The Impact of COVID-19 on Technology Advances

Discussion: Digital Medicine: Mobile Devices, Wearables, Telehealth, Telemedicine – The Impact of COVID-19 on Technology Advances

Preparing for her run, Susan tightened her fitness watch on her wrist. After experiencing and having received treatment for a heart arrhythmia, Susan was encouraged to wear the watch that not only would alert her if she experienced an irregular heartbeat, but the device would also report the findings to her medical team. Susan felt comfortable going on her run, knowing her device would monitor her heart.

Digital medicine has changed how patients monitor their health. These advancements have allowed patients to take an active role with increased control and agency over their healthcare and well-being. Digital medicine has also allowed patients to communicate with healthcare providers in different ways that help to facilitate ongoing, continuous, and real-time conversations that lead to data-informed treatment approaches and healthcare plans. Thus, these advancements have shifted and changed how healthcare is offered and practiced both for the patient and healthcare provider.

For this Discussion, you will explore the use of digital medicine in healthcare organizations and nursing practice. Reflect on the use, implementation, and the barriers for digital medicine and consider how these devices have changed, or will continue to change, healthcare organizations and nursing practice.

o Prepare

• Review the Learning Resources associated with digital medicine.

• Consider the use, implementation, and barriers of digital medicine for healthcare organizations and nursing practice.

Assignment

Post a cohesive response to the following:

• Explain whether COVID-19 has impacted the use or non-use of digital medicine. Be specific.

• Explain how wearables, devices, and telehealth may contribute to Big Data.

• What are some of the challenges you might have faced during implementation of digital medicine in your healthcare organization or nursing practice? 

• What are some of the challenges identified in the “Turning the Body Into a Wire” article by Sen, Maity, & Das (2020)?

• Recommend at least two strategies for overcoming these challenges/barriers now and in the future. Be specific and provide examples.

Reading

Sipes, C. (2020). Project management for the advanced practice nurse (2nd ed.). Springer Publishing.

• Chapter 5, “Implementation/Execution: Phase 3” (pp. 121–146)

https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=1021761&site=eds-live&scope=site&authtype=shib&custid=s6527200

https://doi.org/10.1007/s42979-020-00335-4

https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mnh&AN=32141883&site=eds-live&scope=site&authtype=shib&custid=s6527200

https://spectrum.ieee.org/turning-the-body-into-a-wire

https://go.openathens.net/redirector/waldenu.edu?url=https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8970507?arnumber=8970507

https://www.himss.org/resources/wearable-technology-applications-healthcare-literature-review

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cll.2019.11.004