Needs Assessment Meeting with Stakeholders

Hi everyone, I am  _____ the project manager and nursing informatics at Vila Health. A couple of days ago, the current health information system was discussed during our meeting with five main stakeholders. The meeting aimed to gain insight into stakeholders’ opinions and perspectives on the current health information system and to see if they feel the need to change it. So, the results, key takeaways from the meeting, and discussion regarding health information system modification are gathered to form a synopsis in this video. This video will give insight into the changes needed and other important takeaways. 

My job description as project manager and nurse informatics at Vila Health includes incorporating required changes to the information system of the organization. The modifications are needed to eliminate the barriers patients face and improve their access to healthcare facilities which can result in improved patient care. The modifications are also required to decrease the workload of healthcare providers and burnout risk (Sharifi et al., 2020). The duration required to complete this plan is five to six months. It will include training workshops, test runs of modifications made, and group meetings to discuss changes. Over a few years, Vila Health went through numerous changes due to the elderly population, the rise in many people with chronic diseases, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Bringing transformation at Villa Health aims to offer improved medical care in a comfortable and warm environment. 

Questions and Explanation

Current Situation Assessment and Information System Expected State

Numerous issues faced by healthcare providers while using health information systems were highlighted in the meetings with stakeholders. Healthcare providers felt restricted from keeping tabs on their patients due to the limitations of the current health information system. This issue is also jeopardizing patients’ health and leads to treatment delays and poor treatment and life quality. However, the administration team provided evidence that the current health information system proved to be cost-effective, reduced medication errors, and enhanced access to patient data for nurses (Amlung et al., 2020). Stakeholders are of the view that if the benefits of the current health information system are combined with the upgrades then it can provide patients with improved and advanced healthcare facilities which can enhance their satisfaction, experience, and care quality. 

Assess and Define the Risks

The absence of a patient portal and RPM in the existing healthcare organization has increased many problems for patients according to healthcare professionals (Tan et al., 2024). In Vila Health, the patients visiting the hospital with the worst symptoms were treated first before the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic impacted the process of accessing and diagnosing patients. Furthermore, these problems were at higher rates in rural areas because they did not have access to adequate healthcare services and died due to their illness. The delivery of 24/7 care to patients was also impossible with the existing health information systems as reported by nurses and other healthcare providers (Isidori et al., 2022). People with chronic illnesses such as those who have diabetes and cardiac disease suffered most due to the absence of RPM. 

Define Information System User Best Practice

To provide evidence for my information and build your trust, the following data provides evidence-based practice of RPM. Research by Chiara Parretti et al. (2022) showed that healthcare providers utilized RPMs to continuously provide treatment to patients and prevent diseases when people were restricted to their houses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Remote patient monitoring is beneficial for patients to help patients save and update data in one place. Such as patients with chronic diseases who have regular checkups with healthcare providers and need to change appointment dates will find RPM useful. Patients’ blood sugar levels and medication compliance are two major examples of patient-important information provided to healthcare providers using RPM. Enhanced patient satisfaction, self-management, and early catering to patients’ needs are some of the benefits of patient portals reported by patients (Graham et al., 2020). 

Technology Functionality

In the meeting with stakeholders, they shared the need to have access to the patient’s portal. However, they also recommended installing RPMs on their phones and computers to easily access patient’s data and provide needed care. 

Workflow and Communication

Using remote patient monitoring will improve workflow and patient satisfaction because patients feel secure and connected when they observe their data updates being shared with their healthcare providers (Ch et al., 2023). Moreover, patients also experience a sense of peace when a personalized message regarding their health is received by them. RPMs can also be cost-effective by reducing administrative costs and improving the productivity of healthcare providers as they increase reimbursement possibilities and net patient income. Furthermore, RPM enhances effective communication between patients and healthcare providers because it provides 24-hour care by collecting patients’ data and sending notifications to healthcare providers in case of any adverse condition. 

Data Capture

Health information systems such as patient portals can save patients and healthcare time to save and access information. Rather than using different resources to gather data, it can be saved and accessed with one click. 

Practice and Outcomes

In the healthcare sector, Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) proved beneficial, especially with the continuous increase in the aging population. Previously, care was compromised because patients had to go to hospitals to receive care but now with the help of advanced technologies and communication strategies, patients can easily communicate with their healthcare providers and go about their day without compromising their health. Remote health monitoring can be beneficial for vulnerable populations such as aging people, patients with chronic health diseases, infants, and premature babies. Based on patients’ needs and circumstances, patients can be monitored for their health using advanced medical technologies (Serrano et al., 2023). The recent technology that allows healthcare providers to monitor their patients is contactless monitoring which monitors patients when they are near the sensors. 

Conclusion

In conclusion, the evidence supports that the new viral strains and increasing number of COVID-19 patients require urgently incorporating RPM systems. These technologies can help to provide efficient care to patients with COVID-19 symptoms to be treated before they get admitted to hospitals. These systems also ensure follow-up on patients post-treatment so that they can receive any required healthcare services. 

References

Amlung, J., Huth, H., Cullen, T., & Sequist, T. (2020). Modernizing health information technology: lessons from healthcare delivery systems. JAMIA Open, 3(3), 369–377. https://doi.org/10.1093/jamiaopen/ooaa027 

Ch, R., P Sudheer, & P Dharmendra Kumar. (2023). An overview of remote patient monitoring for improved patient care and cost reduction: The IoT revolutionizing health care. International Journal of Education and Management Engineering, 13(6), 33–40. https://doi.org/10.5815/ijeme.2023.06.04 

Chiara Parretti, Tartaglia, R., Micaela La Regina, Venneri, F., Sbrana, G., Massimo Mandò, & Barach, P. (2022). Improved FMEA methods for proactive health care risk assessment of the effectiveness and efficiency of COVID-19 remote patient telemonitoring. American Journal of Medical Quality 37(6), 535–544. https://doi.org/10.1097/jmq.0000000000000089 

Graham, T. A. D., Ali, S., Avdagovska, M., & Ballermann, M. (2020). Effects of a web-based patient portal on patient satisfaction and missed appointment rates: survey study. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 22(5), e17955. https://doi.org/10.2196/17955 

Isidori, V., Diamanti, F., Gios, L., Malfatti, G., Nicolini, A., Perini, F., Forti, S., Gaudino, A., Brancorsini, S., Bizzarri, G., Fraschini, F., & Longhini, J. (2022). Digital technologies and the role of healthcare professionals: A scoping review exploring nurses’ skills in the digital era and in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. (Preprint). JMIR Nursing, 5(1). https://doi.org/10.2196/37631 

Serrano, L. P., Maita, K. C., Ávila, F. R., Torres‐Guzman, R. A., Garcia, J. P., Eldaly, A. S., Haider, C. R., Felton, C. L., Paulson, M. R., Maniaci, M. J., & Forte, A. J. (2023). Benefits and challenges of remote patient monitoring as perceived by health care practitioners: A systematic review. The Permanente Journal, 27(4), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.7812/tpp/23.022 

Sharifi, M., Asadi-Pooya, A. A., & Mousavi-Roknabadi, R. S. (2020). Burnout among healthcare providers of COVID-19; A systematic review of epidemiology and recommendations. Archives of Academic Emergency Medicine, 9(1). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7812159/ 

Tan, S. Y., Sumner, J., Wang, Y., & Wenjun Yip, A. (2024). A systematic review of the impacts of remote patient monitoring (RPM) interventions on safety, adherence, quality-of-life, and cost-related outcomes. Npj Digital Medicine, 7(1), 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41746-024-01182-w