scholarly journals The Use of Communication Apps by Medical Staff in the Australian Health Care System: Survey Study on Prevalence and Use (Preprint)

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Nikolic ◽  
Nilmini Wickramasinghe ◽  
Damian Claydon-Platt ◽  
Vikram Balakrishnan ◽  
Philip Smart
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Patient Information ◽  
Medical Staff ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Patient Data ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Multidisciplinary Teams

BACKGROUND The use of communication apps on mobile phones offers an efficient, unobtrusive, and portable mode of communication for medical staff. The potential enhancements in patient care and education appear significant, with clinical details able to be shared quickly within multidisciplinary teams, supporting rapid integration of disparate information, and more efficient patient care. However, sharing patient data in this way also raises legal and ethical issues. No data is currently available demonstrating how widespread the use of these apps are, doctor’s attitudes towards them, or what guides clinician choice of app. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to quantify and qualify the use of communication apps among medical staff in clinical situations, their role in patient care, and knowledge and attitudes towards safety, key benefits, potential disadvantages, and policy implications. METHODS Medical staff in hospitals across Victoria (Australia) were invited to participate in an anonymous 33-question survey. The survey collected data on respondent’s demographics, their use of communication apps in clinical settings, attitudes towards communication apps, perceptions of data “safety,” and why one communication app was chosen over others. RESULTS Communication apps in Victorian hospitals are in widespread use from students to consultants, with WhatsApp being the primary app used. The median number of messages shared per day was 12, encompassing a range of patient information. All respondents viewed these apps positively in quickly communicating patient information in a clinical setting; however, all had concerns about the privacy implications arising from sharing patient information in this way. In total, 67% (60/90) considered patient data “moderately safe” on these apps, and 50% (46/90) were concerned the use of these apps was inconsistent with current legislation and policy. Apps were more likely to be used if they were fast, easy to use, had an easy login process, and were already in widespread use. CONCLUSIONS Communication app use by medical personnel in Victorian hospitals is pervasive. These apps contribute to enhanced communication between medical staff, but their use raises compliance issues, most notably with Australian privacy legislation. Development of privacy-compliant apps such as MedX needs to prioritize a user-friendly interface and market the product as a privacy-compliant comparator to apps previously adapted to health care settings.

Handling Ethical Dilemmas in Multidisciplinary Teams

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill Thistlethwaite ◽  
Wendy Hawksworth
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Interprofessional Collaboration ◽  
Ethical Dilemmas ◽  
Multidisciplinary Teams ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Secondary Health Care

This chapter explores the concept and practice of teamwork and interprofessional collaboration in the support and treatment of clients with mental health problems. Mental health care provision is complex, ethically challenging, and frequently delivered via mental health care teams (MHCT) in both primary and secondary health care settings. We consider how such teams may work together optimally using values-based and client-centered approaches. We discuss the nature of and reasons for conflict arising in multidisciplinary MHCTs, focusing on ethical dilemmas that occur where there is diversity amongst team members in respect of personal, professional, and/or organizational values. The specific ethical issues discussed are: boundary issues; receiving gifts; confidentiality, and involuntary treatment and restraint. Three case studies are used to provide examples of values in action.

scholarly journals The Use of Communication Apps by Medical Staff in the Australian Health Care System: Survey Study on Prevalence and Use

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. e9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Nikolic ◽  
Nilmini Wickramasinghe ◽  
Damian Claydon-Platt ◽  
Vikram Balakrishnan ◽  
Philip Smart
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Medical Staff ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Australian Health ◽  
Care System

How Do We Go Back to Work Now?

2020 ◽  
pp. 79-84
Author(s):  
Lindsay B. Ragsdale
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Medical Staff ◽  
Difficult Conversations ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Back To Work

Patient care can have a significant impact on health care professionals both professionally and personally. Understanding and responding to these emotionally charged situations can help providers work through their emotions and build resiliency over time. Many institutions use debriefings to help providers unpack these situations and learn how to cope together. Debriefing after a significant patient event can help provide a time for medical staff to discuss the event, talk about their emotions, enhance teamwork, and improve the feeling of being supported by peers. Creating a space for these difficult conversations can help providers recover and get back to patient care.

From Nursing Information Systems to Patient Information Systems

1994 ◽  
Vol 33 (03) ◽  
pp. 302-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. M. Coward
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Patient Information ◽  
Clinical Information ◽  
Systems Development ◽  
Clinical Information Systems ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
The Future

Abstract:Clinical information systems, developed for specific disciplines, reinforce the fragmentation of patient care and fail to support integrated, patient centered approaches. Fundamental restructuring of systems development is required to prepare the health care system and the practice of nursing for the future.

The Medical Infusion Alarm System Based on the Smart Phone Platform

2013 ◽  
Vol 765-767 ◽  
pp. 1146-1150
Author(s):  
Hui Ying Yang ◽  
Xiao Hua Sun ◽  
Yan Zhao ◽  
Fu Shun Wang
Keyword(s):  
Patient Information ◽  
Medical Staff ◽  
Wireless Lan ◽  
Smart Phone ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Smart Phones ◽  
Alarm System ◽  
Work Efficiency ◽  
The Past ◽  
Windows Phone

Using the Windows Phone 7.5 smart phones as platform and the Silverlight technology designed and developed a set of complete infusion alarm system. With its own wireless Wi-Fi capabilities, through the hospital's wireless LAN access patient information, the smart phone can carry, solved the problem of the past that medical staff must stay in front of the computer, it can understand infusion information at any time, in time to tackle the problem of infusion and get the alarm information, and improves the work efficiency of medical personnel.

scholarly journals The presence of violence at work of health care personnel and their work ability

2018 ◽  
Vol 51 ◽  
pp. 01013
Author(s):  
Santa Bula ◽  
Liana Deklava ◽  
Jelena Reste ◽  
Inese Lusena-Ezera
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Work Ability ◽  
Medical Staff ◽  
Medical Personnel ◽  
Physician Assistants ◽  
Health Care Sector ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Work Ability Index ◽  
Violence In The Workplace ◽  
The Impact

Proportion of health care workers of those who believe that the work in progress threatens their health and safety is higher than the average in other sectors. Workers in health care facilities are especially exposed to violence in the workplace [1]. The aim of the study was the evaluation of the presence of violence at work and determination of its effect on the working ability of health care sector workers. The study included the survey of 132 emergency department employees (doctors, physician assistants, nurses) from Kurzeme Region hospitals (Latvia). Questionnaire of violence in the workplace of the health care sector workers and the work ability index assessment questionnaire were used for the data collection. It was found that medical staff of health care establishments experience mostly verbal abuse (97%), less from physical attacks (36%), and intimidation/bullying (30%). The study found that medical personnel are aware of the changes implemented in the workplace (29%), there has been no change (33%), while the impact of changes implemented by medical staff at the workplace has not been experienced (47%). For personnel who have suffered from violence in the workplace, working capacity is generally lower than for the personnel that has not experienced violence in the workplace.

scholarly journals Ethical Issues in Patient Data Ownership

10.2196/22269 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. e22269
Author(s):  
Varsha Chiruvella ◽  
Achuta Kumar Guddati
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Personal Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Patient Data ◽  
Third Party ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Patients At Risk

Patient data have conventionally been thought to be well protected by the privacy laws outlined in the United States. The increasing interest of for-profit companies in acquiring the databases of large health care systems poses new challenges to the protection of patients’ privacy. It also raises ethical concerns of sharing patient data with entities that may exploit it for commercial interests and even target vulnerable populations. Recognizing that every breach in the confidentiality of large databases exposes millions of patients to the potential of being exploited is important in framing new rules for governing the sharing of patient data. Similarly, the ethical aspects of data voluntarily and altruistically provided by patients for research, which may be exploited for commercial interests due to patient data sharing between health care entities and third-party companies, need to be addressed. The rise of technologies such as artificial intelligence and the availability of personal data gleaned by data vendor companies place American patients at risk of being exploited both intentionally and inadvertently because of the sharing of their data by their health care provider institutions and third-party entities.

scholarly journals Ambulance clinicians’ perspectives of sharing patient information electronically

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 49-50
Author(s):  
Jack W. Barrett
Keyword(s):  
Patient Care ◽  
Patient Information ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Patient Data ◽  
Clinical Staff ◽  
Electronic Patient Records ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Health Records ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Collaborative Working

Introduction: Communication in the NHS is vital to patient care and safety. Government bodies are pushing for the digitisation of patient health records so that access and transfer of information is easier between patient care teams. Many ambulance trusts have issued their clinical staff tablet computers as a step in the transition from paper-based to electronic-based patient health records. This study aims to evaluate whether these ambulance clinicians perceive tangible benefits to digitisation, particularly regarding collaborative working with other healthcare professionals.Methods: Registered and non-registered clinical staff in one ambulance trust completed an online questionnaire utilising five-point Likert scales to collect data about their experiences of using electronic incident summary notifications to report back to the patient’s GP, and on direct patient referrals to community teams for falls and hypoglycaemic episodes. Participants only completed questions relevant to the process they had experienced.Results: From approximately 2115 members of staff eligible to participate, there were 201 respondents (9.50%) who provided information concerning GP summary notifications, fall referrals or hypoglycaemia referrals (n = 154, 76.62%; n = 178, 88.56%; n = 101, 50.25%, respectively).Overall, staff perceived the electronic communication of patient information as useful, but not essential, to their practice. The applications were seen as easy to use and a safer way to handle patient data. Though their use was felt to prolong the time spent on scene, this was regarded as an efficient use of a clinician’s time.Many staff would prefer to talk directly to a patient’s GP, but fewer felt that this was required for community referrals. While most participants did not feel obliged to send a GP summary notification of every encounter, the majority believed that the rates of appropriate falls and hypoglycaemia referrals would be improved with direct electronic communication.Respondents felt that recording and sharing patient information electronically improved collaborative working with other healthcare professionals, and they preferred having this ability.Conclusion: NHS ambulance trusts are transitioning to electronic patient records and this article suggests that ambulance staff are in favour of this transition when the technology is readily accessible and easy to use. Staff believe this approach is a safer way to store and share patient data and that collaborative working is enhanced. However, many clinicians would still prefer to discuss some incidents directly with a GP rather than sending a summary, highlighting the value staff place on real-time professional interaction when managing a patient.

scholarly journals Ethical Issues in Patient Data Ownership (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Varsha Chiruvella ◽  
Achuta Kumar Guddati
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Personal Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Patient Data ◽  
Third Party ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Care Systems ◽  
Patients At Risk

UNSTRUCTURED Patient data have conventionally been thought to be well protected by the privacy laws outlined in the United States. The increasing interest of for-profit companies in acquiring the databases of large health care systems poses new challenges to the protection of patients’ privacy. It also raises ethical concerns of sharing patient data with entities that may exploit it for commercial interests and even target vulnerable populations. Recognizing that every breach in the confidentiality of large databases exposes millions of patients to the potential of being exploited is important in framing new rules for governing the sharing of patient data. Similarly, the ethical aspects of data voluntarily and altruistically provided by patients for research, which may be exploited for commercial interests due to patient data sharing between health care entities and third-party companies, need to be addressed. The rise of technologies such as artificial intelligence and the availability of personal data gleaned by data vendor companies place American patients at risk of being exploited both intentionally and inadvertently because of the sharing of their data by their health care provider institutions and third-party entities.

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