THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY IN MEDICATION PROCESS

If you work in a direct care setting, odds are that you or a colleague has either made a medication error or prevented one from happening. Registered nurses are the professionals who administer the most medications and, consequently, are the most likely to be cited for making medication errors.

It is important, however, to recognize that administration is the final step in a complex medication process. Errors can occur at various points throughout the process, and may involve the prescriber, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, and unit clerks. No one will deny that “to err is human,” but the key to minimizing risks and improving patient safety is to understand the root causes of medication errors. It is then possible to develop some solutions.

Medication management has become highly dependent upon technology. Technological advances used by many facilities include bar coding, smart infusion systems, and computerized order-entry (COE).

Nurses use bar-code systems at the bedside to interface via real-time wireless technology with admission-discharge-transfer and the pharmacy. Software allows nurses to cross-check patients with identification badges and medication labels. When the nurse scans a bar code on the patient’s ID badge, the computer identifies the medication order for that patient (Anderson & Wittwer, 2004).

While technology provides many new safeguards, technology is only part of the solution in preventing medication errors. A comprehensive strategy extends beyond bar codes, smart pumps, and computerized order-entry systems. It must include people at every level of the process. In order for technology to be effective, facilities must choose comprehensive medication administration systems that meet the needs of the facility, staff, and patients.

ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD

The Electronic Health Record (EHR) is a longitudinal electronic record of patient health information generated by one or more encounters in any care delivery setting. Included in this information are patient demographics, progress notes, problems, medications, vital signs, past medical history, immunizations, laboratory data and radiology reports. The EHR automates and streamlines the clinician's workflow. The EHR has the ability to generate a complete record of a clinical patient encounter - as well as supporting other care-related activities directly or indirectly via interface - including evidence-based decision support, quality management, and outcomes reporting.

Electronic health record systems are usually accessed on a computer, often over a network. It may be made up of electronic health records (EHRs) from many locations and/or sources. Among the many forms of data often included in electronic health record systems are patient demographics, medical history, medicine and allergy lists (including immunization status), laboratory test results, radiology images, billing records and advanced directives.

Electronic health record systems are believed to increase physician efficiency and reduce costs, as well as promote standardization of care. An electronic health record system can help reduce medical errors by providing healthcare workers with decision support. Fast access to medical literature and current best practices in medicine enable proliferation of ongoing improvements in healthcare efficacy.

NURSING INFORMATICS

Health informatics, Health care informatics or medical informatics is the intersection of information science, computer science, and health care. It deals with the resources, devices, and methods required to optimize the acquisition, storage, retrieval, and use of information in health and biomedicine. Health informatics tools include not only computers but also clinical guidelines, formal medical terminologies, and information and communication systems. It is applied to the areas of nursing, clinical care, dentistry, pharmacy, public health and (bio)medical research. The role of the nurse in the use of technology to improve the delivery of patient care has evolved.

According to Graves and Corcoran(1989) "A combination of computer science, information science, and nursing science designed to assist in the managements and processing of nursing data, information, and knowledge to support the practice of nursing and the delivery of nursing care."


On the insight of Saba and McCormick (2001): "nursing informatics is a dynamic discipline, compirised of many aspects and defined in many ways. Definitions reflect the definer's perspectives and the emergence of new knowledge in nursing informatics and the sciences with which it is integrated."




Nursing Informatics is not new, but it certainly is NOW! Technology is dramatically altering the ways in which we diagnose, treat, care for and manage patients. It is our past and it is our present. The Mission is to support evidence-based nursing practice and improved patient outcomes with technology solutions that enhance nursing communication, documentation and efficiency. It pursue the mission endlessly and passionately!






It helps the nurses not only in medical field but also learning and documenting data through the use of technology which is the computer.

WARRIORS OF INTERNET

Internet really helps a lot.. from the video clip of warriors of internet. Like the human cardiovascular system,internet has also the proper process in order to function well, and prevent the system from being harm from any invaders. The TCP packet works as the transfer control protocol. The ICMP Ping Packet, is the internet control message protocol. Ping of death is the police which arrest and prevent the invaders to enter to a system. The router which throw the data to specific location and the switch router also traces the location of a data. the firewall which gives security and the spider web also known as World Wide Web (www). The last warrior is the proxy server.


Overall, internet has a process that other may not notice but undergone to a step by step process. Use the internet properly for gaining knowledge not for personal intention.

INTERNET

Nowadays, Internet Has been very useful in every corner of our industry e.g in homes , business, office and even hospital.. Internet is giving much help in our society. unlike before we used to scan many books, but now with the help of Internet we can now search easier and communicate as well.

Every object, and technology in this world,once published or use has its own advantages as well as disadvantages. Although, many people still think e-mail and World Wide Web as the principle constituents of Internet, there is lot more in store than e-mail, chat rooms, celebrity web sites and search engines. It also became the best business tool of modern scenario. Today Internet has brought a globe in a single room. Right from news across the corner of the world, wealth of knowledge to shopping, purchasing the tickets of your favorite movie-everything is at your finger tips. Internet has great potential and lot to offer… however, like every single innovation in science and technology, Internet has its own advantages and disadvantages.

• ADVANTAGES:

Communication:
The foremost target of Internet has always been the communication. And Internet has excelled beyond the expectations .Still; innovations are going on to make it faster, more reliable. By the advent of computer’s Internet, our earth has reduced and has attained the form of a global village.

Now we can communicate in a fraction of second with a person who is sitting in the other part of the world. Today for better communication, we can avail the facilities of e-mail; we can chat for hours with our loved ones. There are plenty messenger services in offering. With help of such services, it has become very easy to establish a kind of global friendship where you can share your thoughts, can explore other cultures of different ethnicity.


Information
Information is probably the biggest advantage Internet is offering. The Internet is a virtual treasure trove of information. Any kind of information on any topic under the sun is available on the Internet. The search engines like Google, yahoo is at your service on the Internet. You can almost find any type of data on almost any kind of subject that you are looking for. There is a huge amount of information available on the Internet for just about every subject known to man, ranging from government law and services, trade fairs and conferences, market information, new ideas and technical support, the list is end less.

Students and children are among the top users who surf the Internet for research. Today, it is almost required that students should use the Internet for research for the purpose of gathering resources. Teachers have started giving assignments that require research on the Internet. Almost every coming day, researches on medical issues become much easier to locate. Numerous web sites available on the net are offering loads of information for people to research diseases and talk to doctors online at sites such as, America’s Doctor. During 1998 over 20 million people reported going online to retrieve health information.



Entertainment
Entertainment is another popular reason why many people prefer to surf the Internet. In fact, media of Internet has become quite successful in trapping multifaceted entertainment factor. Downloading games, visiting chat rooms or just surfing the Web are some of the uses people have discovered. There are numerous games that may be downloaded from the Internet for free. The industry of online gaming has tasted dramatic and phenomenal attention by game lovers. Chat rooms are popular because users can meet new and interesting people. In fact, the Internet has been successfully used by people to find life long partners. When people surf the Web, there are numerous things that can be found. Music, hobbies, news and more can be found and shared on the Internet.


Services
Many services are now provided on the Internet such as online banking, job seeking, purchasing tickets for your favorite movies, guidance services on array of topics engulfing the every aspect of life, and hotel reservations. Often these services are not available off-line and can cost you more.



E-Commerce
Ecommerce is the concept used for any type of commercial maneuvering, or business deals that involves the transfer of information across the globe via Internet. It has become a phenomenon associated with any kind of shopping, almost anything. You name it and Ecommerce with its giant tentacles engulfing every single product and service will make you available at your door steps. It has got a real amazing and wide range of products from household needs, technology to entertainment.

• Disadvantages

Theft of Personal information
If you use the Internet, you may be facing grave danger as your personal information such as name, address, credit card number etc. can be accessed by other culprits to make your problems worse.



Spamming:
Spamming refers to sending unwanted e-mails in bulk, which provide no purpose and needlessly obstruct the entire system. Such illegal activities can be very frustrating for you, and so instead of just ignoring it, you should make an effort to try and stop these activities so that using the Internet can become that much safer.



Virus threat
Virus is nothing but a program which disrupts the normal functioning of your computer systems. Computers attached to Internet are more prone to virus attacks and they can end up into crashing your whole hard disk, causing you considerable headache.



Pornography:
This is perhaps the biggest threat related to your children’s healthy mental life. A very serious issue concerning the Internet. There are thousands of pornographic sites on the Internet that can be easily found and can be a detrimental factor to letting children use the Internet.



Though, Internet can also create havoc, destruction and its misuse can be very fatal, the advantages of it outweigh its disadvantages.