The purpose of this discussion is to introduce informatics, the use of informatics in healthcare, and the potential outcomes of clinical informatics. The healthcare industry has embraced informatics to aid in the care of patients. Informatics is a union of the study of thoughts (cognitive science) and information, which is then organized and aligned using a computational system (Huber, 2014). To take this a step further, clinical informatics is informatics as it applies to healthcare, in other words, the structuring of clinical data which can be efficiently retrieved and used in a report or be evaluated (Vanderwiel, D, 2017). Data can be observed using varied criteria and then be used to implement change in the nursing environment to ultimately
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A year ago, when a decision was made by infection control to decrease urinary tract infections, there was the implementation of the CAUTI bundle in our ordering system. The doctor will order the insertion of an indwelling urinary catheter using the CAUTI bundle. When the nurse receives this electronic order, she is prompted to answer several questions prior to the insertion to assure there is a need for the catheter. On each subsequent day, the nurse is asked another set of questions to confirm the need for continued use of the catheter. If the indication is no longer supported, the nurse is encouraged to call the doctor for an order to remove. This places the need for the catheter at the front of the nurse’s mind and causes the doctor to justify keeping the catheter, which when left in place significantly increases the risk of a urinary tract infections. Using this CAUTI bundle, the hospital was able to reduce infections and improve patient care. Another area the hospital uses clinical informatics is in the use of the patient portal. The patient portal was developed for the patient to have remote access to laboratory and other hospital studies. The patient is encouraged to view this information as a means to become engaged in their own healthcare decisions. The patient portal also reduces the burden of the patient needing to make calls or drive to the hospital or doctor’s office to retrieve test results. This is extremely beneficial to the patient who has difficulty with transport or the patient needing lab values to determine coumadin dosages. Not all patients are willing to use the portal, however, the patients who use it are happy it is available to
A year ago, when a decision was made by infection control to decrease urinary tract infections, there was the implementation of the CAUTI bundle in our ordering system. The doctor will order the insertion of an indwelling urinary catheter using the CAUTI bundle. When the nurse receives this electronic order, she is prompted to answer several questions prior to the insertion to assure there is a need for the catheter. On each subsequent day, the nurse is asked another set of questions to confirm the need for continued use of the catheter. If the indication is no longer supported, the nurse is encouraged to call the doctor for an order to remove. This places the need for the catheter at the front of the nurse’s mind and causes the doctor to justify keeping the catheter, which when left in place significantly increases the risk of a urinary tract infections. Using this CAUTI bundle, the hospital was able to reduce infections and improve patient care. Another area the hospital uses clinical informatics is in the use of the patient portal. The patient portal was developed for the patient to have remote access to laboratory and other hospital studies. The patient is encouraged to view this information as a means to become engaged in their own healthcare decisions. The patient portal also reduces the burden of the patient needing to make calls or drive to the hospital or doctor’s office to retrieve test results. This is extremely beneficial to the patient who has difficulty with transport or the patient needing lab values to determine coumadin dosages. Not all patients are willing to use the portal, however, the patients who use it are happy it is available to