Health IT-enabled Care for Underserved Rural Populations: The Role of Nursing
- Judith A Effken, PhD, RNa,
- Patricia Abbott, PhD, RNb
- aThe University of Arizona College of Nursing, Tucson, AZ
- bPAHO/WHO Nursing Collaborating Center for Nursing Knowledge, Information Management and Sharing (KIMS), Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD
- Correspondence: Judith A. Effken, PhD, RN, FACMI, FAAN, The University of Arizona College of Nursing, PO Box 210203, Tucson, AZ 85721-0203; e-mail: <jeffken{at}nursing.arizona.edu>
- Received 20 August 2008
- Accepted 24 February 2009
Abstract
This white paper explains the strong roles that nursing can play in using information technology (IT) to improve healthcare delivery in rural areas. The authors describe current challenges to providing care in rural areas, and how technology innovations can help rural communities to improve their health and health care. To maximize benefits, rural stakeholders (as individuals and groups) must collaborate to effect change. Because nonphysician providers deliver much of the health care in rural communities, this paper focuses on the critical roles of nurses on IT-enabled caremanagement teams. The authors propose changes in nursing practice, policy, and education to better prepare, encourage, and enable nurses to assume leadership roles in IT-enabled health care management in rural communities.
Footnotes
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This paper was supported by Prime Contract No. 290-04-0016-6275-AMIA-01 between the American Medical Informatics Association under subcontract to the National Opinion Resource Corporate (NORC) and the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ), as part of the AHRQ National Resource Center (NRC). Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the DHHS, NRC, NORC, or AHRQ. The authors of this report are responsible for its content. Statements in the report should not be construed as endorsement by AHRQ or the DHHS. The authors acknowledge the contributions of Don Detmer, MD, MA (President and CEO, AMIA) and Meryl Bloomrosen, MBA (Associate Vice-President, AMIA) to the conceptualization and review of this paper. The authors also acknowledge the contributions of Betty Chang, RN, DNSc, FAAN, Suzanne Bakken RN, DNSc, FAAN, Lisa Dolan-Branton, RN, DHHS Indian Health Service, Carol Cain, PhD, Kaiser Permanente's Care Management Institute, Jon White, MD, Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ), and Teresa Zayas-Caban, PhD, Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ), who served as reviewers and provided valuable insight into the topic. Susan Pierce, PhD, RN, contributed to earlier versions of a similar paper.
