Nurses Efficiency Improved with Information Technology
A recent report issued by the American Academy of Nursing’s Workforce Commission identified over 1,200 information technology tools that would support nurses in completion of work and allow them to spend more time with patients.
The report was a component of the Technology Targets project and case studies were completed in 25 different health systems and hospitals. The project noted that nurses are limited in the amount of time that they spend with patients, to less than thirty percent, because of inefficiencies in environments and work processes.
Over 300 workflow processes that could be improved with information technology were noted in the report; those include communication, medication administration, care delivery and coordination, supplies and equipment, and documentation.
The Chief Clinical Officer from the University of Virginia Health System suggested a potential solution to these issues: a unified industry standard for interoperability. Additionally, integrating the insight of nursing staff would benefit technology designs to improve product usability in the practical setting. That would also reduce the opportunity for errors.
The project was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
November 15, 2007 Related topics: Standards, New Technology & Innovation, Partnerships & Consortia, Quality, Safety, Errors