Why Informatics

This semester is chock-full of classes that I thought were going to be pretty irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. Just more hoops to jump through. However, after getting into the assigned readings this reasonably tech-savvy guy felt like it might be a miracle that I've been able to function in our society and an even bigger miracle that I've been able to function as a nurse. Ok, I might be indulging in hyperbole here - but if you took the course pre-test/questionnaire for N6006 at the University of Utah you know exactly what I'm talking about. Turns out that you can function in our information tech world in one of two ways (at least there are two that I have employed) and fake it present as reasonably competent.

1) Avoid tech you don't understand, just don't use it.

This works pretty well at least until you are confronted with a mandatory use scenario. Like when our unit implemented a mass text message policy to communicate shift needs. I found myself - a very accomplished text-avoider (this is my phone, check out that display) responsible for sending out 70 some odd text messages via the text groups function on the Charge Nurse cell phone. It only took me 45 minutes the first time. Clearly I can't thoroughly endorse coping mechanism number 1 whole-heartedly.

2) Use you intuition (and only your intuition).

This works if you have a basic idea of how computer systems and tech gadgets work, what they are intended for and can be kind of creative with setting expectations for your usage of those software/computer/gadget packages. It goes something like this: I want to chart a treatment team meeting in our computerized charting software. No one has ever charted treatment team meeting on the computer before, so we don't even know if there is a spot for it. But I think there should be a spot for it. And then I go looking, find a place under 'problem/event - new problem - Conference - Interdisciplinary conference'. Well there you go; what is treatment team if it isn't an interdisciplinary conference? This is the same approach I have take toward word processing programs, presentation programs, even this blog when I first started it.

The down-side to this is that functionality and use is limited to your imagination and expectations. And, lets be honest, anymore most programs and gadgets are way more complex and featured than we can imagine which means we are leaving a lot of untapped potential on the table using this approach.

With all this in mind it stands to reason that taking the time to learn about why systems were built and a little about how, you can tap into the imagination and expectations that the creators had for their systems; and now we're on track to really use a program/system/gadget to its full potential. This continuum contains learning and acknowledging the difference between the internet and the World Wide Web (never thought about that one before) at one end to exploring the world of electronic patient identifiers, E-prescribing and Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE). Just this week my wife came home from work and revealed that she is going to be working on Intermountain Healthcare's CPOE committee as a voice for General Radiology as they begin to incorporate imaging order sets later this year. Looks like I get a front-row seat to this.

As a major stake-holder in the future of health care it looks like this course is just in time to save me from my ineffective technology coping. It also means maybe I will eventually embrace texting as a legitimate form of communication...