Technology’s Impact on Population Health
Innovation in technology has brought significant impacts on the healthcare system. Today, healthcare institutions are able to achieve efficiency in the delivery of quality care through the application of different technologies. Particularly, computer technology has led to the accessibility of data and information that are necessary for the delivery of quality and effective care to patients. Data capture systems, the internet, search features, and the ability of healthcare professionals to rapidly share information have been possible through the advancement in technology (Kumar et al., 2018). The innovation in technology has allowed healthcare professionals to remain on top of the healthcare trends, technologies, and techniques. Technology is commonly applied to identify risk factors and to determine the correct and most relevant preventative treatment through making a comparison of the patient data from thousands of other patients. Through technology, healthcare institutions have been able to significantly reduce costs and generally improve the quality of life.
Advances in technology have fed the explosion of wearable devices as well as patient self-monitoring. Nurses can leverage the above technology to promote healthy lifestyles and improve compliance with the self-care system and monitoring in different ways. With the increase in knowledge in technology, there has been the development of devices that are used to manage different patients. Specifically, there is increased development and application of the self-monitoring devices that are mostly applied among diabetic patients in remote areas to improve the quality of life. Nurse and other healthcare professionals continue self-monitoring devices to enhance the quality of care among the patients in home-based care. Additionally, nurses can apply wearable devices and patient self-monitoring to direct treatment processes and eliminate healthcare processes associated with healthcare-acquired infections. Through the application of different devices, healthcare professionals have been able to eliminate errors that are always associated with the healthcare delivery processes.
Data is an important resource in different industries; it should therefore be captured and handled carefully to avoid falling into the hands of the wrong people. Healthcare institutions can capture and analyze data to inform different treatment processes. Data is commonly applied to facilitate evidence-based practices as well as research processes in the healthcare process. Therefore, while engaging in the collection of data, there is always the need to secure databases as well as devices to apply. Data can also be applied in the development of different programs that can be applied to treatment processes. The same data in the hands of health insurance plans could lead to higher insurance costs of denial of insurance. There is always the need for regulations on how consumer data can be used in healthcare processes and in other industries.
Regulations can control sharing of data and enhance efficiency in the operational processes. As consumers become more careful about the sharing of data, regulators often step up the privacy requirements. Some of the major companies and healthcare institutions are learning that data privacy and protection can lead to a business advantage (Edwards, 2018). There is a need for regulation in the sharing of data among consumers and different organizations. Data protection regulations often ensure the security of personal data. The security measures also ensure that there is the regulation of collection, application, transfer, as well as disclosure of the data.
References
Edwards, L. (2018). Privacy, security and data protection in smart cities: A critical EU law perspective. Eur. Data Prot. L. Rev., 2, 28. https://heinonline.org/HOL/LandingPage?handle=hein.journals/edpl2&div=8&id=&page
Kumar, P. R., Raj, P. H., & Jelciana, P. (2018). Exploring data security issues and solutions in cloud computing. Procedia Computer Science, 125, 691-697. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877050917328570
NSG 3039 Week 3 Discussion – Technology’s Impact on Population Health
The discussion assignment provides a forum for discussing relevant topics for this week on the basis of the course competencies covered.
By the due date assigned, post a response to one of the two discussion topics below, using information from the lectures, reading assignments, library resources, and Internet resources. All responses should be posted to the Discussion Area.
To support your work, use your course and textbook readings and also use the South University Online Library. As in all assignments, cite your sources in your work and provide references for the citations in APA format.
Tasks:
Advances in technology have fed the explosion of wearable devices and patient self-monitoring. How can nurses leverage this technology to promote healthy lifestyles and improved compliance with self-care and monitoring?
There are vast quantities of consumer data available today. For example, every time you use your grocery store loyalty card, data about what you purchased is collected, analyzed, and saved. This data in the hands of population health professionals can contribute to the creation of healthy lifestyle programs. However, the same data in the hands of health insurance plans could lead to higher insurance costs of denial of insurance. Should there be regulations on how these consumer data are used?
Citations should conform to APA guidelines. You may use this APA Citation Helper as a convenient reference for properly citing resources or connect to the APA style website through the APA icon below.
By the end of the week, comment on at least two of your peers’ responses. You can ask questions or respond generally to the overall experience. Be objective, clear, and concise. Always use constructive language, even in criticism, to work toward the goal of positive progress. All comments should be posted to the Discussion Area.
