Building Linkages between Nursing Care and Improved Patient Outcomes: The Role of Health Information Technology

Abstract

Health information technology (health IT or HIT) holds the potential to transform the quality of care and to establish linkages between nursing care and patient outcomes. This article defines eMeasurement and describes Quality of Care Definitions and Metrics for Evaluation. The authors explore the role of health IT to improve quality, barriers to eMeasurement, and health IT interventions by considering linkages between nursing care and patient outcomes for a select set of nursing sensitive indicators including patient falls, pressure ulcers, and the patient experience. We discuss specific challenges, such as barriers for routine data capture to populate nursing sensitive indicators and the use of health IT to promote positive outcomes. The conclusion addresses the implications of the current state of health IT and identifies areas for further nursing research.