What did you like or dislike about taking an asynchronous online course?
Depending upon the content of the course, I like online classes. I think that there are some courses that cannot be taken online, and do not translate well in the online format for the student. I like the ability to have hybrid classes that have in person and online meetings and discussions. I thought that this class was a good example of a course that worked well online. The opportunity to explore different technology associated with the healthcare industry requires the use of a computer anyhow. I like the freedom offered by taking courses online. I can do my course work at any time of the day; although sometimes that means that I have that much more to procrastinate. The online format forces the student to be a self starter and keep on track, because if you do procrastinate, it is horrible to catch up. I found the ability to email and chat with students and instructors to be valuable and easy to use.
What topic did you learn the most about and what was your favorite topic? What did you like least?
It might sound funny, but I actually enjoyed the blog. Prior to this class I was not a blogger and did not even know what BlogSpot was. I understood the concept of a blog but didn’t know how it could connect people through their experiences. As far as the course work was concerned, I enjoyed learning about the different methods of diagnostic supplementation that providers have available to them. I think that CMS systems have and will continue to transform the delivery of care and access to information.
Do you have any other comments for us?
I really enjoyed the class. I think that the content was applicable and useful to providers. I also think that you have a good way of delivering the content. I hope to have additional classes with you in the future.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Module 5
-Why would a patient want to create a blog? What might they gain from this?
I can see how developing a blog might help patients with chronic disease or illness, or those who are dealing with a new diagnosis or treatment. A blog would allow a patient to communicate their experience with other patients or their healthcare providers in an intimate and detailed way. Much like the cathartic experience of a journal, the blog could serve as an outlet for patients who are going through difficult situations. On a lighter note, a blog could be utilized by patients who are tracking their progress through a life changing treatment or practice, weight loss programs, or procedures. The benefit of a blog is that others can read and comment on the content at any time during the day. If a patient with cancer was to blog about their experience, other cancer patients could read, and comment or give advice/support whenever the have the opportunity. Providers visiting a patient’s blog site could also see who patients are coping with their disease or condition, and make comments of support or advice for the patient to read at a later time.
-Why would a health care provider create a blog?
A provider blog would allow a provider to provide information about his or her practice, treatment methods, and personality to a large community of prospective and current patients. It might also be a good way to keep patients in their care informed about new and upcoming local events, practices, or treatments. Additionally, a provider blog could connect other provider in specialty areas. I actually think that it would be a good idea to have a blog following my time at the University of Utah in order to continue to stay in touch with my fellow students. The advent of the internet has provided people a way to communicate and stay in touch in a way that was previously not possible. Connecting with others on the internet would be a great resource for networking as a new provider.
-What are ethical considerations when blogging on a public website, such as we've used for this class?
Of course there are a number of problems surrounding patient centered blogs and HIPPA. It would not be possible for a provider to diagnose or treat patients from the blog and could lead to a number of confidentiality issues. I feel that the main purpose of the patient and provider blog would be to establish a sense of connection. Providers who start to blog need to be conscious about what they post. Providers who do not want to disclose information about their family, or personal life should avoid just that. Also, medical advice or suggestions should not be taken from blogs without the completion of a detailed patient exam and consultation. I can see how posting information on a blog might lead patients to think that they did not need to see a physician and lead to potentially life threatening conditions.
I can see how developing a blog might help patients with chronic disease or illness, or those who are dealing with a new diagnosis or treatment. A blog would allow a patient to communicate their experience with other patients or their healthcare providers in an intimate and detailed way. Much like the cathartic experience of a journal, the blog could serve as an outlet for patients who are going through difficult situations. On a lighter note, a blog could be utilized by patients who are tracking their progress through a life changing treatment or practice, weight loss programs, or procedures. The benefit of a blog is that others can read and comment on the content at any time during the day. If a patient with cancer was to blog about their experience, other cancer patients could read, and comment or give advice/support whenever the have the opportunity. Providers visiting a patient’s blog site could also see who patients are coping with their disease or condition, and make comments of support or advice for the patient to read at a later time.
-Why would a health care provider create a blog?
A provider blog would allow a provider to provide information about his or her practice, treatment methods, and personality to a large community of prospective and current patients. It might also be a good way to keep patients in their care informed about new and upcoming local events, practices, or treatments. Additionally, a provider blog could connect other provider in specialty areas. I actually think that it would be a good idea to have a blog following my time at the University of Utah in order to continue to stay in touch with my fellow students. The advent of the internet has provided people a way to communicate and stay in touch in a way that was previously not possible. Connecting with others on the internet would be a great resource for networking as a new provider.
-What are ethical considerations when blogging on a public website, such as we've used for this class?
Of course there are a number of problems surrounding patient centered blogs and HIPPA. It would not be possible for a provider to diagnose or treat patients from the blog and could lead to a number of confidentiality issues. I feel that the main purpose of the patient and provider blog would be to establish a sense of connection. Providers who start to blog need to be conscious about what they post. Providers who do not want to disclose information about their family, or personal life should avoid just that. Also, medical advice or suggestions should not be taken from blogs without the completion of a detailed patient exam and consultation. I can see how posting information on a blog might lead patients to think that they did not need to see a physician and lead to potentially life threatening conditions.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Module Four Blog
How did the readings influence your perception of your own clinical decision-making
Following contemplation of the assigned reading for Unit 4 I had the opportunity to review the discussion postings of my peers. For me, a concept has much more influence and weight when discussed and pondered. I have often regarded myself as a “critical thinker”, a person with the ability to examine situations for the unseen, and devise solutions that might in turn prevent further complications. Throughout my professional life, I have never given much thought to the idea of bias, personal opinion, or how the two might impact my clinical decision making. The material covered in Unit 4 alerted me to the reality that we are not always aware that biases are influencing our actions. There was a peer of mine who discussed the concept of biases and implied that knowing your biases was a good place start dealing with them. I realize that as a human being, I have certain biases resulting from my cultural surroundings, education, religion, ethnicity, and country of origin that I might not even be cognitively aware of. Identification of such problematic thought processes would potentially lead to a more objective practice setting for my professional growth.
Trial and Error, another concept discussed within the context of this unit. It’s hard for me to imagine the world without trial and error. For every great discovery or scientific advancement a certain level of reckless abandon is required. In the health care field, it’s quite dangerous for a provider to make decisions based upon assumptions, intuition, or experimentation. Evidenced based methodology and practices are revolutionizing the trial and error process. Sophisticated statistical revision and selection of data is essential for nursing research. It ensures the safety of study participants, and promotes the continuity of scientific research. As we have evolved as human beings, we have adapted our inquisitive minds to preserve trial and error in such a way that now more than ever it yields the most worthwhile and meaningful information. I realize that my role as a Nurse Practitioner is to understand and promote evidenced based practices for the facilitation and development of emerging research.
Following contemplation of the assigned reading for Unit 4 I had the opportunity to review the discussion postings of my peers. For me, a concept has much more influence and weight when discussed and pondered. I have often regarded myself as a “critical thinker”, a person with the ability to examine situations for the unseen, and devise solutions that might in turn prevent further complications. Throughout my professional life, I have never given much thought to the idea of bias, personal opinion, or how the two might impact my clinical decision making. The material covered in Unit 4 alerted me to the reality that we are not always aware that biases are influencing our actions. There was a peer of mine who discussed the concept of biases and implied that knowing your biases was a good place start dealing with them. I realize that as a human being, I have certain biases resulting from my cultural surroundings, education, religion, ethnicity, and country of origin that I might not even be cognitively aware of. Identification of such problematic thought processes would potentially lead to a more objective practice setting for my professional growth.
Trial and Error, another concept discussed within the context of this unit. It’s hard for me to imagine the world without trial and error. For every great discovery or scientific advancement a certain level of reckless abandon is required. In the health care field, it’s quite dangerous for a provider to make decisions based upon assumptions, intuition, or experimentation. Evidenced based methodology and practices are revolutionizing the trial and error process. Sophisticated statistical revision and selection of data is essential for nursing research. It ensures the safety of study participants, and promotes the continuity of scientific research. As we have evolved as human beings, we have adapted our inquisitive minds to preserve trial and error in such a way that now more than ever it yields the most worthwhile and meaningful information. I realize that my role as a Nurse Practitioner is to understand and promote evidenced based practices for the facilitation and development of emerging research.
Module Three Blog
Post a brief BLOG entry (just a couple of sentences is fine) reflecting on your opinion about the following questions.
What sort of teaching is done in your nursing role? Is there any nursing role that does not involve teaching in some manner?
I currently work in the ER. There is often very little time for the provider to complete adequate teaching to patients due to the nature of the unit. The responsibility of patient education is often put on the part of the nurse. I feel that it is also my responsibility to inform and discuss issues with the patient’s family, as they are often a big part of the patient care. I don’t think that there is a nursing role that does not involve some sort of teaching. We are all in direct communication with patients, family, and other staff. This requires us to constantly reviewing and discussing situations for which we might be experts. Being a teacher is often just as important as being a student, as it teaches you during the process and promotes discussion.
What sort of teaching is done in your nursing role? Is there any nursing role that does not involve teaching in some manner?
I currently work in the ER. There is often very little time for the provider to complete adequate teaching to patients due to the nature of the unit. The responsibility of patient education is often put on the part of the nurse. I feel that it is also my responsibility to inform and discuss issues with the patient’s family, as they are often a big part of the patient care. I don’t think that there is a nursing role that does not involve some sort of teaching. We are all in direct communication with patients, family, and other staff. This requires us to constantly reviewing and discussing situations for which we might be experts. Being a teacher is often just as important as being a student, as it teaches you during the process and promotes discussion.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Module Two Blog
You used an electronic index, a guideline index, and a web search engine to retrieve information relevant to your clinical problem. Compare and contrast your results. Which resources were useful/ not useful for your information retrieval task, and why? Identify some alternative strategies for retrieving relevant information - would context relevant information retrieval be useful? (You must be detailed enough here, so that your blog entry evidences your use of both NGC and Google).
I found all three resources to be beneficial, and all have their own purpose and function. I was most familiar with the electronic index, Pubmed due to my exposure to the process during most of my academic career. The only real downside to this type of search is that it requires the user to input search criteria that will yield particular results. This could be a problem if I wanted to search for a general idea or topic. The Google search engine is very simple, and familiar.
In the past I have strayed away from Google because of the fact that there is so much information contained in a Google search, and much of the information on Google Scholar requires you to purchase the articles that are retrieved. It is also sometimes difficult to establish credibility when faced with so many results. This problem can be remedied when using Google, if the user takes advantage of the optional or advanced searching techniques.
I found the NGC to be the least helpful resource for retrieving information. If I had specifically defined search criteria, it would be something that I might utilize. Mainly, I did not like the aesthetics or functionality of the database. I can see how the NGC would be beneficial to providers who are interested in practice guidelines and findings. One positive aspect of the NGC site is that you can compare resources. Furthermore, the NGC provides resources that are nationally recognized and credible which is something that other databases require the user to sift through and evaluate.
Another useful skill I learned during this module, was utilizing search engines as a means of developing ideas. For me, the most difficult part of educating myself about a subject of interest, is defining that subject. Starting out with broad search terms in a search engine will produce results which may contain more specific subject matter that would be of interest. Also, many programs allow the user to search for similar or related topics, headings, words, or subjects. This ultimately results in producing more information that is specific and focused.
Context relevant retrieval simplifies the process of information retrieval by allowing the user to associate search terms and develop proper search criteria. Because search results are a product of what the user inputs as a search term, knowing how to search is an invaluable skill. Formulating questions in the proper fashion is essential to obtaining correct information.
I found all three resources to be beneficial, and all have their own purpose and function. I was most familiar with the electronic index, Pubmed due to my exposure to the process during most of my academic career. The only real downside to this type of search is that it requires the user to input search criteria that will yield particular results. This could be a problem if I wanted to search for a general idea or topic. The Google search engine is very simple, and familiar.
In the past I have strayed away from Google because of the fact that there is so much information contained in a Google search, and much of the information on Google Scholar requires you to purchase the articles that are retrieved. It is also sometimes difficult to establish credibility when faced with so many results. This problem can be remedied when using Google, if the user takes advantage of the optional or advanced searching techniques.
I found the NGC to be the least helpful resource for retrieving information. If I had specifically defined search criteria, it would be something that I might utilize. Mainly, I did not like the aesthetics or functionality of the database. I can see how the NGC would be beneficial to providers who are interested in practice guidelines and findings. One positive aspect of the NGC site is that you can compare resources. Furthermore, the NGC provides resources that are nationally recognized and credible which is something that other databases require the user to sift through and evaluate.
Another useful skill I learned during this module, was utilizing search engines as a means of developing ideas. For me, the most difficult part of educating myself about a subject of interest, is defining that subject. Starting out with broad search terms in a search engine will produce results which may contain more specific subject matter that would be of interest. Also, many programs allow the user to search for similar or related topics, headings, words, or subjects. This ultimately results in producing more information that is specific and focused.
Context relevant retrieval simplifies the process of information retrieval by allowing the user to associate search terms and develop proper search criteria. Because search results are a product of what the user inputs as a search term, knowing how to search is an invaluable skill. Formulating questions in the proper fashion is essential to obtaining correct information.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Module One Blog
1. Introduce yourself to the group. Include your graduate area:
I am currently in my third semester of the FNP program. My program thus far has incorporated science, diagnostics, statistics, and evaluation of evidenced based practice. Additionally, the FNP program has focused on exploring aspects of the healthcare system that will impact providers and patients in the near future. Considerations for underserved groups, special populations, and how to deal with those situations have been made during the delivery of our education. As the healthcare system in the United States evolves and grows, primary care providers will rely heavily on information technology to communicate patient and practice information. I have an interest in moving to a rural area following graduation. It will be of the utmost importance that I have the ability and knowledge to communicate with colleagues and patients despite the mileage. I will also rely on computer based patient information systems for lab results and history. I feel that this class is a good addition and supplement to the curriculum and will serve us well in the future.
2. Why do you as a graduate level nurse need to know about information management?
As a working nurse I see the importance of information management in the areas of the hospital that I have worked. After reviewing the information from our first module, I have also come to realize the wide-spread ways in which a primary care provider might rely on information management. Facilitation of instantaneous and dependable information storage and retrieval is essential to ensuring a continuum of care that will improve patient outcomes. Currently, I work in a healthcare system that is linked to a number of different hospitals across the Wasatch front. Frequently providers are able to pull records of patients during emergency situations that would be unavailable without database systems. Furthermore, I have in the past worked in emergency departments in which paper charting was still being used. That seemed to be labor intensive and prone to many problems, ie; losing the chart, illegible writing, and errors. The computer charting system that I currently use is windows based and makes my charting much easier and fast. I feel as though it is essential for me to continue to learn and utilize the resources that I have for information management. As a graduate student it will make my studies easier if I can navigate these systems with at least a basic understanding.
3. Describe what is happening related to IT in your clinical area.
The most impressive and interesting advancement that I have noticed in the Emergency Department is the use of data driven protocol. We have computer charting systems that drive our processes in the ER depending upon diagnostic criteria that providers and nurses input. For example, our hospital is a stroke center, and we use the NIHS stroke score for interventions. The computer charting system that we use forces the providers and nurses to input patient information and then recommends or suggests interventions based upon national criteria. This has lead to improved patient outcomes which are evident and traceable by statistical information that we are able to obtain and compute from additional information technology. I envision a continuing trend in process driven emergency care. I have seen a huge advantage with the utilization of information technology. It seems to take out the human component of error, while maintaining the invaluable provider discretion.
I am currently in my third semester of the FNP program. My program thus far has incorporated science, diagnostics, statistics, and evaluation of evidenced based practice. Additionally, the FNP program has focused on exploring aspects of the healthcare system that will impact providers and patients in the near future. Considerations for underserved groups, special populations, and how to deal with those situations have been made during the delivery of our education. As the healthcare system in the United States evolves and grows, primary care providers will rely heavily on information technology to communicate patient and practice information. I have an interest in moving to a rural area following graduation. It will be of the utmost importance that I have the ability and knowledge to communicate with colleagues and patients despite the mileage. I will also rely on computer based patient information systems for lab results and history. I feel that this class is a good addition and supplement to the curriculum and will serve us well in the future.
2. Why do you as a graduate level nurse need to know about information management?
As a working nurse I see the importance of information management in the areas of the hospital that I have worked. After reviewing the information from our first module, I have also come to realize the wide-spread ways in which a primary care provider might rely on information management. Facilitation of instantaneous and dependable information storage and retrieval is essential to ensuring a continuum of care that will improve patient outcomes. Currently, I work in a healthcare system that is linked to a number of different hospitals across the Wasatch front. Frequently providers are able to pull records of patients during emergency situations that would be unavailable without database systems. Furthermore, I have in the past worked in emergency departments in which paper charting was still being used. That seemed to be labor intensive and prone to many problems, ie; losing the chart, illegible writing, and errors. The computer charting system that I currently use is windows based and makes my charting much easier and fast. I feel as though it is essential for me to continue to learn and utilize the resources that I have for information management. As a graduate student it will make my studies easier if I can navigate these systems with at least a basic understanding.
3. Describe what is happening related to IT in your clinical area.
The most impressive and interesting advancement that I have noticed in the Emergency Department is the use of data driven protocol. We have computer charting systems that drive our processes in the ER depending upon diagnostic criteria that providers and nurses input. For example, our hospital is a stroke center, and we use the NIHS stroke score for interventions. The computer charting system that we use forces the providers and nurses to input patient information and then recommends or suggests interventions based upon national criteria. This has lead to improved patient outcomes which are evident and traceable by statistical information that we are able to obtain and compute from additional information technology. I envision a continuing trend in process driven emergency care. I have seen a huge advantage with the utilization of information technology. It seems to take out the human component of error, while maintaining the invaluable provider discretion.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Ahh, the blog.
Hello fellow class mates. I'm sorry that it has taken me so long to get this blog up and running. I have had an interesting couple of weeks. I'm excited about the idea that we have a class that it offering a different spin on assignments. This is a good way to comunicate with eachother and check in on whats happening in the class. Well, I hope to see the rest of your blogs and hope we all have a great semester!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)