Transforming
Nursing and Healthcare through technology
The
Application of Data to Problem-Solving
– Discussion Response –
Respond to
your colleague* asking questions to help clarify the scenario and application
of data, or offering additional/alternative ideas for the application of
nursing informatics principles.
*Note:
Throughout this program, your fellow students are referred to as colleagues.
Description of Scenario
Remote healthcare and telemonitoring would be resourceful sources for nurses to gather, access, and share data. Such sources would also enhance knowledge development and problem-solving. Instances of data types that could be collected from remote healthcare and telemonitoring, according to Butt et al. (2023), entail insurance and claims data, patient personal details, medical history, and clinical trials. Moreover, Electronic Health Records (EHR) data are readily available to authorized persons. Archived clinical images, past patient diagnoses, and health survey information are also readily available to facilitate critical problem-solving, knowledge acquisition, and informed decision-making.
Data captured in telemonitoring and remote healthcare can be obtained in various forms and ways; for instance, it can be collected from patient-held devices such as test kits which convey test results in actual time (Butt et al., 2023). Health data can also be collected by patient monitoring devices, which are electronically connected to patients; patient information on various health vitals can be obtained accurately, efficiently and faster through cellular networking or Bluetooth. Again, data can be obtained from Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) devices such as glucose monitors, pulse oximeters, blood pressure monitors, weight scales and spirometers.
Knowledge to Derive from the Data
Banbury et al. (2020) state that valuable knowledge can be acquired from data identified and gathered from various quantitative and qualitative techniques. For instance, data collected enables one to learn effective ways of conducting medical tests, administering and stopping medication, medical assessments and clinical judgement. The learning health system enhanced by data further enables the production of risk scores and disease outcome predictions. Moreover, this data highlights knowledge concepts like comprehending health trends and developments and patterns of diagnostics (Banbury et al., 2020). The collected data sets can also synthesize knowledge concerning patient encounters, satisfaction, lifestyles, and patient-reported outcomes. The data also facilitates knowledge development of staff experiences, satisfaction and techniques to enhance their performances and practice.
Healthcare providers, practitioners and experts can also utilize the data to learn techniques to prevent and eliminate clinical bias. Banbury et al. (2020) mention that data obtained through quasi-randomization and randomization greatly facilitates clinical bias minimization. Furthermore, crucial insight is acquired on what can be accomplished with the help of machines, devices and other technologies that enhance healthcare delivery. Other knowledge areas facilitated by the identified clinical data entail designing predictive models, ease of using instructions to complete clinical tasks, and utilizing practice guidelines (Banbury et al., 2020). It is, therefore, crucial that diverse data types are used for various knowledge synthesis, purpose and clinical uses.
How a Nurse Leader Would Use Clinical Reasoning and Judgment
A Nurse administrator, including nurse managers, utilizes clinical reasoning and judgment to develop knowledge through different techniques. A nurse leader could utilize local experience to develop knowledge using pure descriptive data to establish valuable insights (Groom et al., 2021). For instance, in a case where a patient has been treated effectively using a particular prognosis, an EHR could be utilized to customize the same treatment for similar incidents in the future (Groom et al., 2021). Summarizing patient care could be simplified based on the knowledge obtained from clinical experiences. Therefore, data from actual experiences results in enhanced guidance when making clinical decisions and judgments since it is founded on evidence. Statistics can also be employed to match similar patient incidents, which aids in creating a more robust identification of healthcare trajectories and patterns (Groom et al., 2021). Generally, a nurse leader can utilize the identified data to extract and synthesize valuable insights to address current and future health-associated concerns.