Importance of Nursing Informatics in

healthcare delivery systemin the Philippines

PREPARED BY NGUYEN MINH NHAT ANH

What is Nursing Informatics?

Nursing informatics is a combination of computer science, information science, and nursing science, designed to assist in the management and processing of nursing data, information, and knowledge to support nursing practice, education, research, and administration (Graves & Corcoran, 1989). 

The use of information technologies in relation to those

functions within the purview of nursing, and that are carried

out by nurses when performing their duties. Therefore, any use

of information technologies by nurses in relation to the care of

their patients, the administration of health care facilities, or

the educational preparation of individuals to practice the

discipline is considered nursing informatics. (Hannah)

The use of technology and/or a computer system to collect, store,

process, display, retrieve, and communicate timely data and

information in and across health care facilities that administer

nursing services and resources, manage the delivery of patient

and nursing care, link research resources and findings to nursing

practice, and apply educational resources to nursing education.

 (Saba and McCormick)

The American Nurses Association defined nursing informatics as a

specialty that integrates nursing science, computer science and

information science to manage and communicate data,

information and knowledge in nursing practice. We can consider

NI or nursing informatics as a multifaceted interdisciplinary field of

nursing science. Information integrity and ensuring the safety of data

transmission is an essential part, not only in nursing, but also, in the

field of information and communications technology (ICT). And with the

progressive integration of ICT concepts and protocols in the practice of

nursing, whether in the clinical, academe or research, nurses should be

prepared to become globally competitive healthcare professionals.

NI in the Philippines

The words "nursing informatics" were unfamiliar among the nursing community until the year 2008. There were only a handful of people with knowledge and experience in nursing informatics but the discipline have not yet found its recognition as a sub-specialty of nursing arts and science in the country. The origin of this budding discipline indirectly came from the pioneers of health informatics in the Philippines.

The Philippine Medical Informatics Society (PMIS) and its founders had strong influence in the development of health informatics in the Philippines. The PMIA was officially registered under the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1996 by its board composed of eleven physician.

By the year 2003, a Master of Science in Health

Informatics was proposed to be offered by UP-

Manila College of Medicine (major in medical

informatics) and the College of Arts and Science

(major in bioinformatics) and was later approved

to be offered starting academic year 2005-2006.

Current Issues and Problems - Lack of devices, machines, resources, and methods of utilizing information, computers, and nursing science in nursing.

- It is be costly to train nurses on the use of the program for electronic documentation.

- Nurse informaticists are also scarce in the Philippines.

- Some nurses in the Philippines are computer illiterate.

- In 2008,Nursing Informatics course in the undergraduate curriculum was defined by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Memorandum Order 5 Series of 2008 but was later revised and included as Health Informatics course in CHED Memorandum Order 14 Series of 2009. 

- The inclusion of informatics as an integral part of the undergraduate curriculum has been one of the most influential factors for the increased awareness and interest in this field of nursing. However, the contents of the curriculum was adapted from international materials which does not match the local needs.

Goal of Nursing InformaticsAccording to ANA:Improve health of populations, communities and individuals by optimizing information management and communication.Including using technology in the direct provision of care; establishing administrative systems; managing and delivering educational experiences; supporting life-long learning, and supporting nursing research

Application of Nursing Informatics

Importance of NI in healthcare delivery system

• For increasing patient safety and its leading to an evidence-based nursing

• With electronic charting, nurses have the capability of accessing information quickly and efficiently and are able to use information to improve the quality of nursing workflow

• Informatics nurses motivate and encourage nurses to use innovative problem-solving methods by providing them with support.

• Provide continuing guidance in the development and implementation of information technology and digital solutions for nursing practice and patient care

References

• The Role of Nursing Informatics on Promoting Quality of Health Care and the Need for Appropriate Education (Asieh Darvish , Fatemeh Bahramnezhad1 , Sara Keyhanian & Mojdeh Navidhamidi, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran) Received: May 8, 2014 Accepted: May 29, 2014 Online Published: June 24, 2014

• What is Nursing Informatics and why is it so important? (Nursing Now Issues and Trends in Canadian nursing, September 2001)

• History of Nursing Informatics in the Philippines (Kristian R. Sumabat, RN President, Philippine Nursing Informatics Association, April 2010)

• The Right Balance –Technology and Patient Care (OJNI Volume 18, Number 3) by Cristina Cassano MSN, RN . October 1, 2014)

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Thank you!