Technology in the Health Sector

• Assignment Overview
DNP-prepared nurses will be expected to lead large-scale informatics/technology implementation projects. One of the keys to a successful project is understanding real or potential risks. The HealthIT SAFER Guides are designed to recommend practices to optimize the safety and safe use of EHRs and other technology. In this assignment, you will demonstrate this by using the SAFER Guides to examine performance and risk in your chosen health care setting. Then, you will write a 4–6 page paper reporting your findings and reflecting on the experience.

Note: The following readings will help you prepare for the discussion and assignment this week. You are encouraged to supplement the readings with your own research. Use the Capella library and the Internet to locate credible sources from peer-reviewed journals or professional industry publications that you consider useful in completing the assignment and discussion this week.
HIPAA
• Argaw, S. T., Troncoso-Pastoriza, J. R., Lacey, D., Florine, M-V., Calcavecchia, F., Anderson, D., Burleson, W., Vogel, J-M., O’Leary, C., Eshaya-Chauvin, B., & Flahault, A. (2020). Cybersecurity of hospitals: Discussing the challenges and working towards mitigating the risks [PDF]. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 20, 1–10.
• By reading this article, you will learn more about the cybersecurity challenges faced by the health care industry. Argaw et al., states:
The increasing incorporation of technology into the health field is leading to greater precision in health care; however, advancements in cybersecurity measures are still required. According to a 2016 report by IBM and the Ponemon Institute, the frequency of data breaches in the health care industry has been rising since 2010 and it is now among the sectors most targeted by cyberattacks globally. (p.1)
• Dameff, C., Pfeffer, M. A., & Longhurst, C. A. (2019). Cybersecurity implications for hospital quality. Health Services Research, 54(5), 969–970.
• This article discusses the relationship between cybersecurity and the quality of care.
• HealthIT.gov. (2018). HIPAA basics. https://www.healthit.gov/topic/privacy-security-and-hipaa/hipaa-basics
• This website presents information about HIPAA and its impact on the health care industry.
SAFER Guides
• HealthIT.gov. (2018). SAFER guides. https://www.healthit.gov/topic/safety/safer-guides
• This website provides information about and links to the SAFER Guides.
Security Risk Assessment
• HealthIT.gov. (2019). Security risk assessment videos. https://www.healthit.gov/topic/privacy-security-and-hipaa/security-risk-assessment-videos
• These videos focus on the importance of privacy and security in health care.
 All videos have closed captioning.
Reference
Argaw, S. T., Troncoso-Pastoriza, J. R., Lacey, D., Florine, M-V., Calcavecchia, F., Anderson, D., Burleson, W., Vogel, J-M., O’Leary, C., Eshaya-Chauvin, B., & Flahault, A. (2020). Cybersecurity of hospitals: Discussing the challenges and working towards mitigating the risks. BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making, 20, 1–10.

Assignment Instructions
SAFER GUIDES AND EVALUATING TECHNOLOGY USAGE
Note: Remember, the assignments in this course build upon one another. It may be helpful to refer to any feedback you received on previous assignments when completing this assignment. Also, keep in mind that your findings from the SAFER Guides will be used to inform your Week 8 assignment.
Preparation
In preparation for this assignment, think about the technology/informatics you propose to implement as part of the practice change to address the safety, process, or quality issues identified in the previous assignments. Review the nine SAFER Guides with your proposed technology/informatics in mind. You will use the discoveries you uncover by using the SAFER Guides to identity risks, which you will address via the risk mitigation plan you will create in the Week 8 assignment.
If you are not familiar with the SAFER Guides, the How to Use the SAFER Guides [Video] may help you get started on this assignment.
Instructions
Write a 4–6 page APA-formatted paper, discussing your experience using the SAFER Guides and identifying and describing any potential risks uncovered through the completion of such. Make sure to use the literature to support your findings.
Overall, your assignment will be assessed based on the following criteria:
• Describe the technology/informatics you propose to implement as part of a practice change to drive improvements in a chosen health care environment.
• You may wish to refer to your work in the previous assignments to help you compose this section.
• Explain SAFER Guides findings related to areas where the chosen health care environment is performing well with regard to the proposed technology/informatics.
• These will likely be areas in which you would have rated your chosen health care environment as “Fully in all areas” on the SAFER Guides.
• Explain SAFER Guides findings related to risks with regard to the proposed technology/informatics in the context of the chosen health care environment.
• These will likely be areas in which you would have rated your chosen health care environment as “Not implemented” on the SAFER Guides, but could also include areas you rated “Partially in some areas,” depending on how severe the risks might be.
• Reflect on the experience of using the SAFER Guides to discover areas of risks and to focus improvement efforts.
• Think about the process of using the SAFER Guides and how it helped you adopt a different point of view in your evaluation.
• Convey purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences.
• Apply APA style and formatting to scholarly writing.
You may use the APA Style Paper Tutorial [DOCX] to help guide your structuring and formatting of this assignment.
Additional Requirements
Your assignment should also meet the following requirements:
• Length: A 4–6 double-spaced page paper, not including the title page or reference list.
• References: 2–4 scholarly or professional resources, no more than five years old.
• APA format: Submission should follow current APA style and formatting. Review the Evidence and APA section of the Writing Center for guidance.