Information Management
An information management problem that can be resolved with a database is a record management system. Record management is an essential aspect of healthcare and a fundamental part of nursing practice (NMC, 2015). Accurate record detailing every aspect of patient monitoring is vital because it is an integral part of professional roles providing quality care and patient management. Record management also contributes to the efficient circulation of health records among diverse teams in patient treatment.
Electronic databases are useful for gathering up-to-date clinical information for evidence-based practice and thus inform practice (Griffiths & Riddington, 2001). For example, a database is useful when there is a need to monitor a patient’s blood pressure then quantify the chances that observed deviations in blood pressure mirror true changes (Niiranen et al., 2012). Clinicians need to monitor patient’s response to blood pressure to care and treatment to allow optimal benefit for every individual. Blood pressure is monitored shortly following treatment’s initiation and continues for the long term. Keenan et al. (2009) assert that monitoring is done based on the assumption that blood pressure measured provides a reliable way to identify sufficiency or insufficiency of treatment.
The database will be useful to record findings after every blood pressure record. Monitoring helps to detect an increase in blood pressure more than a specific threshold level (i.e., normally 140/90mmHg), which acts as a signal and warrants treatment adjustment. Blood pressure monitoring of patients under a certain medication provides a chance to explore to what degree the observed variability in treated patients is due to true changes Keenan et al. (2009). The variability is used to determine whether a patient needs adjustment of treatment. Questions to ask via database support include:
• Does blood pressure monitoring relate to clinical outcomes?
• What is the relationship between medication adherence and blood pressure?
• How is blood pressure monitoring helpful in preventing CVA (stroke)?
References
Griffiths, P., & Riddington, L. (2001). Nurses’ use of computer databases to identify evidence for practice—a cross‐sectional questionnaire survey in a UK hospital. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 18(1), 2-9.
Keenan, K., Hayen, A., Neal, B. C., & Irwig, L. (2009). Long term monitoring in patients receiving treatment to lower blood pressure: analysis of data from placebo controlled randomised controlled trial. BMJ, 338.
Niiranen, T. J., Thijs, L., Asayama, K., Johansson, J. K., Ohkubo, T., Kikuya, M., … & Staessen, J. A. (2012). The International Database of HOme blood pressure in relation to Cardiovascular Outcome (IDHOCO): moving from baseline characteristics to research perspectives. Hypertension Research, 35(11), 1072-1079.
NMC. (2015). Professional standards of practice and behaviour for nurses, midwives and nursing associates. Nmc.org.uk. Retrieved 2 March 2022, from https://www.nmc.org.uk/globalassets/sitedocuments/nmc-publications/nmc-code.pdf.
