journal articles
HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY USE AMONG NURSING ASSISTANTS IN LONG TERM CARE: A USER STUDY OF A TOUCH SCREEN POINT OF CARE SYSTEM
R. Meehan
Jour Nursing Home Res 2020;6:73-77
Background: As health information technology (IT) sophistication evolves in long term care (LTC) facilities, it is critical to understand the user experience of health IT among all LTC caregivers to support their roles in providing quality care. Objectives: To examine the end user’s (nursing assistants) experience of a newly implemented wall-mounted, touch screen point-of-care (POC) system in a LTC facility in the mid-western United States. Design: This study used a descriptive qualitative method to conduct a user experience study. Setting: The study site was a chain-affiliated, non-profit continuing care retirement community in the Midwest United States, with 79 skilled nursing facility beds licensed for LTC and 29 beds licensed for rehabilitation. Participants: This purposive sample included state tested nursing assistants (NA) (n=25), representing all three work shifts (day, afternoon, and night). Measurements: Measures included a semi-structured one-on-one interview and a short questionnaire using both closed ended and open ended questions to examine the user experience of the new health IT in terms of 1) usability, (2) overall evaluation (what is working, what is not, what can be improved), and (3) whether the POC has helped staff members to provide better care. Results: Nursing assistants reported satisfaction with the system, ease of use, and a more effective data capture experience than compared to using a paper chart. Most respondents agreed that the POC helped staff to provide better care. Respondents voiced concerns in areas of how best to configure the POC system and best practices on how to use the system more effectively going forward. Conclusions: Optimizing the user experience of health IT among NA staff can affect clinical outcomes for LTC residents. Recommendations for improvements include improved usability to ensure data is captured efficiently, enhanced and more frequent training for accuracy, ergonomic adjustments for reaching the screen and entering data without injury, and modifications to protect resident health information privacy.
CITATION:
R. Meehan ; (2020): Health Information Technology Use Among Nursing Assistants in Long Term Care: A User Study of a Touch Screen Point of Care System. The Journal of Nursing Home Research Science (JNHRS). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jnhrs.2020.20