NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 3 Assessing the Problem Technology Care Coordination and Community Resources Considerations

On the other hand, effective utilization of community resources such as DSMES educational programs provided by healthcare clinics assist patients to become well-educated about their health conditions and improve their self-care behaviors in diabetes management (Amy, 2022).  Moreover, patients will be empowered with motivation acquired from support groups for diabetes, improving their glycemic levels as they adhere to healthy lifestyles and medication plans. Utilizing diabetes helplines such as toll-free helplines on diabetes care and support will reduce hospitalization and emergency department visits by providing immediate services and education through helplines (Mukpalkar et al., 2020). In my nursing practice, I have witnessed fragmented care coordination and inconsistent use of community resources by patients due to multiple factors such as lack of awareness and limited existence of these resources.

 Barriers to Care Coordination and Use of Community Resources

 While care coordination and leveraging community resources substantially improve diabetes, specific barriers hinder the use of these strategies and tools effectively. Care coordination is affected when communication and collaboration among healthcare professionals are inadequate, creating a fragmented healthcare system. Moreover, the lack of interoperability of healthcare technologies like EHRs to facilitate care coordination also hampers it. Furthermore, healthcare disparities based on socioeconomic status, ethnicity, and geographical differences also limit care coordination.

Considering barriers to the use of community resources, patients with diabetes may be unaware of their presence and availability due to knowledge gaps blocking their practical use. Additionally, there can be limited community resources, making it difficult for diabetics to access them. Other barriers include exorbitant costs for community resources related to healthcare expenses and transportation, which patients with diabetes may not be able to afford (Nikitara et al., 2019). My mother also faced these barriers, such as inconsistent communication among interdisciplinary team members, which interfered with coordinated care delivery. Moreover, she was unaware of community resources available for diabetes, on which she acquired knowledge from me and other nurses.

State Board Nursing Practice Standards and/or Government/ Organizational Policies on Health Technology, Care Coordination, and Community Resources

The American Nursing Association (ANA) supports using health information technologies, provides standard guidelines to nurses, and has launched various initiatives in collaboration with the HIT committee (American Nurses Association, 2019). Similarly, ANA has informed nurses of their care coordination responsibilities, including collaboration with multidisciplinary teams to improve patient care quality and satisfaction (ANA, n.d.). The ANA has further provided standards on using community resources, such as guidelines provided by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and CDC on diabetes management.

These guidelines will enable care coordination among nurses, which is crucial for managing diabetes.The HITECH Act also supports using healthcare technology to facilitate patient recovery and improve the quality of care through care coordination. The HITECH policies on patient privacy and confidentiality are essential for nurses in guiding them on the proper and meaningful use of healthcare information technologies such as data sharing through telehealth or EHRs (HIPAA Journal, 2023). Similarly, the American Diabetes Association has provided guidelines on using community resources such as DSMES programs and managing diabetes utilizing diabetes self-management toolkits and support from local community centers on diabetes (ADA, n.d.).

NURS FPX 4900 Assessment 3 Assessing the Problem Technology Care Coordination and Community Resources Considerations

These guidelines, standards, and policies are essential for managing diabetes in patients like my mother, who is in the early phase of diagnosed diabetes. By using these standards and guidelines, I can effectively use technology such as providing telehealth services to my mother when I am unavailable to her and ensure she acquires care coordination and utilize community resources effectively. The implications for ethical professional practice of these guidelines will include achieving patient well-being through implementation of principles of beneficence and non-maleficence. Moreover, the patient’s protected health information (PHI) will be secured when ethical professional guidelines are practices.  I have also documented two practicum hours spent with my mother in learning about her experience with technology, care coordination, and use of community resourc