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

Eunice

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

Asthma, a chronic respiratory condition, impacts millions globally, requiring long-term management strategies to reduce symptoms, prevent exacerbations, and improve patients’ quality of life. In the case of the young male family member with whom I spent clinical hours, managing asthma included understanding the triggers that exacerbate the condition, adhering to a medication regimen, and making necessary lifestyle modifications. Asthma management presents various challenges, such as ensuring timely interventions, access to healthcare technology, and leveraging community resources to support ongoing care.

This paper discusses how the concepts of health information communication technology, health care delivery, and community support may help solve the problem of asthma. In light of my clinical setting, this paper also discusses various theoretical as well as practical applications of these tools to support how they advance patients’ satisfaction, decrease expenses, and promote patients’ safety. In addition, the discussion also focuses on how strategies elaborated herein relate to professional nursing standards, nursing policies, and ethical principles when it comes to the implementation of the strategies in the clinical setting.

The Impact of Healthcare Technology on Asthma Management

Healthcare technology has become an essential tool in managing chronic diseases such as asthma. In particular, digital health solutions allow for real-time monitoring of symptoms, medication use, and environmental factors that may trigger asthma exacerbations. When I spent time with the patient, I explained to him the idea of using a smartphone application that can track asthma activity and measure various factors affecting the environment, like the presence of pollen or air pollutants. Through an app, the patient could get alerts on instances when his health is about to deteriorate; thus, he would change the dosage or do what is necessary to prevent the situation.

One of the most significant advantages of healthcare technology in asthma management is the ability to provide patients with personalized care. For instance, telehealth has been used to address chronic diseases since it allows patients to consult doctors without physically visiting the hospital. Telehealth decreases emergency room encounters and hospitalization of asthma patients and delivers timely services and regular supervision (Persaud, 2022). In this case, telehealth could involve frequent remote evaluation of the patient with asthma by the healthcare provider, then follow-up with the management with the asthma action plan without necessarily being seen physically.

However, there are potential barriers to the widespread use of healthcare technology in asthma management. The cost of devices such as pulse oximeters, smartphone apps, or wearable monitors may be prohibitive for some patients, particularly those from lower-income populations. Additionally, technological literacy varies among patients, and some may struggle to use digital tools effectively. In my clinical experience, the patient expressed interest in using a smartphone app but was concerned about the complexity of managing the app alongside his busy schedule. These concerns highlight the importance of ensuring that healthcare technology is user-friendly and accessible to all patients.

Despite these challenges, the use of healthcare technology presents significant benefits for improving asthma management. Devices like digital inhalers can track medication usage and alert patients if they miss a dose. These technologies offer real-time feedback, helping patients manage their condition more effectively. While some limitations exist, such as the potential for technical issues or costs, the overall impact of healthcare technology on asthma management is positive, providing opportunities for improved outcomes and greater patient autonomy.

Care Coordination and the Utilization of Community Resources

Care coordination is a critical component of effective asthma management, particularly when it involves multiple healthcare providers, such as primary care physicians, specialists, and pharmacists. In my clinical practice, coordination of client care was critical in the extent to which he received uniform care and followed his asthma management plan. This way, the patient’s immediate healthcare team could make changes to his prescription as often as needed and dictate interventions to avoid worse flare-ups.

Barne (2023) explains that integrated care in different healthcare providers’ networks benefits patients with asthma as it avoids service gaps associated with poor asthma control. It has also brought out the ways in which care coordination ensures a smooth handover from the primary care doctor to specialists. I observed this in my communication with this patient. For example, when the patient developed a side effect of one of his medications, his family physician connected him with the pulmonologist and the clinical pharmacist to fine-tune his dosage. This level of collaboration ensured patient care and the corresponding treatment plan’s risk reduction and quality of life improvement.

In addition to care coordination, community resources are essential for supporting patients with chronic conditions like asthma. Transportation services, for instance, are central to enabling a patient to make and attend frequent follow-up visits necessary for asthma control. My clinical patient was in a position to travel for appointments with his primary care doctor and specialist doctors. However, most asthma clients, especially those in rural areas, have little or no access to transportation to care in a timely manner.

Community-based asthma education programs also play an important role in improving patient outcomes. These programs equip patients and their families with appropriate knowledge as well as abundant tools for controlling the diseases. Besides, according to Liu et al. (2022), asthma self-management education interventions reduce hospitalizations because the lead patient is provided with information regarding triggers, medication adherence, and changes in lifestyle in relation to asthma. In my clinical experience, I educated the patient on the importance of avoiding known triggers, such as pollen or pet dander, and using his rescue inhaler appropriately. Community resources, such as support groups or asthma clinics, can provide ongoing education and support, helping patients manage their condition more effectively.

Despite these benefits of care coordination and community resources, there are some challenges in their utilization. These include general unavailability of such community-based programs, unawareness on the part of the patient, or financial issues that may render the availability of these resources to the patient. Besides, the fragmentation in health care systems makes effective coordination of care problematic; such breakdowns in care result in poor outcomes. Overcoming these barriers is key to ensuring coordinated care and community support for all patients.

State Board Nursing Practice Standards and Policies on Health Technology, Care Coordination, and Community Resources

State board nursing practice standards and organizational policies play a vital role in guiding the use of health technology, care coordination, and community resources in clinical practice. The American Nurses Association, ANA, supports the integration of technology into patient service in relation to outcomes and coordination of services. In asthma management, some technologies that support care and continuity are telehealth systems and electronic health records (EHRs) that present a patient’s history and treatment profile at any given time to health providers.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has supported the effort to ensure individuals with asthma have better access to care through expansion in insurance coverage and support for preventive services. With the ACA, more people are likely to have routine checkups and take necessary medications, hence reducing asthma-related hospitalizations (Flaubert, 2021). In my clinical experience, most of the patient’s expenses were covered by his insurance; hence, he did not feel much constraint in accessing his medication and follow-up appointments.

However, their enforcement differs not only between states but also among healthcare organizations; therefore, the availability of these resources might be somewhat curtailed. Certain states might not completely cover most telemedicine services, while others have no sound policies that enhance the use of resources found in the communities. These disparities must be closed in order to try to level the playing field when it comes to proper care for people with asthma.

Nursing ethics also have a tremendous impact on the coordination of selected technologies and care. Ethics in the nursing profession include autonomy, beneficence, and non-malpractice to see that patient ought to have the freedom to be empowered when making decisions about their treatment. Ideally, in the case of my patient, I explained to him the opportunities and challenges that arise when using a smartphone application for symptom self-monitoring and identification before asking him to incorporate a smartphone application into the asthma self-management plan. Likewise, while coordinating and transferring patients from one healthcare provider to another, I followed the cardinal ethical principles of doing no harm to the patient and maintaining their privacy.

Nursing Ethics in the Use of Technology, Care Coordination, and Community Resources

The use of healthcare technology, care coordination, and community resources must be guided by ethical principles to ensure that patients receive safe, effective, and equitable care. In the context of asthma management, patient autonomy is paramount. Patients have to be informed about things that affect them directly, especially concerning new technologies and applications like smartphone applications or telehealth services that may now be incorporated into their health care. While reflecting on my clinical practice, I focused on patient education, which included explaining to the patient how technology can help him regulate his condition and the possible risks associated with using it, like privacy violations or certain technical problems.

Confidentiality is another critical ethical consideration in the use of healthcare technology. For example, digital tools, such as EHRs or telehealth platforms, ought to be designed and implemented while considering patient privacy based on existing regulations like HIPAA. This is important for my clinical experience: I used every possible digital communication with the patient’s health providers while observing guidelines protecting his personal health information within HIPAA (Tariq & Hackert, 2023).

Care coordination also presents ethical challenges, particularly when patients face barriers to accessing necessary resources. Nurses should support patients by providing them with the necessary care to help the patients stay in a good state. In my case, I worked with the patient’s healthcare providers so that his asthma action plan would meet his needs and made sure community resources were available to support his continued care. Another guiding ethical principle in this approach was justice and fairness. These ensured that care for the patient was given on an equal basis regardless of his status in society.

Conclusion

Healthcare technology, care coordination, and community resources play a critical role in asthma management. With these tools, nurses have an opportunity to enhance the quality of patient care by reducing costs accrued in health care. In my clinical experience, I have seen how healthcare technology, such as telehealth and symptom-tracking apps, may provide real-time support for asthma patients while care coordination ensures smooth transitions between healthcare providers. These community resources further aided the patient’s management of the disease and included aspects such as asthma education programs and transportation services. However, their availability to all patients is still a barrier. Cost, lack of awareness, and fragmentation in health systems are additional impediments to patients getting benefits from healthcare technology and community support. These are significant aspects that need attention to guarantee equal opportunity in accessing care. As a baccalaureate-prepared nurse, I will remain committed to facilitating the application of technology and care coordination with community resources in clinical practice through nursing standards and ethical principles.

References

Barne, M. (2023). Gaps in asthma diagnosis and treatment in low- and middle-income countries. Frontiers in Allergy, 4(79). https://doi.org/10.3389/falgy.2023.1240259

Flaubert, J. (2021). The role of nurses in improving health care access and quality. In www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. National Academies Press (US). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK573910/

Liu, W. Y., Jiesisibieke, Z. L., & Tung, T. H. (2022). Effect of asthma education on health outcomes in children: A systematic review. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 107(12), archdischild-2021-323496. https://doi.org/10.1136/archdischild-2021-323496

Persaud, Y. K. (2022). Using telemedicine to care for the asthma patient. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports, 22(4), 43–52. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11882-022-01030-5

Tariq, R. A., & Hackert, P. B. (2023). Patient confidentiality. National Library of Medicine; StatPearls Publishing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519540/

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Question 

In a 5–7 page written assessment, determine how health care technology, coordination of care, and community resources can be applied to address the patient, family, or population problem you’ve defined. In addition, plan to spend approximately 2 direct practicum hours exploring these aspects of the problem with the patient, family, or group you’ve chosen to work with and, if desired, consulting with subject matter and industry experts. Document the time spent (your practicum hours) with these individuals or group in the Capella Academic Portal Volunteer Experience Form. Report on your experiences during the second 2 hours of your practicum.

Introduction
As a baccalaureate-prepared nurse, you’ll be positioned to maximize the use of technology to achieve positive patient outcomes and improve organizational effectiveness. Providing holistic coordination of patient care across the entire health care continuum and leveraging community resource services can lead both to positive patient outcomes and to organizational improvements.

Preparation
In this assessment, you’ll determine how health care technology, coordination of care, and community resources can be applied to address the health problem you’ve defined. Plan to spend at least 2 direct practicum hours working with the same patient, family, or group. During this time, you may also choose to consult with subject matter and industry experts.

To prepare for the assessment:

Note: As you revise your writing, check out the resources listed on the Writing Center’s Writing Support page.

Instructions
Complete this assessment in two parts.

Part 1

Part 2
Report on your experiences during the second 2 hours of your practicum.

Requirements
The assessment requirements, outlined below, correspond to the scoring guide criteria, so be sure to address each main point. Read the performance-level descriptions for each criterion to see how your work will be assessed. In addition, note the additional requirements for document format and length and for supporting evidence.

Additional Requirements

Capella Academic Portal

Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and scoring guide criteria:

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