Posted: September 5th, 2022

The Impact of Nursing Informatics on Patient Outcomes and Patient Care

The Impact of Nursing Informatics on Patient Outcomes and Patient Care Efficiencies
Nursing informatics has and continues to play a vital role in improving patient outcomes and patient care efficiencies. For a couple of decades now, nurses and specialists in nursing informatics have utilized this technology to advance and better the healthcare industry. Today, more healthcare professionals have access to different technologies such as electronic health records, diagnostics, and treatment plans. All these technologies work together to improve patient outcomes and, as a result, realize efficient healthcare systems.
Patient outcome is one of the primary metrics used to measure success in healthcare. It is described as the realization of set goals within the expected timeline. To measure patient outcomes, healthcare specialists must analyze large sets of data, monitor the results, and identify areas that may need changes. Nursing informatics has made this process easier, faster, and more accurate. Through the ability to accurately collect, analyze large amounts of data in a short time, nursing informatics can identify trends and minor details regarding patient care, such as at-risk patients, which can be used to improve outcomes and patient care efficiencies.
Enhanced processes
Any healthcare entity has dozens of operations that need to be fulfilled on a daily routine. These include standardized operations like varying procedures, policies, protocols, procurement decisions, staffing, and many more. How smooth these processes are run determines the effectiveness of the operations and the quality of patient care. Nursing informatics enables the analysis of extensive data which can be used to improve the effectiveness of these processes. By comparing different variables, practices can be compared and modified accordingly.
Reducing medical error
Nursing informatics also plays a crucial role in reducing medical errors healthcare costs. Through improved staff training, enhanced processes, and best practices, medical errors can be avoided. Traditional systems have been associated with more errors because of wrong communication system channels, wrong information transmission, and poor interpretation of data, all of which are eliminated through this new technology. Reduced medical errors mean better patients care and improved patient outcomes.
Improving efficiency
In healthcare, a small change can have a significant impact on patient care and the entire system. And one proven way to improve efficiency is aligning practices and procedures. Studies have shown that healthcare organizations with huge and unnecessary variations in practices and procedures for patient care have recorded suboptimal patients outcomes. Nursing informatics can be used to analyze processes and procedures and reduce unwanted variations to ensure optimal patient care and ultimately create room for positive outcomes.
References
Honey, M. L., Skiba, D. J., Procter, P., Foster, J., Kouri, P., & Nagle, L. M. (2017). Nursing informatics competencies for entry to practice: the perspective of six countries. Stud Health Technol Inform, 232, 51-61.
Jedwab, R. M., Chalmers, C., Dobroff, N., & Redley, B. (2019). Measuring nursing benefits of an electronic medical record system: A scoping review. Collegian, 26(5), 562-582.
Topaz, M., & Pruinelli, L. (2017). Big data and nursing: implications for the future. Stud Health Technol Inform, 232, 165-171.

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