Patient Outcomes and Theory

Practicum Objective There is a high degree of interrelation between theory, practice and research. Research is the starting point. It involves the gathering of knowledge, and then this knowledge is used to build theories. The theories are then put to the test, first in the research process and then if that is successful theories are put into practice in the real world. Real world practice then becomes the basis for the next round of observation, theory development and is also utilized for research.

The three end up being something of a cycle, where each of the three elements supports the others, in the next iteration of the cycle. The relationship is not linear, but more circular, and the different elements feed back into each other, and can do so at any time. Practice can reference research, which turns into theory, and that theory can be tested either with practice or research.

It is important to realize that these relationships flow between each other, and do so constantly (NATRI, 2006) The first step in resolving practice discrepancies is to have a system by which those discrepancies can be identified. Then the source of the discrepancy needs to be determined. The objective of this is to learn from the discrepancies and ensure that the are resolve going forward. Basically, setting standards is an important part of quality control, because in theory those standards should foster an environment where mistakes are seldom made.

But when there are deviations in performance from the standard, being able to identify those quickly and then pinpoint the cause is important. One of the keys to this process is to understand what the acceptable standards are, so that if patient outcomes are not meeting those standards, that is the point at which problems can be identified. By measuring against standards, it will be easier to identify those processes that are not meeting the acceptable standards. Remedial action can be taken and the organization can improve its overall performance. 2.

It is important to have safeguards in all aspects of patient care. As valuable as a decision-support system can be, the system itself merely processes information. If the input is inaccurate, for example, the output will be too. So in addition to making sure that the software is accurate through testing, it is important to recognize that human error is a significant source of error, even when using technology or something like a decision-support system.

Techniques like training on new technology and ensuring high levels of competency, as well as understanding the risks that go with using it, will go a long way to reducing the risk of human error (Dhillon, 2008). But the technological tools that are used in the health care setting, if used properly, should reduce the error rate. For example, a decision-making tool with respect to drugs has more information about drug interactions than most practitioners would have stored in their heads.

As such, it should reduce the likelihood of two compatible drugs being prescribed for the same patient. That is one of the most important roles that information technology plays in improving patient care outcomes -- as a store.