To say we live in a age of unprecedented time technological innovation is to engage in profound understatement. Practically every aspect of modern life is in some way touched by technology. This is particularly true when it comes to advancements in nurse clinical diagnostics.
Predictive analytics, mobile robotic systems, artificial intelligence (AI), and telehealth services are intricate aspects of contemporary nursing. In return, these advances have delivered better communication among healthcare professionals, automation of routine tasks, and more straightforward access to patient records for the clinical nurse specialist (CNS).
Through the medium of this blog, let’s explore these advancements in nurse clinical diagnostics in detail.
The Historical Perspective
The origins of these advancements in nurse clinical diagnostics can be traced to 2004, when the White House Issued Executive Order 1335, which mandated the implementation of interoperable electronic health records (EHRs) by 2014. Thoroughly integrated into the modern patient care regimen, EHRs afford patient care professionals rapid entree to patient records. It has greatly advanced patient care and communication. EHRs have also made it easier for patients to quickly review their medical histories, as well as deliver them to health care providers when required.
Technological Innovations
The success of EHRs opened the door for more innovations, helping to trigger a digital transformation in the provision of healthcare services. In fact, the vast majority of health system administrators in the U.S. see investments in digital transformation as being key to the ongoing success of their facilities.
What’s more, digital health tools have become a requirement in a significant majority of healthcare organizations. With that in mind, here’s a look at some of the modern diagnostic technologies.
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Point of Care Testing Devices (POCTDs)
Vital to the performance of glucose testing and the monitoring of cholesterol levels, POCTDs are also called upon in nurse clinical diagnostics to perform electrolyte and enzyme analysis, as well as test for drug abuse. They can help diagnose infectious diseases and pregnancy as well as evaluate blood gases, cardiac markers, and fecal occult blood tests.
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Wearable Health Monitors
Owing to the miniaturization of battery technology and progressions in biosensor tech, wearable health monitors have improved the accuracy of healthcare data for clinical nurse specialists as well as patients. These devices are capable of aggregating data regarding heart rates, blood pressure, sleep patterns, and physical activity. Moreover, these devices can remind patients to take medications. They also store patient data for evaluation by healthcare professionals.
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Telehealth and Remote Diagnostics
Minimizing the need for patients to physically visit healthcare facilities, the advent of telehealth and remote diagnostics have made it easier for clinical nurse specialists to help manage acute and chronic maladies. These technologies have also added convenience to the healthcare paradigm for patients.
What’s more, these innovations have reduced the potential for exposure to infectious diseases for both patients and healthcare providers in order to accomplish nurse clinical diagnostics.
Role of Artificial Intelligence in Nurse Clinical Diagnostics
While many people tend to think of artificial intelligence (AI) in terms of simply automating tasks, the tech effectively assist nurse clinical diagnostics. It also helps diagnose diseases and inform the development of personalized patient treatment plans.
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Machine Learning Algorithms (MLAs)
Useful for streamlining electronic health record processes, as well as providing virtual nursing support, MLAs have the capability of introducing automation to repetitive tasks. Moreover, MLAs’ ability to discern patterns in exceptionally large data sets can help clinicians provide more timely diagnoses.
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AI-Powered Diagnostics Tools
Leveraging MLAs, AI-powered diagnostics tools can distinguish patterns and anomalies that may have previously eluded the clinical nurse specialist. It, in turn, improves diagnostic accuracy, efficiency, and accessibility. What’s more, AI diagnostic tools hold the potential to help physicians detect diseases more quickly and help the CNS more readily personalize patient care.
The Role of Nurse Clinical Diagnostics
While it’s true that diagnosis remains the purview of physicians, the role of nurse clinical diagnostics in patient care should not be overlooked. Nurses spend more time with patients than physicians and are often the first to observe indications. Communicating these observations is well within the scope of the clinical nurse specialist’s role. It should not be overlooked or dismissed by physicians.
Future Trends and Predictions
Continuing advances in healthcare technology are inevitable and will be increasingly applied to the clinical nurse specialist profession. It will lead to further reductions in human error, streamlined patient care, and, surprisingly, more human interaction.
The key to success here is to look at these new technologies as allies rather than adversaries. Technological advances have already led to improvements in patient monitoring, telehealth, diagnoses, and communication within nursing teams. In each case, rather than replacing nurses, these advances have made the CNS better at the job.
Embrace the Advancements in Nurse Clinical Diagnostics
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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What is one of the most important advances in nurse clinical diagnostics?
Electronic health records (EHRs) have made the work of nurses a lot easier.
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How can AI help nurses in nurse clinical diagnostics?
AI’s ability to automate repetitive tasks enables nurses to spend more time caring for patients.
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Will AI eventually replace nurses?
AI is more likely to serve as a complement rather than a substitute. Nursing entails too many tasks that must be conducted physically for AI to replace them.