NURS FPX 8012 Assessment 1 Technology-Informatics Use in Your Practice Setting

Name

Capella university

NURS-FPX 8012 Nursing Technology and Health Care Information Systems

Prof. Name

Date

Technology Informatics Use in Your Practice Setting

Hello, Everyone. I am _____, and today’s presentation discusses the revolutionary aspect of using telehealth in particular remote consultation in primary care, focusing on its implementation at Kaiser Permanente. Embracing and integrating technology in our practice as a DNP-prepared nurse in the care of patients, dynamics, smoothing of operational processes and positive organizational impact on outcomes is critical. In this video, the focus will be on telehealth advantages such as increased utilization, patient involvement, and optimized treatment of digital chronic conditions. Barriers to using information technology, lack of information technology skills, and reimbursement policies will be discussed along with a workflow redesign.

Analyzing the Benefits of Telehealth in a Primary Care Setting

Telehealth in primary care bridges the gap between patients and providers, offering numerous benefits that enhance care delivery and patient outcomes. At Kaiser Permanente, telehealth has been effectively integrated into primary care workflows, resulting in measurable improvements across various dimensions of care (Kaiser Permanente, 2025). Firstly, telehealth is the opportunity for patients living in remote regions to access the necessary healthcare. Telehealth arrived at removing geographical limitations through which patients can consult their primary care providers from the comfort of their homes.

For instance, patients with restricted movement can visit virtually instead of walking long distances (Beheshti et al., 2022). This has been especially useful during the pandemic since there is a high risk when patients visit the clinic. Another significant advantage is the improved possibility of chronic disease therapy. Telehealth enhances ongoing care about ailments like diabetes and hypertension through physical checkups over the Internet and monitoring equipment (Ezeamii et al., 2024). For example, Kaiser Permanente uses telehealth technology to monitor patients’ status, including blood pressure and glucose level, and then comes in and makes the necessary adjustments as soon as possible. 

NURS FPX 8012 Assessment 1 Technology-Informatics Use in Your Practice Setting

Using this approach, there has been a decrease in admissions and improved prognosis in chronic disease patients. Also, telehealth increases patient participation and satisfaction levels, which are significant in value (Beheshti et al., 2022). Making appointments available at varying times and minimizing the time those patients have to wait to see the doctor compels them to access the doctor more often. 

Telehealth also helps reduce costs for patients, health systems, and institutions. From the patient’s side, virtual visits do not require travelling costs or time off work. Criteria for healthcare organizations include telehealth, which decreases the overhead cost of infrastructure used in face-to-face visitations and administrative and infrastructural support (Beheshti et al., 2022). These cost savings have been channeled back into Kaiser Permanente’s technology system to improve telehealth further. Lastly, telehealth effectively improves the continuity of care and interprofessional relations.

That is why incorporating telehealth solutions into EHR generates a clear synergy, allowing providers to share patient information with specialists and eliminating issues related to inadequate continuity of care. As demonstrated by Kaiser Permanente, telehealth in primary care settings offers transformative benefits such as increased access to care, enhanced chronic disease management, improved patient engagement, cost savings, and better care coordination (Kaiser Permanente, 2025).

Explaining the Obstacles to Utilizing Telehealth in a Primary Care Setting

Despite its many advantages, telehealth implementation in primary care settings, such as at Kaiser Permanente, faces several obstacles that can hinder its optimal utilization. These challenges arise from multiple viewpoints, including those of patients, healthcare providers, and organizational stakeholders, creating barriers that must be addressed to leverage telehealth’s potential fully. From the patient’s perspective, one of the challenges is a lack of technology competency and access to appropriate technology.

Some patients may avoid telehealth interfaces if they are older or have poor digital literacy. Likewise, low-income patients may not have adequate devices or reliable connectivity to engage in telemedicine effectively, hence eradicating disparities in healthcare (Beheshti et al., 2022). For instance, Kaiser Permanente, which implemented the virtual care programs, have experienced patients who could not afford the devices or connection network to embrace consultation through telehealth.

NURS FPX 8012 Assessment 1 Technology-Informatics Use in Your Practice Setting

In provider perspective, healthcare providers’ representatives refer to issues such as the workload or the quality of treatment. According to some providers, telehealth consultation may be time-consuming, more often than not, due to technological hitches and documentation (Teng et al., 2022). For example, primary care providers at Kaiser Permanente stated that, despite the efficiency of telemedicine in checkups or getting a second opinion, doing parts of it as a face-to-face conversation may be difficult as it can reduce the stringency of examinations and, therefore, diagnostic precision.

This suggests that integration with the existing organizational systems and constraints associated with implementation and maintenance costs are key issues at the managerial level. EHR compatibility is currently a key issue with telehealth systems, meaning that integrated telehealth will have to invest considerably in technology and infrastructure (Teng et al., 2022). For example, Kaiser Permanente has needed to spend significant money to upgrade its patient record systems to accommodate telemedicine facilities, including remote monitoring and protected messaging. Moreover, adaptive types have continuous costs related to staffing, educating people, protecting information, and conforming to laws.

NURS FPX 8012 Assessment 1 Technology-Informatics Use in Your Practice Setting

From policymakers’ standpoint, reimbursement policies and licensing requirements are barriers. Unlike traditional house calls, telehealth services are not always paid at the same rate as face-to-face visits, preventing providers from wholeheartedly embracing the technology. Also, licensure portable across states reduces providers’ freedom to practice telemedicine with patients in different states (Shachar et al., 2020).

These have been flagged in the Kaiser Permanente telehealth program, particularly when adjusted to extend services to patients across the state. Lastly, there are patient and organization stakes. Patients worry or complain about privacy and data security issues. Telehealth platforms contain important and private data, such as patient information, so they have become prone to cybercriminals (Houser et al., 2023). Compliance with rules such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is a never-ending process that might overburden an organization’s budget.

Workflow Redesign for Telehealth in a Primary Care Setting

This redesign focuses on the telehealth workflow at Kaiser Permanente’s primary care clinics. The goal is to address inefficiencies such as prolonged patient onboarding, fragmented communication, and difficulty integrating telehealth data with the existing Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. Kaiser Permanente assigned telehealth consultations based on the patient’s telehealth workflow before the redesign. Patient scheduling was challenging; patients complained of getting confusing instructions and were unable to access virtual visits.

The lack of an efficient technology readiness verification process was the main issue: it took considerable time to solve during consultations with the patient. Most providers reported that consultation execution was often challenged because of inadequate preparation, including incomplete patient records or lack of technical checks before virtual encounters. Also, documentation was a concern; telehealth data was not incorporated in the EHR and thus needed to be entered manually, which was full of defects (Al-Alawy & Moonesar, 2023).

NURS FPX 8012 Assessment 1 Technology-Informatics Use in Your Practice Setting

These challenges were some of the problems addressed by the redesigned workflow introduced. An automated appointment booking was developed using a patient portal with integrated telemedicine, in which patients’ preferred method of consultation was determined, including appointment reminders. Before the visit, a technology readiness questionnaire was suggested, consisting of questions assessing internet connectivity and device compatibility.

Provider readiness was promoted by providing providers with patient information before every consultation in the form of pre-visit surveys and medical history so that providers could do virtual visits more effectively. Already integrating with the EHR, the telehealth platforms allowed for prompt documentation, decreasing the need for manual entry and, therefore, variability (Zhang & Saltman, 2021). Lastly, to ensure continuous care and compliance, an efficient post-consultation follow-up plan was developed by automatically providing them with instructions on the next visit, medication reminders and follow-up appointments.

Telehealth online consultation involved redesigning its operational model, notably enhancing performance in various aspects like optimizing the working time by having an automated scheduling system and readiness check, thus minimizing the time wastage and burdening of staff (Abernethy et al., 2022). The patient experience improved as technical interruptions reduced the number of sessions, positively impacting patient satisfaction. Provider effectiveness was higher when they had complete information before the interaction with the patient as they diagnosed appropriately, facilitated by the integration with real-time EHR. Moreover, compliance with follow-up appointments increased with automated alerts so the patient will strictly follow the set post-visit instructions and follow-up care plan.

Conclusion

In conclusion, telehealth has revolutionized primary care delivery at Kaiser Permanente, improving access, patient engagement, and chronic disease management while streamlining workflows and reducing costs. Despite challenges like technology access, provider workload, and regulatory hurdles, thoughtful implementation and redesign have addressed many barriers. As we continue to refine telehealth practices, the focus remains on enhancing care quality and equity for all patients. Thank you for your time and attention to this important discussion.

References

Abernethy, A., Adams, L., Barrett, M., Bechtel, C., Brennan, P., Butte, A., Faulkner, J., Fontaine, E., Friedhoff, S., Halamka, J., Howell, M., Johnson, K., Long, P., McGraw, D., Miller, R., Lee, P., Perlin, J., Rucker, D., Sandy, L., & Savage, L. (2022). The promise of digital health: Then, now, and the future. NAM Perspectives, 6(22). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9499383/ 

Al-Alawy, K., & Moonesar, I. A. (2023). Perspective: Telehealth – beyond legislation and regulation. SAGE Open Medicine, 11(1), 205031212211432. https://doi.org/10.1177/20503121221143223 

Beheshti, L., Kalankesh, L. R., Doshmangir, L., & Farahbakhsh, M. (2022). Telehealth in primary health care: A scoping review of the literature. Perspectives in Health Information Management, 19(1), 1n. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9013222/ 

NURS FPX 8012 Assessment 1 Technology-Informatics Use in Your Practice Setting

Ezeamii, V. C., Okobi, O. E., Sani, H. W., Perera, G. S., Zaynieva, S., Okonkwo, C. C., Ohaiba, M. M., Enemali, P. C. W., Obodo, O. R., & Obiefuna, N. G. (2024). Revolutionizing healthcare: How telemedicine is improving patient outcomes and expanding access to care. Cureus, 16(7). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.63881 

Houser, S. H., Flite, C. A., & Foster, S. L. (2023). Privacy and security risk factors related to telehealth services – a systematic review. Perspectives in Health Information Management, 20(1), 1f. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9860467/ 

Kaiser Permanente. (2025). Telehealth is easy — here’s how it works. Healthy.kaiserpermanente.org. https://healthy.kaiserpermanente.org/learn/how-to-use-telehealth 

Shachar, C., Engel, J., & Elwyn, G. (2020). Implications for telehealth in a postpandemic future. JAMA, 323(23), 2375–2376. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2020.7943 

Teng, K., Russo, F., Kanuch, S. W., & Caron, A. (2022). Virtual care adoption—challenges and opportunities from the lens of academic primary care practitioners. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice, 28(6), 599–602. https://doi.org/10.1097/phh.0000000000001548 

NURS FPX 8012 Assessment 1 Technology-Informatics Use in Your Practice Setting

Zhang, X., & Saltman, R. (2021). Impact of electronic health records interoperability on telehealth service outcomes. JMIR Medical Informatics, 10(1), e31837. https://doi.org/10.2196/31837