Episode #12: The Upside and Downside of Health Information Technology

The Upside and Downside of Health Information Technology

Introduction to Episode:

This polarity is a “BIGGY” listeners!

Today we are talking about the technology platform and practice platform polarity.

We have 20 years of experience with this polarity.  We’ve used health information technology at the point of care as clinicians, lead implementations of technology and practice frameworks in hospitals, developed evidence-based content to integrate into the electronic health record and participated on one of the first design teams for the electronic health record.

We recognized early on that health information technology needs to be intentionally designed to support professional practice and patient-centered care.

During this episode Michelle and Tracy share lessons learned over the past 20 years and discuss today’s realities.

Healthcare needs a strong technology platform and a strong practice platform if we expect to provide safe, efficient, person-centered, quality care.

As a generation, today’s healthcare leaders were the pioneers that took the first steps to implement health information technology in healthcare.  Now when leaders step back, it gives them an opportunity to look at what’s been learned and where we are nationally in leveraging this polarity. 

Episode Summary Points:

·         If we look at the challenges with the electronic health record, as problems to be solved, there is great

risk.

·         National trends and initiatives influenced the technology platform and practice platform

·         21st Century Cures Act

·         NAM Action Coalition- Clinician Burden

·         Thinking of technology as a problem to fix is a risk

·         Exponential growth happens when you have common universal standards

·         Universal standards provide a structure or framework for the technology and practice platforms

·         We are not experiencing exponential growth in practice because of the lack of universal standards

·         Millions of dollars invested in health information technology and there is not always a return on the

investment

·         Clinicians are experiencing dissatisfaction with the health information technology and moral distress

·         There are positive outcomes associated with technology

·         Pay attention to and monitor the interdependent relationship between these two poles

·         Call for course correction nationally to strengthen the practice platform

·         Describe positive outcomes and negative consequences of both poles

Teaching Points:

·         Health information technology is never going away!  We are the generation to implement it and for

some it is their only experience.  We will always need to leverage the technology platform and

practice platform polarity.

·         Be vigilant in monitoring the interdependency and where the attention is in the organization.

·         You will not achieve safe, efficient care if this polarity is not well managed and it can have very

negative impact on clinicians.

·         Pay attention to any opportunities to course correct.

References:

Care-Centered Clinical Documentation in the Digital Environment:  Solutions to Alleviate Burnout

Troseth, M. R. (2017).  Interprofessional Collaboration through technology, Nursing Management, 48 (8):  15-17 doi: 10.1097/01.NUMA.0000521583.55623.c0 

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