Electronic Tablet Based Technology In Patient Education

Running head: ELECTRONIC TABLET TECHNOLOGY IN PATIENT EDUCATION 1

Electronic Tablet Based Technology in Patient Education

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ELECTRONIC TABLET TECHNOLOGY IN PATIENT EDUCATION 2

Electronic Tablet Technology in Patient Education

Abstract

The paper proposes and analyses the electronic tablet based platform use in patient

education. The technology is used to address pre-discharge gaps that come as a result of

inadequate patient education. The study considers the importance of pre-discharge patient

education as put across by Medicare and Medicaid services. The technology depends on the

software and knowledge of the user for accuracy purposes. The cost comprises the initial,

installation, maintenance and training costs. The technology can be used in education settings

to evaluate learning that takes place during hospitalization, equip nursing students with tools

necessary for managing chronic illnesses and to properly schedule workflow in hospitals. The

technology is developed to meet health information technology standards and competencies.

ELECTRONIC TABLET TECHNOLOGY IN PATIENT EDUCATION 3

Description of technology used in patient education

The electronic tablet-based patient education platform is designed to address pre-

discharge gaps in patient education. The technology was made considering that inadequate

patient education contributes to high rates of hospital readmission (Sawyer et al., 2016). The

inadequate educational preparation for discharge is avoidable and managed by nurses assisted

with technology. The tablets are a movement away from the contemporary static text-based

methods to interactive visual and skill-based mode of education. The electronic tablet based

platform uses a tablet installed with an application that enables the patient to browse pre-

discharge and discharge educational preparedness. The tablets are provided with internet

access to a database containing pre-discharge education materials (Sawyer et al., 2016).

External service providers can manage the databases or manage by the respective health

institutions. The information in the database and accessible to the patient relates to the

patient's diseases to give specific education.

Significance of the technology

Studies have reported that one in five patients is readmitted within one month of

discharge per year. The cost of hospital readmission is estimated to amount to $26 billion per

year in the United States. Interestingly, an estimated $17 billion of the estimated $26 billion

can be prevented through adequate educational preparation to the patients (Sawyer et al.,

2016). Written instructions and educational materials have been used successfully to reduce

hospital readmissions. The American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association,

Joint Commission and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid services require that the health

practitioners indicate discharge instructions such as medications, worsening symptoms,

activity, diet, weight monitoring, and follow-up appointments (Bailey et al., 2015). The

hospitals have however been challenged in designing and redesigning traditional paper-based

educational content thereby necessitating a more technologically-sensitive tablet based

ELECTRONIC TABLET TECHNOLOGY IN PATIENT EDUCATION 4

platforms. The electronic tablet based platform improves interactive capabilities of the

contemporary patient education by allowing nurses to assist patients’ continued educational

needs beyond the inpatient settings (Sawyer et al., 2016). The platform provides the patients

with additional functionality to communicate their needs to the nurses in the clinic. The

platform is best suited for patients with chronic illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, asthma,

and dementia (Burhenn & Smudde, 2015). The platform improves patient engagement,

communication and decreases post-discharge complications.

Attributes of the technology

The technology is accurate in its desired deliverables through centralizing

documentation for improved communication between the patients and the nurses and across

patient care transitions. The platform also standardizes educational options across the health

system using guidelines based content as provided by relevant organizations such as

Medicare and Medicaid (Sawyer et al., 2016). The accuracy of the system depends on the

accuracy of the paper-based documents from which the information has been adapted and

timely response between the patients and nurses as they communicate across the platform.

The cost of the technology includes those incurred in educating the staff and patients in using

the platform, software and hardware costs, system support infrastructures such as servers,

network providers, and upgrading and maintenance costs (Sawyer et al., 2016). The

technology is accessible for any hospital with the financial capital to invest in the software,

hardware and training costs. The hospitals can convert their paper-based educational

documents to electronics based by uploading the same in a database accessible with the

tablet.

Evaluating the learning occurring during hospitalization

The technology can be used in an educational setting to enable students to learn and

evaluate the type of information that nurses take during patient hospitalization. The

ELECTRONIC TABLET TECHNOLOGY IN PATIENT EDUCATION 5

technology would provide the students with interactive capabilities of the standard patient

education during hospitalization during and after discharge (Bailey et al., 2015). The students

would also interact with the patients through the platform and learn about the challenges that

patients undergo after discharge so that the students can develop better methods to improve

the platform. The disadvantages associated with the technology for the above purpose would

include security issues with the transmission of patient information across the platform,

sterility of the devices that could spread diseases and the possibility of misuse of the tablets

by the students.

Equipping nursing students with tools to manage chronic illnesses better

The traditional paper-based patient teaching materials used by the healthcare

providers are print-heavy with few illustrations and graphics that are less engaging in a class

setting education. The electronic tablet based platform are more engaging thus better suited to

teach students about management of chronic illnesses than the traditional paper-based

methods (Burhenn & Smudde, 2015). The platform would enable the students to collect data

about patient complications after discharge and model the challenges to developing better

management procedures. The disadvantages of using the technology include cost estimation

and analysis of the technology, patient safety issues and limiting access to protected health

information.

Evaluate workflow, waiting times and queue the hospital services

The tablet technology can be used to make available to patients their published health

information while in the clinic waiting for areas. The patients who use paper-based health

education materials while at the waiting areas are likely to get dissatisfied (Stribling &

Richardson, 2016). The electronic tablet-based technology in this respect will make the

patients seek to follow up care, comply with treatment plans and keep future appointments.

The students can use the technology in the above form to evaluate workflow in the clinics,

ELECTRONIC TABLET TECHNOLOGY IN PATIENT EDUCATION 6

improve overall health literacy and educate the students about patient satisfaction. The

disadvantages include reduced patient privacy, patient safety and possible software and

hardware failure to lose patient details.

Professional standards and competencies

The technology is developed to the required professional standards and competencies

to meet the desired functionalities such as easing workflow and minimizing medication error

through better documentation and communication in the clinics. The technology is part of

healthcare information technology system thus must meet the standards of data security to

improve patient safety (Stribling & Richardson, 2016).

Conclusion

The paper acknowledges the rising number of patient readmission after discharge as a

result of inadequate patient education. The paper identifies the electronic tablet based

platform to educate the patients about their practices after discharge. The technology can be

used in education settings to evaluate occurring during hospitalization, equip nursing students

with tools to manage chronic diseases and evaluate workflow and queue the patient inflow to

clinics.

ELECTRONIC TABLET TECHNOLOGY IN PATIENT EDUCATION 7

References

Bailey, S. C., O'Conor, R., Bojarski, E. A., Mullen, R., Patzer, R. E., Vicencio, D., & ...

Wolf, M. S. (2015). Literacy disparities in patient access and health-related use of

Internet and mobile technologies. Health Expectations, 18(6), 3079-3087.

Burhenn, P. S., & Smudde, J. (2015). Using Tools and Technology to Promote Education and

Adherence to Oral Agents for Cancer. Clinical Journal Of Oncology Nursing, 19(3),

53-59.

Sawyer, T., Nelson, M. J., McKee, V., Bowers, M. T., Meggitt, C., Baxt, S. K., & ... Granger,

B. B. (2016). Implementing electronic tablet-based education of acute care

patients. Critical Care Nurse, (1), 60.

Stribling, J. C., & Richardson, J. E. (2016). Placing wireless tablets in clinical settings for

patient education. Journal Of The Medical Library Association, (2), 159.

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