Health Informatics Workforce in the Digital Health Ecosystem.

Workforce development needs to align with the healthcare data ecosystem emerging from digital transformation in healthcare. Careers for health informaticists are emerging as translational agents between clinicians and data scientists. Digital tools and mechanisms in healthcare, through electronic health records (EHR), devices, capabilities including artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), interoperability and health information exchange (HIE) allow clinicians and stakeholders to capture, store, access and use health data and information in ways unseen in years past, creating a new digital health ecosystem.

Improving the efficiency of virtual insulin teaching for patients admitted to hospital through the COVID-19 pandemic: a quality improvement initiative.

Background: Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, many areas of medicine transitioned to virtual care. For patients with diabetes admitted to hospital, this included diabetes education and insulin teaching. Shifting to a virtual model of insulin teaching created new challenges for inpatient certified diabetes educators (CDE).

Patient Safety Perception Within Hospitals: An Examination of Job Type, Handoffs and Information Exchange, and Hospital Management Support.

Objectives: The study has 3 aims: (1) to assess to what extent a person's job role relates to their evaluation of patient safety in the hospital setting; 2) to identify the relationship from hospital management aspects, including level of organizational learning-continuous improvement, level of management support, and level of leader support to patient safety perception in the hospital setting; and 3) to examine the relationship between the rating of the ease of information exchange and clinical handoffs and perceived patient safety in the hospital setting.

Methods: This study used a publicly available, deidentified cross-sectional data set from the 2021 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality's Survey on Patient Safety Culture Hospital Survey 2.0.

Voluntary assisted dying in Victoria: Why knowing the law matters to nurses.

In 2017, Victoria became the first state in Australia to pass legislation permitting voluntary assisted dying. Under this law, only those people who are near the end of their lives may access voluntary assisted dying, and because many of these people require nursing care to manage the progression of their illness or their symptoms, it will invariably have an impact on nursing practice. The Victorian law includes a series of procedural steps as safeguards to ensure that the law operates as intended.

Development of Voluntary Assisted Dying Training in Victoria, Australia: A Model for Consideration.

Background: Voluntary assisted dying was legalized in Victoria, Australia in June 2019, and was the first jurisdiction internationally to legislatively mandate training for doctors conducting eligibility assessments of patients. Mandatory training was designed as a safeguard to ensure compliance within the system, so that only eligible patients would gain access to voluntary assisted dying.

Objective: This article outlines the development of training mandated for doctors prior to undertaking eligibility assessments for voluntary assisted dying.

Proficiency of First-Year Podiatric Medical Residents in the Use of Electronic Medical Records.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to survey podiatric residency directors to evaluate the proficiency of first-year podiatric medical residents in the use of electronic medical records and its potential impact on medical care.

Methods: An online survey consisting of Likert-scale, multiple-choice, and open-ended questions was sent via email to 216 podiatric residency directors. Questions were directed toward the level of proficiency in electronic medical records expected at the beginning of residency training and the impact on patient care of residents' inexperience with electronic medical records.

Evaluation of a Diabetes Prevention Program Lifestyle Intervention in Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Study in Three Senior/Community Centers of Varying Socioeconomic Status.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of an adapted Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) lifestyle program, DPP Group Lifestyle Balance (GLB), delivered in 3 economically diverse senior/community centers. Methods The DPP-GLB was implemented in 3 senior/community centers in Allegheny County, PA. A 6-month delayed control intervention design was used.

Transitions From Acute Care to Long-Term Care: Evaluation of the Continued Access Model.

Improving communication during transitions from acute care hospitals into long-term post-acute care (LTPAC) settings is imperative for clinical staff to have the information they need to admit and care for the patient with accurate medical information provided in an efficient way. The research goals of this study are to examine the user experience of a new data sharing method, "Continued Access," a supplement to the standard summary of care, and to evaluate staff attitudes of the model on LTPAC residents' care. Clinical staff ( n = 20) from a U.

Increasing EHR system usability through standards: Conformance criteria in the HL7 EHR-system functional model.

Though substantial work has been done on the usability of health information technology, improvements in electronic health record system (EHR) usability have been slow, creating frustration, distrust of EHRs and the use of potentially unsafe work-arounds. Usability standards could be part of the solution for improving EHR usability. EHR system functional requirements and standards have been used successfully in the past to specify system behavior, the criteria of which have been gradually implemented in EHR systems through certification programs and other national health IT strategies.

Electronic Health Records in Long-Term Care: Staff Perspectives.

As long-term post-acute care (LTPAC) settings continue to increase their adoption of electronic health records (EHRs), it is important to learn from end users currently working with the technology to identify clinical implications and opportunities to improve systems and surrounding processes. This study utilized one-on-one interviews of direct care nurses ( n = 20) in a Midwest United States LTPAC setting to describe patterns of use, and areas to improve. The majority of respondents evaluated the EHR as easy to use, with a positive impact on quality of care, through efficiencies gained in communication with the care team.

Improving employee health: evaluation of a worksite lifestyle change program to decrease risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Objective: To determine whether an evidence-based, behavioral lifestyle intervention program delivered at a worksite setting is effective in improving type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Methods: A randomized 6-month delayed control design was utilized, with two thirds of the participants assigned to begin intervention immediately, and one third beginning 6 months later. The year-long program (weekly for 3 months transitioning to monthly) focused on weight loss and increasing physical activity.

Patient, physician, and consumer drivers: referrals for short stature and access to specialty drugs.

Background: Candidates for specialty drugs, the fastest growing and costliest pharmaceuticals, typically originate with primary care referrals. However, little is known about what drives such referrals-especially for large populations such as short, otherwise normal children (idiopathic short stature). Recent expanded approval of growth hormone (GH) makes more than 585,000 US children eligible for such treatment, potentially costing over $11 billion/y.