The Application of Data to Problem-Solving in Nursing and Health care
In a single day, a massive influx of data flows through our healthcare systems. The data received is just a jumble of numbers, names, and words that can be quite intimidating to the operators and other healthcare providers. And without an appropriate analysis and conveying system, such data remains worthless. But with the right technology and tools, the data can be beneficial in solving different problems both in nursing and healthcare.
Data without data analytics is useless. In the past couple of years, data analytics has become a very crucial part of healthcare. Different healthcare organizations all around the United States continue to adopt different data analytics technologies such as Electronic Health Records and Telemedicine services in their operations. Data analytic technologies and tools are able to go through vast amounts of data in a short time, make sense of data coming from different sources, and come up with different types of healthcare trends that can be very helpful in improving patient outcomes.
In nursing, data management is used in multiple ways. Data management provides the nursing team with the appropriate information needed to extend adequate and personalized care for the patients. For instance, it helps streamline a nurse’s workflow, including clinical documentation, monitoring, reporting, surveillance, and follow up. With the necessary information, a nurse feels confident when making vital decisions concerning the treatment and care plan for the patient.
Through data management, healthcare organizations can capture a holistic picture of the patients and come up with appropriate plans tailored towards providing more effective and personalized treatment to each patient. Due to the increasing complexity of the human body, healthcare has also become increasingly intricate and competitive. Data collected gives room for comparison and Assessment, which allows nurses to make more informed decisions with every new situation. It also allows them to recognize and understand the unique medical needs of each patient, which in turn promotes quality healthcare.
Another critical problem that can be solved by data analytics is in regards to the cost of care delivery. For many years, the cost of care delivery has been a major problem facing the healthcare industry in the United States. Data collected can be analyzed to establish trends that can enable healthcare organizations to cut costs, reduce errors, evaluate risks, and increase efficiency in delivery. Healthcare leaders can utilize the information to make better decisions and policies and impact positive and lasting changes throughout the healthcare industry.
