Healthcare Technology Care Coordination and Community Resources

Healthcare Technology Care Coordination and Community Resources

Impact of healthcare technology on mental health and psychological issues in nursing home residents

Mental health issues are one of the significant global burdens and a rising health concern. Mental health management has been under pressure to conform to the rapidly rising technological advancements. Technological advancements are being consulted to address the worldwide mental health crisis.

Healthcare Technology Care Coordination and Community Resources

Digital methods of communication such as text messaging, video conferencing, record keeping, and data storage in hospital Health Information Systems (HIS) are common (Harerimana, Forchuk & O’Regan, 2019). Over the last few years, there has been an outcry due to the surge of mental health issues.

Hospitals and the government have developed advanced technology to diagnose, treat, and follow up on mental health issues (Lustgarten & Elhalai, 2018). Advanced healthcare technology is set to change mental health care technology.

Digital health technology emphasizes availing data, computing power, utilizing mobile technology, and networking. Healthcare technology has effectively enhanced people’s interactions and resolution of disorders involving mood and anxiety.

Healthcare technology has promoted interprofessional collaboration and effective care coordination (Ko, Wagner, & Spetz, 2018). global statistics indicate that people living with mental issues have significant problems in accessing psychological help.

This is majorly because of inaccessibility to healthcare facilities and health care facilities’ deficit. The advent of healthcare technology has led to abandoning traditional care models and the adoption of new models that have led to the accessibility of mental health patients who were otherwise not accessible.

With the technological advancements, it has been possible to monitor patients while they are at home and provide consultation, prescription, and other services offered in face-to-face meetings. In addition, telehealth has been instrumental in ensuring patients are cared for in the comfort of their homes and around familiar environments. This has been instrumental in improving patients’ mental status and ensuring that healthcare facilities such as nursing homes are decongested.

Advanced therapy and sophisticated patient monitoring machines have been in the frontline, ensuring that mental health issues are conclusively managed. In addition, telehealth has been integral in managing patients with mental health issues (Park, Langellier, & Burke, 2021).

Over the past few years, the diagnosis of mental conditions has gone through tremendous change. Mental issues such as Parkinson’s Disease, with significant mental health issues, can be diagnosed early and treatment initiated early, preventing comorbidities and enhancing the patients’ quality of life.

How care coordination and the utilization of community resources affect mental health and psychological issues among nursing home residents.

Care coordination is an integral part of all health services. Nurses, psychiatrists, nutritionists, doctors, physiotherapists, and other healthcare providers must coordinate during patient care, such as nursing home residents who often have various medical and psychological problems (Jones et al., 2018).

The nurses assess the mental status, after which a psychiatrist reviews, confirms the diagnosis, and initiates treatment. Different studies such as Jones et al. (2018) indicate that inter and intraprofessional communication are the basis of quality care delivery. Therefore, all healthcare providers must be ready and willing to collaborate in care provision.

Community resources such as community-based care institutions, spiritual leaders, and lay consultation are essential pillars in managing mental health problems (Piercy & Zanin, 2019). When nursing home residents are catered for or referred to community-based institutions, they receive care at proximal distances to their homes.

Family and friends can take care of their own in home-based care by receiving instructions on every procedure to carry out. Disorders such as depression and anxiety have been mitigated through the utilization of home-based care and telehealth.

State board nursing practice standards and/or organizational or governmental policies associated with health care technology, care coordination, and community resources.

Government policies can favor or discourage healthcare technology. Federal regulations and other responsible bodies have presented conflicting policies affecting mental healthcare significantly in the recent past. These initiatives have significantly affected the delivery of mental health services in nursing homes.

The government has been integral in creating favorable environments through creating policies that favor improved healthcare delivery in areas of deficits. The Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 guides mental health practices in the U.S. (Park and Park, 2017). The National Mental Health Act, for example, authorized the improvement of the mental health of U.S. citizens through research.

The research involves defining psychiatric disorders, determining their causes, diagnosis, and their best treatment. The government, through funding programs, enhances mental health practices. The government, through policies, protects patients’ rights, such as those involving coercion during the care of the mentally ill patients (Hem et al., 2018). The National Coordinator of Health Information Technology bears authority to develop health information technology that corresponds to the needs of the citizens and addresses healthcare disparities.

Further, the HITECH Act regulates healthcare technology by ensuring responsible bodies establish programs to improve health care quality, safety, and efficiency by promoting health I.T. Health information technology involves developing systems that store and avail data on the internet to all healthcare providers with authorized access.

The government’s laws and regulations play a significant role in determining health care technology, care coordination, and community resources. Specifically, HITECH Act plays an integral role in ensuring that information systems used are up to date and with acceptable global standards.

Explain how nursing ethics will inform your approach to addressing the problem through applied technology, care coordination, and community resources.

Nursing practice is informed by the ICN ethical guidelines/ethical codes. Nursing ethics require that the nurse provide the best care to the patient that is holistic. Ethical issues and ethical guidelines also apply to mental health management (Lustgarten & Elhai, 2018).

The principles in nursing ethics such as autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence also apply in psychiatric care. The Mental Health Act of 2017 lays down guidelines for all healthcare professionals, including nurses (Ventura et al., 2020) that must be adhered to at all times. Ethical issues such as those regarding informed consent, confidentiality, constraining patients also exist.

During my practice, I shall ensure that all the rights of a patient are upheld. Exception of special situations such as when the patient is violent, will warrant the need to restrain such patients. Information concerning a mentally ill patient can be relayed to family members and other healthcare providers to ensure quality care delivery to all patients.

The ICN institutes that it is the nurse’s responsibility to ensure quality, affordable and accessible care is delivered to all. As Ventura et al. (2020) assert, nursing actions should provide the best benefit to the mentally ill and least or no harm.

Community resources utilization in the management of mental health and psychological issues in nursing homes

Community resources are crucial in managing mental health and psychological issues. Community organizations help create awareness of mental health crises, prevent mental health conditions, reduce stigma and discrimination, support recovery and social inclusion (Piercy & Zanin, 2020).

Different organizations that deal with mental health issues exist in the society. These organizations, for example, the JED foundation, are instrumental in providing mental and emotional healthcare management services. In addition, the American Psychiatric Association members have extensive physicians who are dedicated in providing mental health care to the society and effective treatment to mentally ill persons.

According to Piercy and Zanin (2020), the psychiatric Nurses Association is a team that ensures mental health wellness by promoting health, creating public awareness, preventing mental health problems, and enhancing care and treatment of people living with mental disorders. These institutions are community mental health resources that have led to the marked increase in mental health awareness.

Additionally, they have been instrumental in improving access to mental health treatment within the American society and beyond. As Piercy and Zabnin (2020) observes, community resources have been instrumental in promoting the mental health status of individuals across all socio-ecological levels.

Barriers to care coordination and community resources in mental health and psychological issues among nursing home residents.

Several barriers impede care coordination and utilization of community resources in managing mental health and psychological issues. Inadequate training of the nurses is one such problem. Nurses who lack information on current healthcare technology pose a challenge to its implementation.

Many health care providers in nursing homes also lack training on interprofessional collaboration (Ralston, Andrews, & Hope, 2019). Often, health professionals without training interact poorly with the patients, making it difficult to achieve effective care coordination. Adequate training is thus a prerequisite.

As Falconer, Dho and Doherty (2018) argues, most health professionals in nursing home care practice lack clearly stated and shared measurable goals, an aspect that makes collaboration difficult to achieve. At times, roles in nursing homes overlap, resulting in role and leadership ambiguity. This tends to result in conflict and thus poor interprofessional collaboration.

As Curtis and Brooks (2020) observe, any organizational cultures that fails to promote communication effectively impedes healthcare delivery. When an organization is rooted in poor communication, interprofessional collaboration becomes a challenge.

Another challenge is the lack of priority in the public health agenda. According to Ralston et al. (2019), other healthcare technologies involving intensive care and reproductive health are given priority in funding over mental healthcare technology. This has resulted in the failure to implement many technological advancements due to a lack of funding.

The effect is derailed mental health service access and provision. Arguably, mental healthcare technology should be given equal priority in funding (Curtis and Brook, 2020). Health information systems (HIS) installation costs have been the major factor impeding the implementation and utilization of such technologies. Running the health information systems requires skills and expertise, which are achieved through training.

Nurses in nursing homes require training associated with high health costs. The challenges on installation costs, maintenance costs, and training of staff have had a negative impact on the utilization of HIS for the management of mental illnesses and mentally ill patients.

Benefits of care coordination and utilization of community resources.

Falconer et al. (2018) note that care coordination leads to improved patient experiences and health outcomes. With adequate care coordination, effective and safe care is delivered to the patients. Medical errors such as wrong diagnosis, medication errors, and patient identification errors are eliminated when care is well-coordinated (Falconer, et al., 2018).

The utilization of community resources is integral in managing mental health patients. Community institutions offer affordable services to the patients and reduce healthcare costs to both the community and the system. Patients tend to have access to adequate care while around their relatives, a practice that promotes mental health outcomes. Community resources bridge the gaps in minimizing mental healthcare disparities by availing affordable, effective, and accessible healthcare.

Telehealth is one of the leading healthcare technologies used in delivering mental health services (Groom et al., 2017). Nursing home residents can be taken care of while in the comfort of their homes. This initiative, however, faces myriad challenges such as technology incompetence. Nursing home residents are majorly geriatrics who do not know about advanced healthcare technology.

Most of the families are also not familiar with healthcare technology advancements. Therefore, the implementation of telehealth in managing these patients is a considerable challenge. Thus, while health information systems are integral in managing all healthcare services, there is need for effective training for both the caregiver and the patient or patient families on their efficient use.

Conclusion

As illustrated above, healthcare technology has an integral role to play in the management of mental health illnesses. Care coordination, interprofessional collaboration, and utilization of community resources are integral in managing mental health and psychological issues.

Despite their import, the current study has revealed that different factors impede the adoption and use of healthcare technology in mental health management, among them being inadequate funding. Nevertheless, there is need to fully embrace healthcare technology advancements since the benefits outweigh the risks not only in the management of psychiatric illnesses, but across the healthcare sector.

References

Curtis, K., & Brooks, S. (2020). Digital health technology: factors affecting implementation in nursing homes. Nursing Older People, 32(2). https://10.7748/nop.2020.e1236

Falconer, E., Kho, D., & Docherty, J. P. (2018). Use of technology for care coordination initiatives for patients with mental health issues: a systematic literature review. Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment, 14, 2337. https://dx.doi.org/10.2147%2FNDT.S172810

Groom, L. L., McCarthy, M. M., Stimpfel, A. W., & Brody, A. A. (2021). Telemedicine and Telehealth in Nursing Homes: An Integrative Review. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/15258610

Harerimana, B., Forchuk, C., & O’Regan, T. (2019). The use of technology for mental healthcare delivery among older adults with depressive symptoms: a systematic literature review. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 28(3), 657-670. https://doi.org/10.1111/inm.12571

Hem, M. H., Gjerberg, E., Husum, T. L., & Pedersen, R. (2018). Ethical challenges when using coercion in mental healthcare: a systematic literature review. Nursing Ethics, 25(1), 92-110. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0969733016629770

Park, S., Langellier, B. A., & Burke, R. E. (2021). Telehealth benefits offered by Medicare Advantage plans in 2020. Medical Care, 59(1), 53-57. https://doi.org/10.1097/MLR.0000000000001408

Park, J. I., & Park, H. J. (2017). Critical review on amendment bill of Mental Health Act. Journal of Korean Neuropsychiatric Association, 56(1), 1-9. http://doi.org/10.4306/jknpa.2017.56.1.1

Jones, A., Hannigan, B., Coffey, M., & Simpson, A. (2018). Traditions of research in community mental health care planning and care coordination: A systematic meta-narrative review of the literature. PloS One, 13(6), e0198427. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0198427

Ko, M., Wagner, L., & Spetz, J. (2018). Nursing home implementation of health information technology: Review of the literature finds inadequate investment in preparation, infrastructure, and training. INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 55, 0046958018778902. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0046958018778902

Lustgarten, S. D., & Elhai, J. D. (2018). Technology use in mental health practice and research: Legal and ethical risks. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 25(2), e12234. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1111/cpsp.12234

Ralston, A. L., Andrews III, A. R., & Hope, D. A. (2019). Fulfilling the promise of mental health technology to reduce public health disparities: Review and research agenda. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 26(1), e12277. https://doi.org/10.1111/cpsp.12277

Ventura, C. A. A., Austin, W., Carrara, B. S., & de Brito, E. S. (2020). Nursing care in mental health: Human rights and ethical issues. Nursing Ethics, 0969733020952102. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0969733020952102

Healthcare Technology Care Coordination and Community Resources Instructions

Introduction

As a baccalaureate-prepared nurse, you’ll be positioned to maximize the use of technology to achieve positive patient outcomes and improve organizational effectiveness. Providing holistic coordination of patient care across the entire health care continuum and leveraging community resource services can lead to both positive patient outcomes and organizational improvements.

Instructions

Complete this assignment in two parts.

The BSN Capstone Course (NURS4900) requires the completion and documentation of nine practicum hours. All hours must be recorded in the Capella Academic Portal. Please review the BSN Practicum Campus page for more information and instructions on how to log your hours.

Part 1

Determine how health care technology, the coordination of care, and the use of community resources can be applied to address the patient, family, or population problem you defined in Week 2. Plan to spend at least two practicum hours exploring these aspects of the problem with the patient, family, or group. During this time, you may also consult with subject matter and industry experts of your choice. Document the time spent (your practicum hours) with these individuals or group in the NURS4900 Volunteer Experience Form in Capella Academic Portal. Use the Practicum Focus Sheet [PDF] Download Practicum Focus Sheet [PDF]provided for this assignment to guide your work and interpersonal interactions.

Part 2

Report on your experiences during the second 2 hours of your practicum.

  • Whom did you meet with?
    • What did you learn from them?
  • Comment on the evidence-based practice (EBP) documents or websites you reviewed.
    • What did you learn from that review?
  • Share the process and experience of exploring the effect of the problem on the quality of care, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual.
    • Did your plan to address the problem change, based upon your experiences?
    • What surprised you or was particularly interesting to you, and why?

Capella Academic Portal

Update the total number of hours on the NURS4900 Volunteer Experience Form in Capella Academic Portal.

Requirements

The assignment requirements outlined below correspond to the scoring guide criteria, so be sure to address each main point. Read the performance-level descriptions for each criterion to see how your work will be assessed. In addition, note the additional requirements for document format and length and for supporting evidence.

  • Analyze the impact of health care technology on the patient, family, or population problem.
    • Cite evidence from the literature that addresses the advantages and disadvantages of specific technologies, including research studies that present opposing views.
    • Determine whether the evidence is consistent with technology use you see in your nursing practice.
    • Identify potential barriers and costs associated with the use of specific technologies and how those technologies are applied within the context of this problem.
  • Explain how care coordination and the utilization of community resources can be used to address the patient, family, or population problem.
    • Cite evidence from the literature that addresses the benefits of care coordination and the utilization of community resources, including research studies that present opposing views.
    • Determine whether the evidence is consistent with how you see care coordination and community resources used in your nursing practice.
    • Identify barriers to the use of care coordination and community resources in the context of this problem.
  • Analyze state board nursing practice standards and/or organizational or governmental policies associated with health care technology, care coordination, and community resources.
    • Explain how these standards or policies will guide your actions in applying technology, care coordination, and community resources to address care quality, patient safety, and costs to the system and individual.
    • Describe the effects of local, state, and federal policies or legislation on your nursing scope of practice, within the context of technology, care coordination, and community resources.
    • Explain how nursing ethics will inform your approach to addressing the problem through the use of applied technology, care coordination, and community resources.
    • Document the time spent (your practicum hours) with these individuals or group in the NURS4900 Volunteer Experience Form.
  • Support main points, assertions, arguments, conclusions, or recommendations with relevant and credible evidence.
  • Apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing.

Additional Requirements

  • Format: Format your paper using APA style. APA Style Paper Tutorial [DOCX]Links to an external site. is provided to help you in writing and formatting your paper. Be sure to include the following:
    • A title page and reference page. An abstract is not required.
    • Appropriate section headings.
  • Length: Your paper should be approximately 5–7 pages in length, not including the reference page.
  • Supporting evidence: Cite at least five sources of scholarly or professional evidence that support your central ideas. Resources should be no more than five years old. Provide in-text citations and references in APA format.
  • Proofreading: Proofread your paper, before you submit it, to minimize errors that could distract readers and make it more difficult for them to focus on its substance.

Competencies Measured

By successfully completing this assignment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and grading criteria:

  • Competency 4: Apply health information and patient care technology to improve patient and systems outcomes.
    • Analyze the impact of health care technology on a patient, family, or population problem.
  • Competency 5: Analyze the impact of health policy on quality and cost of care.
    • Analyze state board nursing practice standards and/or organizational or governmental policies associated with health technology, care coordination, and community resources, and document the time spent (practicum hours) with these individuals or group in the NURS4900 Volunteer Experience Form.
  • Competency 6: Collaborate interprofessionally to improve patient and population outcomes.
    • Explain how care coordination and the utilization of community resources can be used to address a patient, family, or population problem.
  • Competency 8: Integrate professional standards and values into practice.
    • Support main points, assertions, arguments, conclusions, or recommendations with relevant and credible evidence.
    • Apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing.

View Rubric

[u06a1] Week 6 Assignment: Assessing the Problem: Technology, Care Coordination, and Community Resources Considerations
[u06a1] Week 6 Assignment: Assessing the Problem: Technology, Care Coordination, and Community Resources Considerations
Criteria Ratings Pts
Analyze the impact of health care technology on a patient, family, or population problem.

view longer description

37.5 to >31.88 pts

DISTINGUISHED

Conducts an astute analysis of the impact of health care technology on a patient, family, or population problem. Cites credible and balanced evidence of the advantages and disadvantages of specific technologies. Provides clear insight into current technology use in professional practice, as well as potential barriers and costs.31.88 to >26.25 pts

PROFICIENT

Analyzes the impact of health care technology on a patient, family, or population problem.26.25 to >0 pts

BASIC

Describes the impact of health care technology on a patient, family, or population problem.0 pts

NON_PERFORMANCE

Does not describe the impact of health care technology on a patient, family, or population problem.

/ 37.5 pts
Explain how care coordination and the utilization of community resources can be used to address a patient, family, or population problem.

view longer description

37.5 to >31.88 pts

DISTINGUISHED

Provides a convincing explanation of how care coordination and the utilization of community resources can be used to address a patient, family, or population problem. Cites credible and balanced evidence of the benefits of care coordination and the use of community resources. Provides clear insight into current use in professional practice, as well as potential barriers.31.88 to >26.25 pts

PROFICIENT

Explains how care coordination and the utilization of community resources can be used to address a patient, family, or population problem.26.25 to >0 pts

BASIC

Attempts to describe the value of care coordination and the utilization of community resources in addressing health care challenges.0 pts

NON_PERFORMANCE

Does not describe the value of care coordination and the utilization of community resources in addressing health care challenges.

/ 37.5 pts
Analyze state board nursing practice standards and/or organizational or governmental policies associated with health technology, care coordination, and community resources, and document the time spent (practicum hours) with these individuals or group in the NURS4900 Volunteer Experience Form.

view longer description

37.5 to >31.88 pts

DISTINGUISHED

Conducts an astute analysis of state board nursing practice standards and/or organizational or governmental policies associated with health technology, care coordination, and community resources. Clearly articulates the implications for ethical professional practice of applying standards and/or policy guidance or legislative requirements to the problem. Documents the time spend (practicum hours) with these individuals or group in the NURS4900 Volunteer Experience Form.31.88 to >26.25 pts

PROFICIENT

Analyze state board nursing practice standards and/or organizational or governmental policies associated with health technology, care coordination, and community resources, and documents the time spent (practicum hours) with these individuals or group in the NURS4900 Volunteer Experience Form26.25 to >0 pts

BASIC

Attempts to describe state board nursing practice standards and/or organizational or governmental policies associated with health technology, care coordination, and community resources, and/or does not document practicum hours in NURS4900 Volunteer Experience Form.0 pts

NON_PERFORMANCE

Does not describe state board nursing practice standards and/or organizational or governmental policies associated with health technology, care coordination, and community resources, and does not document practicum hours in NURS4900 Volunteer Experience Form.

/ 37.5 pts
Support main points, assertions, arguments, conclusions, or recommendations with relevant and credible evidence.

view longer description

22.5 to >19.13 pts

DISTINGUISHED

Supports main points, assertions, arguments, conclusions, or recommendations with relevant, credible, and convincing evidence. Skillfully combines virtually error-free source citations with a perceptive and coherent synthesis of the evidence.19.13 to >15.75 pts

PROFICIENT

Supports main points, assertions, arguments, conclusions, or recommendations with relevant and credible evidence.15.75 to >0 pts

BASIC

Sources lack relevance or credibility, or the evidence is not persuasive or explicitly supportive of main points, assertions, arguments, conclusions, or recommendations.0 pts

NON_PERFORMANCE

Does not support main points, assertions, arguments, conclusions, or recommendations with relevant and credible evidence.

/ 22.5 pts
Apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing.

view longer description

15 to >12.76 pts

DISTINGUISHED

Applies APA style and formatting to scholarly writing. Exhibits strict and nearly flawless adherence to stylistic conventions, document structure, and source attributions.12.76 to >10.5 pts

PROFICIENT

Applies APA style and formatting to scholarly writing.10.5 to >0 pts

BASIC

Applies APA style and formatting to scholarly writing incorrectly and/or inconsistently, detracting noticeably from good scholarship.0 pts

NON_PERFORMANCE

Does not apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing.

/ 15 pts