external stakeholders like third-party payers, patient surrogates, and dispensing pharmacies who may outsource their services to patients on home care (Sipes, 2016). The insurers in particular will find Kura Care convenient to them as they can use the platform to make secure payments to their clients. This is because the platform permits online payment using an internet connection (Pateraki et al., 2020). Besides, third-party payers will be impacted by the project because the online platform allows patients to change and update their insurance details in addition to accessing their billing information without difficulty.
Patient-care Efficiencies the Project aims to Improve
The Kura Care project aims to optimize health outcomes for patients as well as increase care efficiency, especially for remote patients with chronic illnesses. The categories of patients include those with long-term illnesses such as cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, arthritis, kidney complications, and cancer (Svedberg et al., 2022). These illnesses require long-term follow-up and with the implementation of Kura Care projects, patients with these ailments will be able to receive timely care services at affordable cost. Ideally, this project aims to utilize healthcare information technology to address the unique needs of patients. In other words, the project enhances patient efficiency by providing health materials that clients can use in self-care to manage their disorders so as to improve their health.
The Kura Care project also aims to improve online engagement of patients and health providers without the need for the patient to visit care facilities. Besides, through online appointments, the project intends to enhance care coordination for patients in long-term care. With these, patients, health providers, and caregivers exchange ideas to enhance care delivery. The approach enhances patient engagement thus allowing them to monitor their health progress and even adjust to ways that can improve the quality of their health (Mosier et al., 2019). It, therefore, means that the project advocates for self-management interventions so as to reduce healthcare costs for patients on long-term care.
Technologies Required for the Project
Implementation of the Kura Care project will require secure and regular internet connectivity to enable the flow of information. With this, patients, health providers, and caregivers need to have electronic devices that are compatible with the platform. However, patients will be required to create an online portfolio that allows them to register effortlessly so that they can access primary care providers of their choice (Pateraki et al., 2020). Kura Care as well has an information access feature to enable patients to access their health information data like laboratory reports, diagnoses, and prescriptions administered. Besides, the platform has a messaging feature to enable patients communicate with their providers electronically.
For the Kura Care project to achieve its intended purpose, it needs to have a real-time notification tool to enable the system administrate to update patient records timely. However, the online platform must be able to integrate with electronic health record software systems to enable the transfer of patient records within the health facility (Carini et al., 2021). Nonetheless, the platform should feature an online payment option to allow insurers to submit payments to their clients on a timely basis. Finally, for all the aforementioned technologies to suffice, the Kura Care platform has a security tool to guarantee safety of the system and patient records.
The Project Team
Implementation of the Kura Care project will require the project manager, systems administrator, and health record staff of the facility where the program is implemented. The project manager will coordinate the activities of the project and document all plans intended to make the program successful (Sipes, 2016). The manager also leads the implementation team and makes financial decisions to improve the efficiency of the program.
The systems administrator designs the patients’ portfolios, install the technology features as well as install security firewalls to enhance the safety of stored details. The health record staff on the other hand will represent the hospital to enable a smooth flow of work by availing the records of patients to the systems administrator and project manager (Svedberg et al., 2022). However, in order to facilitate effective communication between hospital departments and project teams, a nurse informaticist will be used. The nurse will act as consultants to the project team so that they avail information that can improve the success of the implementation process (Mosier et al., 2019). The informaticists will also assess the patient online portfolios to ensure they comply with the regulations of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) for safety reasons.
Conclusion
The aforementioned project on nursing informatics aims to enhance patient efficiency and reduce on cost of care by promoting the use of online platforms to coordinate health services. It also purposes to streamline workflow among providers and patients as it enhances online booking of appointments, especially for patients in long-term care. Kura Care as a technology platform has innumerable benefits not only to patients but also to health organizations that adopt it. As such, care institutions especially those dealing with patients on long-term care should take advantage of the technology if quality outcomes and reduced healthcare cost top their priority of service delivery.
References
Carini, E., Villani, L., Pezzullo, A. M., Gentili, A., Barbara, A., Ricciardi, W., & Boccia, S. (2021). The impact of digital patient portals on health outcomes, system efficiency, and patient attitudes: updated systematic literature review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 23(9), e26189. https://doi:10.2196/26189
Mosier, S., Roberts, W. D., & Englebright, J. (2019). A systems-level method for developing nursing informatics solutions: the role of executive leadership. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 49(11), 543-548. https://doi:10.1097/NNA.0000000000000815
Pateraki, M., Fysarakis, K., Sakkalis, V., Spanoudakis, G., Varlamis, I., Maniadakis, M., … & Koutsouris, D. (2020). Biosensors and Internet of Things in smart healthcare applications: Challenges and opportunities. Wearable and Implantable Medical Devices, 25-53. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-815369-7.00002-1
Sipes, C. (2016). Project management: essential skill of nurse informaticists. In Nursing Informatics 2016 (pp. 252-256). IOS Press. https://doi:10.3233/978-1-61499-658-3-252
Svedberg, P., Reed, J., Nilsen, P., Barlow, J., Macrae, C., & Nygren, J. (2022). Toward Successful Implementation of Artificial Intelligence in Health Care Practice: Protocol for a Research Program. JMIR Research Protocols, 11(3), e34920. https://doi.org/10.2196/34920