The health care system has greatly revolutionized to the extent that most procedures and treatment regimen that were previously deemed unmanageable can now be comfortably performed. This realization has seen the rates of patient satisfaction elevated a notch higher since the mortality and morbidity rates that were previously reported from clinical mistakes have been sufficiently addressed. All these positive outcomes in the healthcare delivery system have been as a result of the adoption of Electronic Health Records in the care provision process (Martini, 2013). The adoption of this technology has been crucial in achieving higher levels of efficiency and effectiveness mainly because all the reports and data essential for addressing the health concerns of a particular patient can be accessed in real time. As such, the diagnostic process becomes fast since the required information is easily available. Such a realization has been vital in the treatment process and also in terms of prescribing the correct medication to patients under care. This paper will provide an analysis of the strategies that nurse managers need to take into consideration in ensuring that the diffusion of new healthcare technologies and specifically Electronic Health Records is realized in healthcare settings. This is in line with the apprehension that such innovations usually face opposition from healthcare practitioners. Additionally, it will address the role that nurses play as agents of change in adopting these technologies.
Notably, despite all the many benefits that have been associated with the adoption of the EHR in the healthcare provision process, there is still a myriad of challenges bedeviling the full adoption of these valuable healthcare advancements. It is evident that physicians and care providers detest the adoption of these systems. In fact, as the implementation of these new healthcare advancements continues, the levels of dissatisfaction amongst healthcare providers continue to slump in a downward trend (Boswell, 2011). The chief area of concern is based on the fact that, the individuals in charge of the implementation of this technology in healthcare organizations treat it as a purely technological issue at the expense of the workforce factor that needs to b taken into consideration. The readiness of healthcare providers in terms of training on how to adopt EHR in their practice has not been given priority. In many scenarios, attention is always given to how the technology will be working at the expense of the clinicians who will be at the forefront in applying them in their practice. From the foregoing, therefore, it is essential that the members of the staff need to be backfilled by the technicians who are in charge of the rolling out the plan in the healthcare setting (Hsiao, et al., 2011). If these efforts are not given the required attention, chances are that there will be rising levels of frustrations amongst clinicians in addition to escalating costs that result from nurses being untrained on technology usage.
According to Rogers (2014), the foundations of innovation-diffusion are based on the fact that the attributes related to these new healthcare provision techniques should be easy to comprehend by the persons adopting them. By individuals having a simple comprehension about the technology, it becomes easier to lessen the levels of uncertainty amongst clinicians. In healthcare settings, the perception of nurses about the usage of the EHR will greatly influence the rate of diffusion of the technology.
Qualities determining individual attitudes towards the adoption of new technologies
Applying the five steps used in the innovations adoption process will play a critical role in making nurses in our organization align themselves with the new technology. These efforts will be directed at having a workforce that is focused on working together as a team in realizing the benefits associated with the application of the EHR technology in the care provision process (Rogers, 2010). The undercurrent resistance that is being expressed by nurses in our healthcare organization is based on not understanding the benefits associated with the use of these tools in the healthcare delivery process.
Relative advantage
My first point in addressing the resistance depicted by nurses on the adoption of EHR technology will focus on the relative advantages that are associated with applying these technologies in the organization. EHR is perceived as an important technology in the care provision process because of the benefits associated with them. During the meeting, the nurses will be informed about the extent of the advantages connected with implementing these technologies. The relative advantages that nurses should learn about this technology are that it will increase their productivity levels in the charting of patient information as compared to the paperwork regime. Writing down patient information every time the nurse carries out rounding is a tedious process and as such, it will be imperative that the nurses adopt these technologies to eliminate this repetitive process which becomes monotonous in the long run (Kelley et al., 2011). Another relative advantage of EHR can be connected to the use of X-rays which have made it easy to observe the internal makeup of the human body without necessarily opening it up. Such a realization is important in as it saves on treatment times. Secondly, the adoption of this innovation will be beneficial to the nurses in terms of improved efficiency. Nurses will use very minimal efforts in the care provision process thereby preventing the levels of fatigue and burnout amongst themselves. These strategies are aimed at boosting the job satisfaction levels of the nurses eventually translating to minimal turnover rates (Martini, 2013). As such, by nurses having a good understanding of these technologies, it will be easier for them to embrace their usage.
Compatibility
The second item that nurse need to be educated about is that the infusion of this technology should be in line with the existing values in our healthcare facility in addition to the needs of the healthcare providers. It will be crucial, that the inclusion of the EHR in the healthcare delivery process be compatible with what the nurses hold as morally right. A chief factor which needs to be addressed in terms of values is that one of privacy (Swab & Ciotti, 2010). It has been observed that most clinicians have got problems with the use of EHR since the patient information contained therein can be easily accessed when there are no proper security measures in place. Such instances have in a number of times led to patients’ information being misused by other persons for fraudulent purposes. To address this problem, nurses will be trained on why security checks like passwords will be of great benefit in adopting EHR. Such a realization will result in the process being compatible with the operations qt the healthcare facility.
Simplicity
Implementing EHR in the healthcare delivery process is also supposed to be in such a way that the nurses have an easy time understanding how the innovation operates. It is important that the nurses master the functioning of the technology in the care delivery process so as to minimize their resistance towards their usage. In this direction, therefore, it will be of great of assistance that the technology is introduced into the healthcare organization in a gradual manner with the intentions of allowing the users acclimatize to their usage as a slow but sure progression (Rogers, 2010). As such, it is imperative that simpler applications which can be easily understood by the nurses be adopted first before the complex ones. This process dwells on the starting small and growing big concept. Consequently, the problem of resistance will be effectively addressed in this direction.
Trialability
Trialability is another factor that needs to be considered when incorporating newer technologies in the healthcare delivery process. In this direction, therefore, it will be essential that prototypes be developed and provided to the nurses for them to acclimatize with the new developments. Prototypes serve the purpose of preparing nurses to adopt the final products which will be eventually rolled out to the facility (Swab & Ciotti, 2010). Additionally, the concept of trialability is essential in the sense that it will make the nurses more certain about what will be expected of them in the adoption process thereby reducing the levels of resistance.
Observable results
The last concept which will be crucial in addressing EHR resistance will be focused on how easily the results will be observed. In line with this innovation-diffusion concept, therefore, it will be critical that nurses be involved in measuring their effectiveness in terms of the duration taken in serving a certain number of patients using the of EHR (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2015). Such a method will be effective in making observations concerning the ease of healthcare provision using these technologies. By the results of these innovations being visible to the nurses, it will serve the function of decreasing adoption resistance on their side.
The role of nurses in facilitating the adoption of new technologies
Nurses also play a vital role in making sure that technologies are adopted in the healthcare system. Based on the fact that nurses have got a better understanding of the specific needs of patients and the set factors that can be used to address their problems. With this comprehension in mind, nurses will be the most appropriate persons in the facilitation of positive implementation outcomes. Additionally, these nurses will be better placed in undergoing training sessions on how to adopt the technology usage in their places of work (Page, 2011). Nurses also play the role of addressing any factors that will negatively influence the implementation phase of the technology used. Consequently, it is evident that healthcare providers are valuable instruments in making sure that the innovation-diffusion theory is a reality in nursing practice. Such a realization therefore clearly spells out the role that nurses play as agents of change in the adoption of technology in healthcare systems.
Conclusion
It has been established that the use of technology in the care provision process has got more advantages which outweigh the corresponding disadvantages. These benefits can, however, not be realized if attention is not focused on the acceptability of the technologies. As such, nurse mangers should ensure that the concepts of relative advantage, observable results, compatibility, trialability, and simplicity regarding EHR be given the required attention to facilitate the process of innovation-diffusion since they are the perceived agents of change in healthcare settings.
References
Boswell, R. A. (2011). A physician group's movement toward electronic health records: A case study using the transtheoretical model for organizational change. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 63(2), 138.
Hsiao, J. L., Chang, H. C., & Chen, R. F. (2011). A study of factors affecting acceptance of hospital information systems: a nursing perspective. Journal of Nursing Research, 19(2), 150-160.
Kelley, T. F., Brandon, D. H., & Docherty, S. L. (2011). Electronic nursing documentation as a strategy to improve quality of patient care. Journal of nursing scholarship, 43(2), 154-162.
Martini, K. (2013). EHR dissatisfaction: A tech or people problem? | Government Health IT. Retrieved from http://www.govhealthit.com/news/ehr-dissatisfaction-hit-or-human-problem
McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. (2015). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Page, D. (2011). Turning nurses into health IT superusers. Hospitals & Health Networks, 85(4), 27–28.
Rogers, E. M. (2010). Diffusion of innovations. Simon and Schuster.
Swab, J., & Ciotti, V. (2010). What to consider when purchasing an EHR system. Healthcare Financial Management, 64(5), 38-42.
