Emerging Technology Brief Essay

Emerging Technology Brief Essay

Emerging Technology Brief

The increasing healthcare demand occasioned by an aging population susceptible to acute and chronic conditions, and the need to leverage new technologies in care provision implore nurses and health systems and organization find innovative solutions to attain optimal care. Cerebrovascular diseases that include ischemic stroke are some of major public health concerns in healthcare that require use of telemedicine to help monitor patient’s condition. The use of telestroke focuses on aiding prompt treatment interventions alongside acute stroke-facilities, and primary and comprehensive stroke centers (Sharma et al., 2020). The purpose of this paper is to discuss telemedicine for stroke patients to enhance access to care and reduce costs.

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Overview and Function of Telestroke in Healthcare

Stroke telemedicine (telestroke) allows providers to gain advanced training in treating strokes through leveraging technology. The stroke experts work with individual’s local emergency medicine physicians to suggest diagnosis and treatment that can be offered in their respective communities (Guzik et al., 2021). The technology allows physicians and patients to communicate using digital video cameras, Internet, robotic telepresence, smart digital devices like phones and tablets among other accompanying technologies. Stroke telemedicine operates on a distant site-and-originating site protocol. The system consists of a large urban medical facility that is certified as a primary stroke center serving primary medical centers called distant sites. Remote locations that are smaller regional facilities serve as originating sites (Miller, 2021).The technology also entails professionals working as a team. These include a program manager, clinical coordinator, vascular neurologists, neurosurgeons and radiologists at distant centers. The originating site has emergency medicine doctors and other staff. The stroke telemedicine team also has radiology technicians, information technology experts, researchers, nurses and nurse practitioners and other providers as important members.

Stroke telemedicine has the potential to enhance access to care and promote patient safety and quality. Studies show that individuals who get care at facilities which offer telemedicine for stroke assessment get superior care. These patients are also more likely to survive strokes than those who go to similar facilities that do not have telestroke services. Telestroke allows facilities with no experts to treat stroke to link patients to neurologists. Using videos and other components of telemedicine, off-site experts can examine patients virtually with symptoms suggestive of stroke, review radiology tests, and make recommendations on the best course of action. Evidence shows that these interventions enhance quality as individuals get access to best services and expert advice to manage the condition (Miller, 2021). The implication is that telestroke improves patient safety as one gets quality care efficiently and effectively in remote locations.

Ethical and legal Issues Concerning Incorporation of Stroke Telemedicine

Several ethical and legal issues emerge when integrating stroke telemedicine. These issues arise from the need for emergency medical care since stroke is an acute whose exacerbation or occurrence is highly unpredictable. Provision of emergency medical care overrides patient concerns about confidentiality and autonomy which are the core ethical and legal issues. Privacy is sacrificed in providing urgent care because of the rapid transmission of accurate health information, especially from distant locations where time becomes essential.

Patient’s informed consent is also an ethical issue when using telemedicine in emergency and acute care settings (Wilcock et al., 2021). Patient privacy during telehealth consultations is essential despite the possibility of it being limited because of the nature of technology in use.

Physicians are also concerned that they may be susceptible to malpractice petitions if a technical problem occurs leading to delays in consultations with the main care facility. Adverse outcomes become a concern for such physicians who may be keen on providing care based on legal parameters or requirements.

Informatics Nurse’s Role in Stroke Telemedicine

Informatics nurses continue to play a growing in information dissemination and use of health information technologies for optimal and efficient care delivery. The use of telestroke demonstrates an innovative model that providers and organization can leverage to improve care quality for stroke patients, particularly those at a distant and cannot easily access emergency and urgent care (Booth et al., 2021). Nurse informaticists are experts who advise their organizations and help in developing and setting pup systems to integrate stroke telemedicine. The informatics nurse ensures that the developed system meets patient’s needs, complies with existing legal and ethical frameworks for quality care and patient health information’s protection (Carroll, 2020). The informatics nurse works collaboratively with the different sites for stroke telemedicine to ensure effective sharing of critical yet protect health information for optimal and fast care interventions.

Role of Workflow Analysis, Human Factors and User-Centered Design Concepts

Workflow analysis and human factors are important to the success of stroke telemedicine as the technology has increased demand for human labor based on the number of healthcare experts needed to integrate it and use the technology for optimal management of stroke. Workflow analysis enables providers to know areas that require improvement and can accrue benefits by leveraging stroke telemedicine intervention. Human factors entail availability of human expertise for facilities to have required abilities and expertise to implement emerging and innovative technologies like telestroke to enhance management of stroke and improve patient outcomes (Booth et al., 2021). The user-centered design concept implies that stroke telemedicine should benefit patients and end-users like neurologists for optimal care outcomes. Therefore, the ultimate focus in integration of stroke telemedicine is to increase benefits to all stakeholders based on the features that it offers when used to manage acute and chronic conditions, especially suggestive symptoms for stroke.

Conclusion

Emerging technologies in healthcare are important and provides the opportunity for practitioners to improve quality care, patient outcomes and safety metrics. Technologies like telemedicine are changing accessibility, quality, and affordability of chronic diseases’ care for patients and even providers. Informatics nurses should help the implementation of stroke telemedicine, especially in distant centers, to improve care delivery through innovative care models for optimal patient satisfaction and better management of chronic conditions like cardiovascular diseases.

References

Booth, R., Strudwick, G., McMurray, J., Chan, R., Cotton, K., & Cooke, S. (2021). The Future of

Nursing Informatics in a Digitally-Enabled World. In Introduction to Nursing Informatics (pp. 395-417). Springer, Cham.

Carroll, W. (2020). 2020: Emerging Technology in Global Nursing Care.

https://www.himss.org/resources/2020-emerging-technology-global-nursing-care

Guzik, A. K., Martin-Schild, S., Tadi, P., Chapman, S. N., Al Kasab, S., Martini, S. R., … &

Southerland, A. M. (2021). Telestroke across the continuum of care: lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Diseases, 30(7), 105802. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2021.105802

Miller, J. (2021 March 1). Telemedicine for stroke patients improves outcomes. The Harvard

Gazette. https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/03/telemedicine-for-stroke-improves-patient-outcomes-saves-lives/

Sharma, R., Nalleballe, K., Kapoor, N., Dandu, V., Veerapaneni, K., Yadala, S., … & Brown, A.

(2020). Telestroke: A New Paradigm. In Ischemic Stroke (p. 61). IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.92831

Wilcock, A. D., Schwamm, L. H., Zubizarreta, J. R., Zachrison, K. S., Uscher-Pines, L., Richard,

535. V., & Mehrotra, A. (2021). Reperfusion treatment and stroke outcomes in hospitals with telestroke capacity. JAMA neurology, 78(5), 527-535. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2021.0023

Emerging Technology Brief

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Assessment Description
New health care innovations offer the advanced registered nurse an opportunity to apply emerging technologies in practice to improve quality and patient outcomes. For this assignment, research an emerging health care technology that you think has the potential to overcome current or emerging barriers to care.

Write a 500-750 word brief. Include the following:

Provide an overview of the emerging technology and its role/function in health care. Consider its potential for improving access to care and promoting patient safety and quality.
Describe ethical or legal issues that would accompany the incorporation of the technology.
Explain the nurse’s informatics role in regard to the technology. Provide examples of the roles and job functions.
Outline the role of workflow analysis, human factors, and user-centered design concepts for your chosen technology example.
Refer to the topic Resources for samples and resources to help you construct your brief.

You are required to cite three to five sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years and appropriate for the assignment criteria and nursing content.

Complete the “APA Writing Checklist” to ensure that your paper adheres to APA style and formatting criteria and general guidelines for academic writing. Include the completed checklist as an appendix at the end of your paper.

Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center.

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to LopesWrite. A link to the LopesWrite technical support articles is located in Class Resources if you need assistance.