Discussion assignment

Answer

1. • 1. 1. Discussion Assignment

           Question 1

           The rapid increase of Smartphone applications for mental and physical health is out-spacing the psychiatric educator’s ability to develop the best standards and practices. Recent industry data indicate that the current health apps are considered relevant to mental health (Torous, Bauer, Chan, Boland & Ramo, 2018). While several of certain apps are patient-facing, there are more different interest apps for psychiatric residents and medical students. If I were to design a learning program for my clinical environment centered on using EHR, I would consider developing "Smart Steps" for psychiatric education. I would reflect on approaching Smartphone Apps for care and learning. The Smart Step program incorporates utilizing apps that directly promote medical care, including patient apps and related provider dashboard and indirect support, which often includes tools for provider references.

           Types of apps that directly promote education and medical care include Electronic Health Records platforms such as Cerner and Epic. Researchers indicate that Epic and Cerner apps facilitate admittance to patient data from smartphones (Torous et al., 2018). Examples of indirect support apps include the American Psychiatric Association’s (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM). This app provides the advantage of automatic and free updates for different approved revisions. Generally, the Smart Step Program centers on providing apps that psychoanalysts can utilize to remotely observe manifestations such as mindsets, monitor prescription adherence, encourage healthful lifestyle arbitration, and promote homework fulfillment for cognitive treatments and contact patients. 

           Providing updated, accurate, and appropriate supervision and education for trainee use of Smart Step overabundance of novel digital devices continues to be an evolving hurdle for psychiatric instructors (Torous et al., 2018). With various pharmaceutical students and residents utilizing Smartphone in different functions in their pharmaceutical knowledge and clinical obligation, psychiatric instructors must familiarize with the inherent and limitations of these devices and guide in the circumstances of didactics, administration, and medical response.

           Question 2

           Improvements in technology, such as Electronic Health Records (EHR), have altered the medical industry's approaches. Studies indicate that before the implementation of the EHR, healthcare records were paper-based documents (Saiod, van Greunen & Veldsman, 2017). The EHR has provided different opportunities in the healthcare industry. These include enhanced communication and engagement, and accessibility. When considering accessibility, since EHR is stored electronically, various healthcare providers can be accessed from different locations on different occasions. By utilizing EHR, healthcare providers can monitor a patient's pharmaceutical history, trail treatment strategies, and propose more efficient care courses. In worsening occasions, EHR accessibility can be essential (Saiod, van Greunen & Veldsman, 2017). By observing the patient’s entire medical history, including blood samples, preceding medical infirmities, and allergies, therapy arrangements can be made instantly.

           Electronic Health Records have also enhanced interaction and communication between patients and physicians. Although clerical demands can be burdensome, EHR can promote communication that may not regularly transpire differently. Electronic Health Records assist care providers in communicating with other healthcare providers and carefully tracking treatment and care procedures between practitioners (Saiod, van Greunen & Veldsman, 2017). By utilizing patient web-based programs within EHR, patients can evaluate their pharmaceutical reports, improvement records, prescriptions, and radiology outcomes. On various occasions, patients are extremely encouraged to become extra actively involved in their concerns. The web portals have been designed to direct the patients to review the information they prefer concerning their health. Improved communication often results in enhanced care. EHR alleviated the concerns of misplaced documents and fumbled communications, common with paper-based record preservation approaches.

           Regardless of the above benefits attained by using EHR systems, various challenges are encountered in implementing the EHR systems. These include cost, interoperability, and practitioner burnout. Studies indicate that physician burnout is a common concern in general healthcare settings (Saiod, van Greunen & Veldsman, 2017). Burnout is correlated with decreased patient sanctuary, lower patient content, more notable cases of negligence claims, and can influence the workforce's environment. Researchers indicate that Electronic Health Records contribute to practitioner burnout due to the troublesome user interface (Saiod, van Greunen & Veldsman, 2017). EHR demands a firm quantity of time for the clerical-type data record. Operating in EHRs, healthcare providers employ less time communicating and relevant one on one time with patients. This often leads to more inferior job pleasure, enhanced stress, and diminished quality of patient care. 

           The cost of implementing EHR is another challenge experienced by different healthcare settings. Studies indicate that the implementation of Electronic Health Records places a significant burden on both the healthcare providers and the practice (Saiod, van Greunen & Veldsman, 2017). EHR is financially burdensome for practices, particularly for independent settings with fewer resources. Moreover, healthcare settings purchase the EHR system and frequently hire qualified IT staff for coaching and support. The learning and training circuit correlated with utilizing EHRs necessitates much time for practitioners and faculty. With the workforce having difficulty adapting or comprehending the system, mistakes are more likely to emerge (Saiod, van Greunen & Veldsman, 2017). A primarily developed tool to improve interaction and degree of care might generate a more risky healthcare setting. Lastly, conceivably the most significant EHR difficulty is the absence of interoperability within diverse practices.

           Question 3

           IF I were to create a simulation situation, including an EHR, I would focus on enhancing healthcare providers' informatics knowledge concerning the Electronic Health Records systems. Studies indicate that healthcare providers had better comprehension and ability to search for key information on concepts associated with the medical profession (Gu, Li, Li & Liang, 2017). Nevertheless, various healthcare providers have more inferior skills in other areas such as understanding of record management capacity in the acting system, understanding the limitation of computer applications, and assessing patients' data demands (Gu, Li, Li & Liang, 2017). Informatics knowledge is considered a theoretical and conceptual basis for each practice, without which informatics skills cannot be accurately achieved.  For this reason, it can be inferred that informatics knowledge is the base of obtaining informatics skills. Thus, I would focus on enhancing staff knowledge and information literacy through appropriate orientation and training.