Information Technology and

Human Factors

Elaine Dean
June 17, 2016
Brief History
• 1960’s – Shared hospital accounting system
• 1970’s –Selected clinical department automation.
• 1980’s – Integrated financial and clinical systems, managed care.
• 1990’s Increased integrated delayed network. Emergence of EHR.
• 2000 – EMR integration. Data warehousing and analytic solutions
Introduction
Health information technology (HIT) has revolutionized the
healthcare industry. HIT supports the maintenance and management
of health information in electronic formats. Healthcare information
technology is a key factor in improving quality and reducing cost in
healthcare. Healthcare professionals can have immediate access to
electronic health records (EHR)
Objectives
Establish the role of the advance practice nurse in the management
and dissemination of health information technology.
Outline the enabling factors for health information technology in the
clinical setting
Outline the barriers in the implementation and advancement of
health information technology.
Determine some of the common human factor issues.
Role of the Advanced Practice Nurse (APN)
Education and Training
Monitoring of Risk Tracers
Innovative leadership
Integrated Management
Collaboration with all healthcare personal and departments.
Enabling Factors
The decision to invest in health IT
Integrated responsibility
Clear identification of concrete needs and goals to be achieved
Clear strategy and organizational process
Technological savvy population.
Advance software, devices and application
Barriers to Health Information Technology
Financial
Structural
Technical
Human Factors
Electronic Health Records
Fosters high quality care
Connects clinical team
Expedite decision making, decrease wait time
Decrease medical errors, promotes safety
Human Factor Issues
Training and Education
Inadequate staffing
Improper use of technology
Effects of Human Factor Issues
Decrease patient satisfaction
Performance measures – not met
Decrease in quality of care
Escalates patient safety issues
Compromises patient privacy and confidentiality
Compromises the integrity of EHR
Conclusion
• In the medical setting human lives depends on the skills and
performance of healthcare personnel. The integration of HIT must be
facilitated by human competency to be effective and efficient.
References
• Information technology integration. (n.d). Retrieved from
http://www,ahrq.gov
• Sewell, J. (2013). Informatics and nursing opportunities and
challenges (5th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
• Burke, B., Wilson, S., & Buckley, Kathleen., (2012, October). Building
health information technology: They may come but will they use it?.
Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 30(10), 457-553.