HUMAN/TECHNOLOGY INTERFACE

Healthcare is emerging into the new era of informatics technology. In today’s healthcare, healthcare professionals are encountering a wide variety of human-technology interfaces which increases the interaction between human and technology.

Human/Technology Interfaces is define as the hardware and/or software through which the user interacts with any technology such as computers, patient monitors, defibrillators, electronic thermometers, telephones and pagers. The availability of both, the principles and techniques for developing human/technology interfaces allowed the people to use the provided technology with minimal stress and maximum efficiency.

Patient care technology has become increasingly complex even though it has the potential to improve patient care. Furthermore, technology has transformed the way nursing care is conceptualized and delivered. Therefore, human technology interface is significant, as well as essential to nursing practice within healthcare today. The integration of technology within the nursing practice and patient care will ensure efficiency, accuracy, quality and safety for patients. Nurses effective use of the technology has the potential to produce a positive impact on nursing-sensitive patient outcomes with the support of nursing leadership. Effective nursing leadership can positively influence the effective development, dissemination, and use of technology. The interface of human with technology can make the lives of the people benefiting form it more efficient and easier; however, the new medical technologies could poses safety problems to the patient and healthcare providers if the users are not trained properly.

Caring and technology can be integrated in competent nursing care. The nurse is responsible to document nursing care and complete the electronic health record (EHR) while having the obligation to interact with the patient in the moment. To be able to complete the EHR, the nurse has to establish a caring and trustful relationship between self and the patient in order to perform a meaningful assessment and data collection process. 

 

References

Hill, T. (2013). Invited Editorial: Caring and Technology. Online Journal of Nursing Informatics, 17 (3). 2857.

Powell-Cope, G., Nelson, A. L. & Patterson, E. S. (2008). Patient safety and Quality: An evidence-based handbook for nurses. Rockville, MD. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.