HISTORY OF NURSING INFORMATICS (International setting)

Summary

The history of nursing informatics is explored through seven distinct periods. Before the 1960s, computers were mainly used for basic business functions. By the 1970s, nurses began recognizing their value in healthcare. The 1980s saw the emergence of nursing informatics, emphasizing the need for standardized data systems. By the 1990s, computer technology became integral to healthcare, and nursing informatics was recognized as a specialty. The 2000s introduced digital and paperless systems, with the field expanding further. Key historical milestones include the establishment of standards, systems, and specialized conferences that have shaped nursing informatics today.

Takeaways

• 💻 **Early Adoption**: Prior to the 1960s, computers were used in healthcare for basic business functions like data processing with punch cards and teletypewriters.
• 📈 **Nurse as Information Hub**: In the 1960s, the nursing station was recognized as the hub of information exchange, with the introduction of CRTs and online data communication.
• 💼 **Hospital Information Systems**: The 1970s saw the development of hospital information systems primarily for billing and accounting, with the perception of computers as cost-saving technologies.
• 👩‍⚕️ **Professional Recognition**: Nurses began to see the value of computers in their profession during the 1970s, leading to the advancement of computer-based systems in public health.
• 🌐 **Emergence of Nursing Informatics**: The 1980s marked the emergence of nursing informatics as a field, with a focus on data standards and the need for computer-based patient record systems.
• 🔑 **Integration and Adoption**: By the 1990s, computer technology became integral to healthcare settings and nursing practice, with ANIA approving Nursing Informatics as a nursing specialty.
• 🌟 **Digital Transformation**: The new millennium saw hospitals becoming paperless and employing new nurses trained in digital charting, reflecting a significant shift in nursing practice.
• 📚 **Education and Research**: Graduate programs in nursing informatics were introduced, and the first international nursing informatics teleconference was held, indicating a growing academic focus.
• 🏥 **Clinical Information Systems**: CHAHO identified clinical information systems as a way to improve patient safety and recommended their adoption in hospitals.
• 📋 **Regulatory Advancements**: The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was enacted, leading to the establishment of the National Health Information Coordinator.

Q & A

What were the major changes in nursing prior to the 1960s?

Before the 1960s, the nursing profession and healthcare facilities began to use computers for basic business functions such as punch cards, card readers, teletypewriters, and sorting and preparing data for processing.

How was the role of the computer questioned in the 1960s?

In the 1960s, the use of computers was being questioned, and the nurses' station was viewed as the hub of information exchange. Introductions of CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) and online data communication and real-time processing were made.

What were the primary purposes of hospital information systems in the 1960s?

Hospital information systems developed in the 1960s were primarily for billing and accounting systems.

How did the perception of computers change in the 1970s for nurses?

In the 1970s, nurses began to see the value of computers in the profession. Computers were perceived as cost-saving technologies.

What was the significance of the 1980s in the history of nursing informatics?

The 1980s marked the emergence of nursing informatics, with a need for data standards, vocabularies, and classification schemes for computer-based patient record systems.

What was the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) and its significance?

The CPRS was an HR-identified system that emerged with nursing subsystems, indicating that computer technology became an integral part of health care settings and nursing practice.

When was nursing informatics approved as a new nursing specialty?

Nursing informatics was approved as a new nursing specialty in 1990 by the American Nurses Association (ANA).

What was the impact of the internet on healthcare systems in the late 1990s?

In the late 1990s, the internet was widely used to integrate health systems, and hospitals began developing systems for linking care across healthcare facilities.

How did hospitals evolve technologically in the 2000s?

In the 2000s, hospitals became paperless, employing new nurses who had never charted on paper, and digitalized newer technologies emerged.

What is the significance of the Nursing Minimum Data Set (NMDS)?

The NMDS is significant as it brings fruition to the vision and implementation of minimum nursing data into clinical practice.

What are some milestones in the history of nursing informatics mentioned in the script?

Some milestones include the founding of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society, development of one of the first hospital information systems in California, the first conference on management information systems, the first national conference on computer technology in Chicago, and the publication of the first nursing computer journal.