Health information is extremely important to the consumers and patients. The information helps in making crucial health decisions. It is, therefore, prudent for the users of health information to be critical as they chose information sources. The users of health information must understand that some of these sources provide confusing information and to some extent they can be detrimental. For instance, in the modern world where advance in technology is at its peak, there is abundant of health information, especially from the internet. It is, therefore, important to assess the quality and validity of health information that is constantly changing with research. It is also wise for the consumers of healthcare information to assess the health care providers and the facilities in these health centers (Gibson & Singh, 2003). Although there is no predetermined rule that patients and consumers of health information follow, there has been some notable development in the assessment of the quality of health information.

Consumers and patients have increasingly engaged in interactive health communication. This is a form of communication where the consumer, patient, professional or a caregiver with a help of an electronic device or communication technology gets essential health information. This is a method that consumers and patients have adopted to ensure that they escape the uncertainties associated with web information.  Through the interactive sessions, the consumer or the patient has the opportunity to clarify the health information provided. Patients have come to realize that the unverified online information can result in immeasurable damage (Gibson & Singh, 2003). It is, therefore, prudent to have ascertained health information thus escaping potential harm from inaccurate information.

The use of interactive communication of the consumers and patients in health care provision has resulted in massive improvements in health care sector. The process has made it possible to make well-informed treatment decisions, a strong relationship between the patient and caregiver as well as increased consumer satisfaction and compliance.  It is also possible for the clients to get the desired levels of medical outcomes and more efficient services since it is easy to ascertain the information provided during the interactive session. The interactive communication offers a good platform for health users who are slow in capturing new things. It is easy for them to seek clarifications thus leading to the appropriate treatment. It has also made it easy to transfer essential healthcare information replacing the traditional information care and community resources with online information.

The interactive communication has also helped the consumers and patients to manage their healthcare. These sessions ensure that the clients are actively involved in understanding their health status as they encounter with the caregivers. By getting online information, the clients gets to understand the concept better thus taking a leading role in managing their health (Gibson & Singh, 2003). Interactive communication allows healthcare providers to engage in a discussion with the consumers thus making it possible to understand the underlying issues.

It is, however, prudent noting that majority of people seeks health information from the internet. There are several websites that provide health information some of which are reliable while others are not. Most people care less about the validity of the information. Heir major concern is to get the information without care of the dangers associated with web-based health information. Although some of the health information available online are helpful in health care provision, some of this information are obsolete while others have irrelevant information. Such websites can be fatal for consumers who could use this information out of ignorance.

It is nevertheless important to understand that I don’t get health information from any website. Before I decide on the use of information from the website, I must first understand the owner of the site, the purpose, the source of the information, the documentation and whether or not the site has been reviewed among other considerations. All these factors are essential to understanding the reliability and the validity of the health information available online. Additionally, I also prefer getting health information from reviewed journals and magazines. Information from such sources can be helpful in ensuring the desired level of medical outcome is achieved (Gibson & Singh, 2003). I have also tried to be insightful to my friends and family members on the importance of assessing validity and reliability of health information and that of a healthcare provider.  Due to increase in research in the medical field, I also encourage my friends and family members always to be concerned with how old the information is. Health care information should always be up to date if its validity is to be ascertained.

Patients’ safety is the primary objective of the regulatory and accreditation authorities in the health care sector. Quality and safety are always used interchangeably in the health sector, and every health care provider should ensure that these two are maintained in their institutions. Patients’ safety improvement is one of the major factors that regulatory authorities consider before accreditation process.   The authorities ensure that no unsafe practices by health care providers are entertained in the health sector. If the provider fails to comply with quality improvement systems aimed at improving the safety of patients, then the accreditation and regulation authorities will automatically disqualify the provider from providing health services to consumers. In essence accreditation and regulating bodies are entitled to promote good safety practices and avoid errors in the provision of healthcare.

Nurses have a significant role in ensuring the successful provision of healthcare to patients. Quality improvement among the healthcare providers is a major concern and nurses have a significant role to play. Patient’s safety to a great extent depends on the role played by the nurse. As a nurse, one is expected to have effective communication with the clients to ensure that the desired medical outcome is realized. Use of information technology for effective communication among the nurses is inevitable. The way information is being received has drastically changed, and the same way should be the way of information transmission. Internet accessibility and advance in technology have made it necessary for nurses to adopt electronic communication in their service delivery. Information technology will be essential in ensuring the privacy of the patient. For instance, information technology can be of vital importance in maintaining personal health records. Such information can be available to the patient at any time or any place so long as there is internet connectivity (‘Electronic Health Record Tools’ Support of Nurses’ Clinical Judgment and Team Communication’, 2013). The information can hardly get into the wrong hands. Additionally, the nurses can make online prescriptions thus making it very difficult to make errors that could otherwise occur without the technology. The patients’ safety will be highly maintained through information technology. It is also wise noting that the facility can be able to store data for a long period. Files and other handwritten documents can be easily lost, but online information is durable for a long time. Deriving information will also be very easy thus making practice easy and manageable.

References

Electronic Health Record Tools’ Support of Nurses’ Clinical Judgment and Team Communication. (2013). CIN: Computers, Informatics, Nursing, 31(11), 545-546. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/01.ncn.0000438396.60521.fc

Gibson, R., & Singh, J. (2003). Wallofsilence. Washington, D.C.: LifeLine Press.

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