Conduct a health information technology needs assessment. Then, present your findings and recommendations, in a 4-5 page executive summary, regarding a new or upgraded telehealth technology

Running head: TECHNOLOGY NEEDS ASSESSMENT 1

Technology Needs Assessment

Joslyn Dayrell

Capella University

MSN-FP6214

Technology Needs Assessment

February, 2021

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TECHNOLOGY NEEDS ASSESSMENT 2

Technology Needs Assessment- Executive Summary

As the demands in healthcare keep increasing, so is the need to seek for alternative ways

for enhancing healthcare delivery. More challenges have required a need to include enhanced and

modern treatment options. Some of these challenges include; a growing population, and an

increase in chronic and mental illnesses (Campise, 2014). Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic

has also been a factor that has affected convectional healthcare delivery and the use of

technology has become a significant solution to these healthcare problems (Farringer, 2020).

Towards this end, telemedicine has come out strongly as a favorable tool that is able to enhance

healthcare delivery and ensure that healthcare is delivered effectively (Wootton, 2019). As an

organization, we have set up telehealth as one of the futuristic elements that was to drive

healthcare forward, however, it is clear that there is a need to assess this tool and upgrade it even

to ensure that it is able to provide more in terms of quality and patient outcomes. This technology

needs assessment will be critical in enhancing the whole process, and has identified the

effectiveness of using My Chart and what can and should be done to improve this.

Relevance and Importance of a Needs Assessment

The technology needs assessment is a critical process and systematic review that looks

towards understanding the technological needs of the organization, identifying what can be

included to enhance its effectiveness and utility, as well as looking at what can be included to

enhance its future use. Technology is not a static element but goes through constant evolution

and upgrading. What worked a few years ago might not be as effective when applied in the

future. As such, it is important and critical to conduct a needs assessment ever so often to look at

what can be done to enhance the technology as well as ensure that one is getting the most out of

a technology system (Bokolo Anthony Jnr., 2020).

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TECHNOLOGY NEEDS ASSESSMENT 3

Additionally, it can also identify whether indeed the technology is at all necessary in

improving the provision of healthcare, or whether it is a burden in itself. There are instances

where improvements in healthcare have led to more problems than solutions because they were

either implemented wrongly, or there was no due research that was done to determine the

necessity of having these elements included in the healthcare process. The needs assessment is

able to capture such factors and ensure that only the most critical and necessary tools and

systems are utilized for the healthcare process to enhance delivery rather than negatively

impacting the same. It also allows for stakeholders to be aware of how their investment is

performing and seek to understand whether investing in the particular area will assist in the

growth of healthcare delivery, as well as understand the improvements that need to be included.

For this technology needs assessment, it was identified that there was need to enhance and

upgrade My Chart within Telehealth because it had particular misgivings that were affecting the

effective utilization of telehealth in our organization (Winstanley et al., 2017; Campise, 2014).

Key Issues in Nursing Care Affecting Patient Outcomes that will be addressed by

Upgrading Telehealth Technology

Telehealth has been reinforced as a critical tool for effectively providing healthcare and

providing solutions for the future. My Chart has been highlighted as a key concern that requires

immediate upgrading of the telehealth systems to enhance the utilization of telehealth within the

organization. A critical element that was identified in the needs assessment was that it was

affecting nursing care significantly. MyChart is an application that works within telehealth to

offer personalized and secure patient access to a select portion of their health and medical

records. It allows for the patients to safely and securely utilize the internet to manage their

conditions and receive important information regarding their health. The needs assessment

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TECHNOLOGY NEEDS ASSESSMENT 4

identified that the organization was not utilizing MyChart effectively and this was affecting

nursing care significantly especially where patients spent a lot of time trying to get information

about their health and how they can be able to access the same safely (Campise, 2014; Farringer,

2020; Winstanley et al., 2017).

The needs assessment identified that it is critical for us to upgrade our telehealth systems

and ensure that they are able to allow for the optimization of MyChart towards enhancing control

and security of patient information. Currently, the hospital’s telehealth system is not able to

effectively use MyChart, and this has been reported by the IT team, as well as other healthcare

providers including nurses who understand the significance of having MyChart. Also, patients

have been constantly enquiring about how they can be able to engage in the system which is

rather embarrassing, hence the need to upgrade our systems immediately (Winstanley et al.,

2017; Wootton, 2019).

Safety Requirements and Regulatory Considerations when using the Technology

With regard to the telehealth upgrade and the access to MyChart as envisioned in the

needs assessment, the safety requirements and regulatory considerations are some of the most

critical elements that have been considered in the whole process. Currently, our older

telemedicine model has a lot of the safety requirements run by our IT departments which affects

the sharing of patient information because this requires other tools to be used. There are no

significant regulatory requirements which is a significant element that fails the security of

information and can lead to unwarranted security breaches in the future. With the inclusion of

MyChart, it will become much easier for the hospital health safety and regulatory requirements

as it will involve partnering with EPIC to enhance the utilization of these systems within the

healthcare technology parameters (Winstanley et al., 2017).

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TECHNOLOGY NEEDS ASSESSMENT 5

EPIC will have the regulatory authority that will assist in enhancing its usability across

the various platforms that MyChart is expected to expand to. The significance of MyChart is that

it is a free app that is available for Apple and Android devices allowing for ease of use and

enhancing our telemedicine system will allow partnering with EPIC to provide the much needed

regulations that will enhance the usability of the system for patient enhancing safety and security

(Winstanley et al., 2017; Wootton, 2019).

Patient Confidentiality and Privacy Protections that Technology must address

This is one of the main factors that has led towards the requirement of MyChart as a

critical inclusion when upgrading the current telemedicine functions. Privacy and confidentiality

are the greatest threats to using telemedicine because there are people (hackers) who are always

on the prowl looking for loopholes that they can use to access patient information and use the

same for their own benefits. Indeed, it is one of the biggest threats of taking healthcare online

(Bokolo Anthony Jr., 2020). It is critical to ensure that the MyChart that will be introduced for

our organization is HIPAA compliant, and that it has many safety features that are able to

enhance security of patient information and ensure that patient information is always safe

(Winstanley et al., 2017).

As an organization, there have been several security breaches that we have been able to

contain with hackers targeting patient information. Inclusion of MyChart will require increased

vigilance, and it will be important to also ensure that patients are also aware of this aspect

because proper security must be enhanced from the hospital side as well as on the patient side.

Use of passwords and security authentications must always be made available to ensure that the

patient protects their health information because as has been identified, a critical element of

MyChart is sharing of patient information. Continuous evaluation and constant upgrading of

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TECHNOLOGY NEEDS ASSESSMENT 6

security systems can enhance this aspect, and a lot of investment will be necessary to this end

(Campise, 2014; Farringer, 2020).

The potential impact of internal and external stakeholders and end users on the acquisition

of this technology.

The impact of the acquisition of the technology to internal and external stakeholders, as

well as the end users is that it will enhance our competitive advantage over other healthcare

facilities in the region. Whereas providing quality healthcare that guarantees positive patient

outcomes is vital for enhancing the healthcare process, it is also wise to consider other elements

that can help patients choose our organization over others, and this is one of the ways of having a

competitive advantage. It will mean that there will be a good return on investment from the

investment (Bokolo Anthony Jr., 2020).

It will also enhance our provision of care through the telemedicine platform that has

grown exponentially especially in the last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, it

was from this that the needs assessment was necessary. It will also enhance efficiency in

healthcare delivery as far as telemedicine is concerned, and it will provide the patients with a

better way of accessing their patient records and information, which is a critical element of the

healthcare process (Wootton, 2019).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the needs assessment identified the need to empower the telemedicine by

upgrading it and including provision for MyChart App to be able to be utilized. The key issues

that will enhance nursing care towards positively impacting patient outcomes have been

highlighted including safety, regulatory, confidentiality, and privacy issues that are to be

considered when implementing the new technologies. Lastly, an assessment on the impact on

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TECHNOLOGY NEEDS ASSESSMENT 7

stakeholders and end users has also been summarized. It is hoped that the needs assessment

presented is going to position our institution for future growth.

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TECHNOLOGY NEEDS ASSESSMENT 8

References

Bokolo Anthony Jnr. (2020). Use of telemedicine and virtual care for remote treatment in

response to COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Medical Systems, 44(7).

doi:10.1007/s10916-020-01596-5

Campise, R. L. (2014). The future of Telehealth, social media, and behavioral

health. PsycEXTRA Dataset. doi:10.1037/e550552014-001

Farringer, D. (2020). A Telehealth explosion: Using lessons from the pandemic to shape the

future of Telehealth regulation. SSRN Electronic Journal. doi:10.2139/ssrn.3681070

Winstanley, E. L., Burtchin, M., Zhang, Y., Campbell, P., Pahl, J., Beck, S., & Bohenek, W.

(2017). Inpatient experiences with MyChart bedside. Telemedicine and e-Health, 23(8),

691-693. doi:10.1089/tmj.2016.0132

Wootton, R. (2019). The future use of Telehealth in the developing world. Telehealth in the

Developing World, 299-308. doi:10.1201/9781315272917-29

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ASSIGNMENT 1 . 6214 MSN.

Conduct a health information technology needs assessment. Then, present your findings and recommendations, in a 4–5-page executive summary, regarding a new or upgraded telehealth technology for your organization or practice setting.

Note: Each assessment in this course builds upon the work you have completed in previous assessments. Therefore, complete the assessments in the order in which they are presented.

Required Resources

The following resources are required to complete the assessment.

● Vila Health: Preparing for a Technology Needs Assessment .

Vila Health is a virtual environment that simulates a real-world health care system. In the various Vila Health scenarios, you will apply professional strategies, practice skills, and build competencies that you can apply to your coursework and in your career. The information you gather in this scenario will help you to complete the assessment.

Print

Vila Health: Preparing for a Technology Needs Assessment

● Introduction ● St. Anthony Medical Center Meeting Room ● Conclusion ● Credits

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Introduction Nurse leaders are often tasked with leading efforts

around the implementation of health care technologies.

Tasks associated with those efforts include:

● Conducting a technology needs assessment.

● Identifying key stakeholders.

● Implementing the plan.

● Training the staff on how to use the technology.

This activity will explore some of the things that must be

considered when tackling a technology needs

assessment.

Located in Minneapolis, St. Anthony Medical Center

(SAMC) is a 120-bed facility that is part of Vila Health, a

medium-sized system of health operating facilities in the

Midwest. Recently, the Murray County Central School

District approached Vila Health to discuss a potential

pilot telehealth counseling program for high school

students in rural areas. Since many of these students

have limited or no access to school counselors or other

mental health resources, the district hopes that a

telehealth program supported by SAMC will fill in an

essential gap.

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Interviews

St. Anthony Medical Center Meeting Room

Frederick Mora

Director of Quality Management – Vila Health Group Alright – it looks like we’re all here; let’s get started. The reason I invited you all to this meeting is that we have an interesting opportunity but I want to make sure that the pilot is a good fit for us and that we’re a good fit for them. So – let me tell you a little about this project. We’ve been contacted by the Murray County Central School District. They have received a grant to explore ways to expand delivery of mental health resources to young people in their community. Since many of the students in these small towns have limited access to mental health resources, the district hopes that a telehealth program supported by SAMC will fill in an essential gap. Ana Nguyen, from Behavioral Health and Tara Jennings, our nursing informatics lead, will be heading up our team in working with the Murray County folks.

Christopher Hewitt

Vice President of Medical Support Services We think this would be a good opportunity for a number of reasons. It allows us to explore expanding our telehealth offerings without having to commit a substantial amount of resources initially. But, obviously, the first step would be to work with the folks at Murray County to conduct a needs assessment. You all know that I’m big on needs assessments – and that’s because they work. When you do a solid needs assessment, you are able to go into a project with clear objectives and a clear understanding of what opportunities and challenges you’re facing.

Troy Holland

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Director of Patient Services – St. Anthony Medical Center One of the issues that I focus on is patient confidentiality. Because everyone it seems has access to Skype or Facetime, people sometimes don’t think through the privacy issues that need to be considered. Ultimately though, the same requirements for patient privacy and confidentiality that are in place for face to face visits apply to telehealth visits. So I would expect to see those requirements addressed in a needs assessment.

Tara Jennings

Director of Nursing Informatics – St. Anthony Medical Center I’m pretty excited about this project. There’s a lot of energy behind it and already a number of people who want to see it succeed. For that reasons, we need to make sure we understand what the current state is. What do we know and what gaps in our knowledge are there? I already have a number of questions such as – who are the stakeholders and are they going to be engaged or resistant? What are the claims going into this project? What are people expecting it to accomplish and are those expectations realistic? We also need to make sure that the needs assessment looks at technology options and any regulatory issues, such as HIPAA considerations.

Ana Nguyen

Behavioral Health Nurse Manager – St. Anthony Medical Center I know that telehealth solutions are being leveraged in many counseling and other behavioral health settings, but I don’t know a lot about how the regulatory and security issues are handled. I’m going to want to know what the security safeguards are, what the security risks are, and how the program plans to deal with them. There are so many small details to consider – for example, something as simple as how will students access the service? If they are being let out of class, does that “out” them to their classmates? If there’s a room where students go to engage with the counsellor, is the room soundproof or might someone be able to eavesdrop? These are the kinds of small detail that does have to be considered.

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Conclusion Activity complete! In this activity, you had the opportunity to observe the planning committee discuss identification of stakeholders. They also discussed how understanding the stakeholders will support creating a persuasive and effective presentation. This information should help you complete your own stakeholder presentation for the topic you have chosen for your assignment.

Credits Subject Matter Expert:

Forsythe, Lydia

Interactive Design:

Olson, Lori

Instructional Design:

Sorenson, Steve

Media Instructional Design:

Pearson, Felicity

Project Management:

Hall, Nakeela

Assessment Instructions

Note: Your needs assessment will provide the basis for the remaining assessments in this course.

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Preparation

Telehealth technology can be representative of many different scenarios. For example, the technology could be designed to assist nurses with providing care, such as chronic disease management, to rural patients. It could also be designed to enable physicians to access enhanced care strategies from other providers in another part of the United States, or internationally. Such care strategies might include radiology readings or assistance in an operating room with a new procedure.

For this assessment and all remaining assessments, choose any new or upgraded telehealth technology that you would like to see implemented in your organization or practice setting. Be creative and imagine what it would be like to have any telehealth resources that would benefit your community. Then, imagine that executive leaders in your organization or practice setting are considering the purchase of those resources to improve the quality of care provided to patients and enable medical and nursing staff to extend coverage for patients in the region.

Finally, as a nurse leader with responsibilities in upper management, imagine that you have been asked to determine whether this purchase will adequately address key issues in patient care and lead to improved outcomes.

To prepare for the assessment, you are encouraged to reflect on performance gaps in your organization, what outcomes are measured, and how telehealth technologies can help to improve outcomes. Also, consider how you would effectively communicate the need for a new or upgraded technology to executive leaders in a way that will help you obtain their support. In addition, you may wish to:

● Review the assessment instructions and scoring guide to ensure that you understand the work you will be asked to complete.

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● Review the Guiding Questions: Technology Needs Assessment document, which includes questions to consider and additional guidance on how to successfully complete the assessment.

Note: Remember that you can submit all or a portion of your draft needs assessment summary to Smarthinking Tutoring for feedback before you submit the final version for this assessment. If you plan on using this free service, be mindful of the turnaround time of 24–48 hours for receiving feedback.

Requiremen

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