NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 3: Assessing the Problem

Assessing the Problem: Technology, Care Coordination, and Community Resources Considerations

Technology, treatment coordination, and community resources need to be considered in any comprehensive evaluation of the healthcare problem. For better patient care and more efficient healthcare processes that lead to precise diagnosis and appropriate treatments, technology is important. In order to improve the lives of patients, decrease superfluous treatments, or avoid medical errors, effective care coordination is essential. NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 3: Assessing the Problem: Moreover, looking at community resources helps address the social determinants of health, promote general well-being, and minimize healthcare inequities. By carefully considering these factors, medical professionals may enhance patient-centered care, increase service efficiency, and boost healthcare quality and effectiveness (Kleinman et al., 2021). This study aims to develop care coordination strategies, resources in the community, and suitable equipment to address the COVID-19 problem.

Impact of Health Care Technology on Patients, Families, or Population Problem

It is stated that medical tools have been instrumental in alleviating the effects of COVID-19 on populations, loved ones, and patients. Telehealth, smartphone health applications, social distancing warnings, and telehealth have collectively revolutionized public health and healthcare delivery techniques. The utilization of smartphone apps or peripheral devices that activate social distancing alarms has enabled people to preserve a safe physical distance and prevent the spread of viruses (Radanliev et al., 2020). By informing users when they approach individuals who may be infected, these technologies significantly impede the propagation of COVID-19. As an example, the “SafeSpace” application advises users when they approach heavily populated zones, permitting them to make well-informed choices regarding their actions and engagements (Fentaw et al., 2022).

The creation of telehealth has significantly improved the accessibility of healthcare amidst the pandemic. By enabling patients to follow their conditions and receive medical attention remotely, the potential for viral exposure has been substantially reduced. One example is the widespread adoption of virtual doctor’s consultations through platforms such as Zoom, which guarantee continuous medical attention for chronic conditions while maintaining patient safety (Ng et al., 2022). Individuals are now able to follow their symptoms, obtain health information, and locate COVID-19 testing sites through the use of applications for mobile health. “COVID Symptom Tracker,” as well as comparable applications, enable users to conduct self-evaluations of their health and thus offer significant data that aid in the implementation of public health initiatives (Koehlmoos et al., 2020).

Advantages and Disadvantages

During the COVID-19 pandemic, advancements such as health applications, socially isolated alarms, and telehealth services have offered valuable assets, but they weren’t without their limitations. Although effective in prompting individuals to maintain a safe distance and consequently avoiding the spread of viruses, social isolation alarms may also be bothering and distracting (Tiwari et al., 2023). While telehealth provides an affordable way for patients and physicians to engage in remote consultations, it does not offer the advantages of practical evaluations that are inherent in in-person visits. Leading to containment efforts, mobile health apps enable users to monitor symptoms and obtain health information with ease; nonetheless, their privacy policies frequently lack accountability and robust data protections. Although unusual, conventional medical care should not be superseded by these (Sharma et al., 2022). Although these technologies could be helpful in the response to a pandemic, their limitations regarding unintended implications and access barriers must be taken into question.

NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 3: Assessing the Problem: Technology Use in Professional Practice

The utilization of modern technological advancements, such as medical software, telehealth services, and socially detached alarms, was boosted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as it enabled registered nurses to provide safe care for unusually contagious patients. Alarms to feed social distancing assisted nurses in maintaining secure proximity with coworkers and when navigating care spaces. Without the danger of disease transmission, telehealth platforms facilitated virtual consultations with quarantined individuals in order to evaluate conditions and provide health guidance. Smartphone health applications enable nurses to keep tabs on the ongoing symptoms and care requirements of transferred patients (Sharma et al., 2022).  

Potential Barriers and Cost

Notwithstanding this, specific members of the nursing staff encountered obstacles in the form of technical complications, issues with connection, and insufficient knowledge regarding emerging technologies. In addition, the integration of emerging technologies with digital records and other systems, licensing fees, and IT infrastructure enhancements created enormous costs for healthcare organizations in order to accommodate telehealth service capacity increases (Wang et al., 2020). Despite these technologies holding promise for addressing the response to the pandemic, premature introduction resulted in problems related to nursing integration and the adoption process, as well as considerable costs for medical facilities.  

NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 3: Assessing the Problem: Utilizing Community Resources and Coordinating Care

The management of care, which has been achieved by close collaboration between nurses and community organizations, has been important in resolving a multitude of complications arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses, being solid frontline providers, have the ability to direct families and vulnerable patients to vital resources offered by organizations such as Americares, Direct Relief, and United Way (Mahmud & Ding, 2021). Americares have launched virtual visits as a means of delivering mental healthcare, housing assistance, and sustenance in cases where in-person services are restricted in response to the challenges posed by lockdowns and growing joblessness.

By distributing protective gear and oxygen apparatus to overburdened centers in an efficient manner, Direct Relief has assisted in the management of the COVID-19 treatment supply chain. UNICEF has launched designated funds for COVID-19 relief, which aid families in managing essential purchases such as nourishment, housing, heating, and cooling, as well as medical costs amidst financial hardships caused by wage loss (Corbett et al., 2022). By founding collaborations that facilitate the exchange of resources and information, care coordination programs can link patients who are impacted negatively by both the medical and economic consequences of COVID-19 with neighborhood resources, such as those mentioned earlier, in order to address their needs holistically. Vigorous collaboration is imperative as nursing specialists and other groups band together in order to offer assistance to populations amidst an extraordinarily arduous period.

Advantages of Care Coordination and Usage of Community Resources

Coordinated care programs enable healthcare professionals and local organizations to effectively collaborate in order to address the requirements of patients and the population as a whole. As exemplified in prior instances of COVID-19 crisis response involving Americares, Directly Relief, and United Way, cooperation can enhance and broaden the combined capabilities of organizations to deliver essential services (Burga-Romero, 2023). With regard to healthcare, nurses have a distinctive comprehension of the comprehensive requirements of their patients (Mahmud & Ding, 2021).

In contrast, community organizations are endowed with particular amenities, structures, and resources that are specifically designed to assist populations challenged with a variety of challenges pertaining to health, employment, food access, utilities, real estate, and emotional well-being. NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 3: Assessing the Problem: It is possible to develop innovative care solutions through formal coordination and a transfer of knowledge and skills (Tiwari et al., 2023). Consistent guidance rather than fragmented advice is also preferable for patients. In addition, formal coordinated care fosters transparency and accountability among collaborators who are committed to maximizing the health effects.

Use in Professional Practice and Potential Barriers

In qualified nursing service delivery systems that aim to offer comprehensive support by incorporating community resources from outside organizations into patient care objectives, care coordination is of the utmost importance. Nurses can direct patients to vital organizations that provide support groups, food pantries, utility assistance programs, mental health psychotherapy, and in-home care through formal collaborations (Potter et al., 2021). Effective cooperation is crucial in delivering specialized care to patients, which encompasses not only medical concerns but also necessary health necessities such as mental well-being and poverty.

Nevertheless, efficient cooperation necessitates extensive discourse across nurses and external organizations in order to synchronize targets. Inconsistent utilization of resources at community organizations or the complexity of patient requirements may continue to present nurses with coordination challenges that require inventive resolutions, even after these obstacles have been handled. Consistent large-scale coordination is hindered by system-level roadblocks such as monetary constraints and the absence of a shared data infrastructure (Means et al., 2020). These challenges must be incrementally addressed through institutional investment and capacity formation for the groups responsible.  

State Board Nursing Practice Standards and Organizational or Governmental Policies

In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the transformation of healthcare delivery has been significantly impacted by nursing practice standards and organizational policies, which prioritize medical technology, coordination of care, and resources from the community. The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) and the American Nurses Association (ANA) are two influential nursing groups in the United States that have been instrumental in establishing requirements for practice (Baker, 2020).

The ANA has established an extensive structure for nurses through its Nursing Scope and Standards of Practice. With the goal of ensuring the provision of safe and effective patient care, these standards have been updated to include health technologies, including telemedicine, during the pandemic (Kreitzer et al., 2022). NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 3: Assessing the Problem: In addition, they emphasized the important role of care coordination as nurses engaged in collaborative efforts with various medical professionals, adjusting to the changing requirements of patients.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, NCSBN has played a pivotal role in the development of regulations and guidelines regarding nursing registration. They spend the issuance of provisional licenses in an effort to augment the nursing workforce during the COVID-19 outbreak. Also, they promoted the utilization of community resources by urging nurses to collaborate with nearby groups and non-profits in order to deliver inclusive patient care (Pittman et al., 2022).

The United States government instituted a number of policies and laws concerning medical equipment, coordination of care, and community resources in an effort to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC), the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, and the Telehealth Modernization Act are three significant policies in this context (Garbe et al., 2020; Schofield, 2021).

Adopted in March 2020, the CARES Act dedicated substantial financial resources towards the expansion and enhancement of the healthcare technology infrastructure. The establishment of economic incentives for healthcare providers to conduct remote consultations facilitated the adoption of telehealth services, thereby enhancing access to assistance and reducing the potential for virus transmission. The integration of technology for the provision of healthcare was significantly facilitated by the legislation, as mentioned earlier (Djalante et al., 2020).

Initiated as a response to the pandemic, the Telehealth Modernization Act sought to increase the cost of reimbursement for telehealth visits and reduce regulatory barriers in order to expand access to telehealth services. This policy promoted the use of technology to help with remote care coordination, guaranteeing that patients would have access to vital medical services even in the face of prohibitions or social distancing protocols (Schofield, 2021).

Ensuring openness and accountability in the use of community resources, the PRAC has been established to supervise the allocation and expenditure of funds related to the pandemic. The committee played a crucial role in ensuring the effective execution of funds designated for healthcare technology and care coordination for the purpose of combating COVID-19 and providing support to the medical field (Ng et al., 2022).  

The Implications for Ethical Professional Practice

The application of the previously mentioned standards, policy guidance, and regulatory requirements in light of the COVID-19 pandemic has extensive ramifications for the moral and ethical behavior of medical professionals. To begin with, adherence to these policies generates a sense of ethical culpability within the medical sector. This emphasizes the significance of providing care that is accessible, safe, and productive (Ng et al., 2022). The Telehealth Modernization Act, which allows the expansion of telehealth, guarantees the provision of uninterrupted care while reducing the possibility of virus transmission, thereby adhering to ethical standards that prioritize the health and well-being of residents.

Furthermore, the PRAC oversees the allocation and oversight mechanisms outlined in the CARES Act, which prioritizes the values of openness and responsibility in the utilization of resources. Healthcare providers have a moral obligation to exercise prudent resource management, particularly in times of emergencies, with the goal of guaranteeing equal and equitable entry to care and deterring anyone who might suffer profiteering or mistreatment (Djalante et al., 2020).

Conclusion

In summary, the COVID-19 pandemic has produced a complex dilemma that calls for an all-encompassing strategy for evaluation and mitigation to help people. The import of creativity, cooperation, and distribution of resources has been highlighted by examining this problem through the prisms of technology, coordinating medical care, and community resource concerns. As we work with this crisis, it’s clear that a coordinated approach that makes use of technology improvements, efficient care cooperation, and extensive neighborhood resource utilization will be critical to successfully managing and eventually resolving the COVID-19 challenge. This pandemic provides a reminder of the requirement for healthcare systems to be resilient and internationally adaptive.

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