Using Information Technology to Improve Patient Safety and Quality of Nursing Care
Paper 3 rubrix
Must bold topic with points beside it
Using Information Technology to Improve Patient Safety and Quality of Nursing Care - due by Day 7 of Week 5
For this Application Assignment, write a 3-4 page paper reflecting on what you have learned about the issues of data quality, patient safety, and access to health care in relation to information technology. Use the headings below for each section. Use a minimum of five references from the professional nursing literature in the assigned course readings and other references in the Walden Library. If they are relevant, you may use one or two professional web sites in addition to the literature references.
Begin this paper with a brief paragraph that provides an overview of the assignment and its purpose. There is no separate heading for this paragraph; the heading for this paragraph is the same as the title of the paper. This paragraph will be about 2-3 sentences. The last sentence in this paragraph is a sentence that begins "The purpose of this paper is to ¨. This paragraph is worth 20 points.
Data accuracy and safety - 60 points
Describe at least two strategies that are used to ensure the accuracy and safety of data entered into information systems used in nursing practice. This section is 2 paragraphs.
Data integrity - 40 points
Explain the importance of data integrity to healthcare institutions. This section is 1- 2 paragraphs.
Contributions of information technology - 60 points
Describe at least two ways in which information technology contributes to patient safety and to access to health care. This section is 2 paragraphs.
Summary - 20 points
End the paper with a one-paragraph summary of the main points of the paper.
Format/style
Proofread the paper as described in the tips for success in this course and correct any typos, grammar, spelling, punctuation, syntax, or APA format errors before submitting your paper in the Dropbox. Up to 40 points can be deducted from the grade for this assignment for these types of errors, or for not using at least the minimum number of required references.
Total points for assignment = 200 points.
When completed, save the assignment as APP5+last name+your first initial.doc. For example, Sally Ride's Week 5 Application Assignment would be named "APP5RideS.doc." Submit this assignment via the Dropbox. Use the Submit an Assignment link, choose the Week 5: Application basket, then add your Application as an attachment.
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Using Information Technology to Improve Patient Safety and Quality of Nursing
Nursing informatics serves to facilitate the integration of data, knowledge and information to support patients, nursing staff and other healthcare professionals in their decision-making in all settings and roles. Information Technology is a vital tool that facilitates transfer of information that improves patient care. The purpose of this paper is to provide a reflection of what I have learned about the issues of data quality, patient safety, as well as access to health care in relation to information technology.
Data accuracy and safety
There are several strategies that are utilized to ensure the safety and accuracy of data entered into information systems used in nursing. (i) Data Validation: this will make sure that the information entered into the information system is accurate. Without data validation, the healthcare institution may incur a data entry error rate of between two percent and 8 percent (Miner & Bolding, 2014). It is of note that the weakest link in many processes is basically at the point in which the data is entered manually into the information system of the hospital. If validation of data does not happen at this moment, then the consequent administrative cost that would be used to resolve the error at a later stage could be substantial. As such, validation and verification of data are of great importance to any healthcare organization that deals with data in any volume (Miner & Bolding, 2014). (ii) Putting in place apt procedures including periodic audit and review to make sure that every data item entered into the organization’s information system is kept up-to-date. The clerical and computer procedures in the organization should be sufficient with apt cross-checking to make sure that there is a high level of data accuracy. Databases should also be cross-checked for consistency, and the data entry staffs should be monitored for accuracy. Duplicate entries should also be prevented and checked (Miner & Bolding, 2014).
(iii) Establishing a minimum standard of security – this will entail the following: access to the organization’s central IT servers would be restricted within a secure location to a few staff members with apt procedures for the accompaniment of any contractors or staff who is not authorized. Access to computer systems within the healthcare organization should be protected using passwords protected (Bodin, 2007). Access to personal data in the organization should be limited only to authorized personnel on a need-to-know basis according to a specified policy. There should be back-up of data held in the computer, and this includes off-site data back-up. Suitable measures have to be taken to make sure that employees are informed about the security measures of the healthcare organization, and conform to them. Equally important, a person should be designated to be responsible for security of data entered into the organization’s information system, and should carry out periodic reviews of the measures as well as practices in place (Miner & Bolding, 2014).
Data integrity
Data integrity is basically understood as traceability and accuracy of data; it entails the accurateness of the complete health record. Data integrity is of major importance to healthcare institutions considering that it is an essential element of information security. It ensures that the data stored within the database is accurate and consistent (Bodin, 2007). Data integrity ensures that the stored data does have any alteration and that there is quality of soundness, completeness, correctness, as well as compliance with the intention of those who created the data. Data integrity is also important to a healthcare institution since it ensures that one will be able to find accurate data and trust its reliability. Equally important, data integrity ensures that the health information used within the healthcare institution in health management, research, and patient care is valid, timely, complete, correct, and trustworthy. It is of note that lack of data integrity may actually result i...