Evidence from the past weeks shows that health information systems have the ability to improve patient outcomes in terms of efficiency, access, quality, and safety. However, the literature also reveals that the success of these systems cannot be possible in the absence of vital competencies such as informatics and computer skills. This week, the TIGER initiative attempts to explain the role of technology in the future of nursing. TIGER looks into advancing the involvement of information systems in practice, patient engagement, and education. Ideally, the initiative encourages nurse educators to involve their student nurses in learning the importance of informatics as applied to education and practice.
That said, the following future trends in informatics would further shape the advanced practice setting in nursing. First, there is an increase in the demand for nurses to help their employers to adapt real analytics on population health and financial systems. According to Hagland (2015), this trend comes at a time when organizations are restructuring their competencies in leading clinical transformations towards value-based patient care delivery. Given such moves, their ability to achieve such objectives will come from the active involvement of talented nurses trained in informatics (Hagland, 2015).
Second, nursing practice is moving towards the need for better EBP measures and communication strategies with enhanced impact on patient care. Edmunds et al. (2014) assert that the integration of information systems in health care as part of EBP-oriented care picked up pace close to a decade ago. This period was also similar to a significant amount of engagement in decision-making as well as the systematic utilization of data. In future, nursing informatics will increasingly serve as a continuous innovation process in healthcare. They will emphasize the need for effectiveness in achieving health outcomes as well as communicating such successes to both primary and secondary stakeholders.
Third, the evidence shows an upward trend in competition among service providers in the health care industry. According to Alfred Winter (2009), this trend will reveal the increasing vitality of health care consumers in the health care market. Thus, providers will have to redistribute their market presence in ways that maximize on output and minimizes the cost of operation. One of the primary ways of achieving this target is the incorporation of health information systems in service delivery. Such systems are ideal in areas that require financial control, planning, and production control.
Fourth, the nursing world is increasingly moving towards web-based research centers. As seen in Winter (2009), online-based libraries offer access to a systematic collection of research content on solutions and processes ideal for optimal service delivery. This trend, therefore, shows the importance of information systems in advancing the goals of TIGER in educational and hospital settings. Nonetheless, it might take longer for small and medium size organizations to invest in such systems compared to their larger counterparts.
Furthermore, the continuous call for quality assurance from the government advanced the need for access to current information systems. According to Troseth (2015), the government has an important role to play as a significant driver to change in health care. As stated, TIGER was an initiative signed into law by the Bush administration. Currently, numerous federal and non-profitable organizations collaborate to implement the directive at the state and county levels. The drive will continuously increase the need for informatics and informatics-trained nurses to offer clinical guidance way into the future (Hebda and Calderone, 2010).
Finally, the increasing future move towards continuity of care and patient-centeredness in practice require the implementation of informatics that optimizes the patient experience. According to Winter (2009), nursing informatics, therefore, may need to expand the areas of practice from organizational to national and international capacities. Also, patients will increasingly gain the ability to control their health records and have a say in their treatment plans. Such changing roles follow the rapid integration of health information with the internet and support from telenursing strategies.
References
Edmunds, M., Thorpe, L., Sepulveda, M., Bezold, C., & Ross, D. (2014). The Future of Public Health Informatics: Alternative Scenarios and Recommendations. eGEMs (Generating Evidence & Methods to improve patient outcomes), 2 (4).
Hagland, M. (2015, January 23). Top Ten Tech Trends: "Clinical Informaticists 2.0". Retrieved from Health Care Informatics: http://www.healthcare-informatics.com/article/top-ten-tech-trends-clinical-informaticists-20
Hebda, T., & Calderone, T. (2010). What nurse educators need to know about the TIGER Initiative. Nurse Educator, 35(2), 56-60.
Troseth, M. (2015). Informatics & the Future of Nursing Practice. Retrieved from Advance Health Care Network: http://nursing.advanceweb.com/Features/Articles/Informatics-the-Future-of-Nursing-Practice.aspx
Winter, A. (2009). The Future of Medical Informatics: Some Perspectives of Intra- and Inter-institutional Information Systems . Methods of Informatics in Medicine, Vol 48, 62-65.
