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. My name is _________, and today I will be presenting on the transformative role of telehealth, particularly focusing on remote consultations within primary care, with an emphasis on its implementation at Kaiser Permanente. As DNP-prepared nurses, incorporating technology into our clinical practice is vital for enhancing patient care, optimizing workflows, and driving positive organizational outcomes. This discussion highlights the advantages of telehealth—including increased access, patient engagement, and improved chronic disease management—while also examining the challenges associated with its adoption, such as technological limitations, reimbursement concerns, and workflow restructuring.

Evaluating the Advantages of Telehealth in a Primary Care Setting

Telehealth has emerged as a critical bridge between patients and providers, improving healthcare delivery and patient outcomes in primary care environments. At Kaiser Permanente, telehealth has been effectively embedded into clinical operations, resulting in noticeable improvements across multiple aspects of care delivery (Kaiser Permanente, 2025). One of the primary benefits is its ability to serve patients in remote or underserved areas, eliminating geographical barriers by enabling virtual consultations from patients’ homes.

For instance, individuals with limited mobility benefit from virtual appointments, minimizing the need for travel, which became particularly essential during the COVID-19 pandemic due to heightened infection risks (Beheshti et al., 2022). Additionally, telehealth significantly enhances chronic disease management, providing patients with consistent care for conditions such as diabetes and hypertension. Kaiser Permanente’s telehealth platform supports remote monitoring of patient metrics like blood pressure and glucose levels, enabling providers to make timely clinical adjustments (Ezeamii et al., 2024).

Moreover, telehealth fosters greater patient participation and satisfaction. Flexible scheduling options and reduced wait times encourage more frequent patient-provider interactions. The virtual format also reduces patient expenses related to transportation and missed work. On an organizational level, telehealth reduces overhead costs associated with physical infrastructure and administrative resources (Beheshti et al., 2022). Kaiser Permanente has reinvested these cost savings into further technological advancements to improve their telehealth systems.

Furthermore, telehealth enhances continuity of care and promotes effective interprofessional collaboration. By integrating telehealth platforms with Electronic Health Records (EHRs), providers can share comprehensive patient data with specialists, improving care coordination and minimizing care fragmentation. Kaiser Permanente’s experience demonstrates that telehealth positively transforms primary care by improving accessibility, chronic disease outcomes, patient engagement, operational costs, and multidisciplinary communication (Kaiser Permanente, 2025).

Identifying Barriers to Telehealth Implementation in a Primary Care Setting

Despite its many advantages, telehealth adoption in primary care settings, such as those at Kaiser Permanente, encounters several obstacles that can limit its effectiveness. These challenges arise from patient, provider, and organizational perspectives, requiring comprehensive strategies to overcome.

From the patient standpoint, limited access to digital devices and inadequate technological literacy remain significant barriers. Older adults and individuals from low-income households may lack the necessary resources or skills to effectively engage in virtual care, thereby widening healthcare disparities (Beheshti et al., 2022). Kaiser Permanente encountered these challenges when rolling out virtual care programs, noting that some patients lacked suitable devices or reliable internet connections for teleconsultations.

On the provider side, clinicians have raised concerns regarding increased workload and potential compromises in clinical quality. Technical issues and additional documentation demands can make telehealth visits time-consuming (Teng et al., 2022). Some Kaiser Permanente primary care providers noted that while telemedicine is effective for follow-ups and minor consultations, it may hinder thorough physical assessments, reducing diagnostic accuracy.

Organizational challenges include ensuring compatibility between telehealth platforms and existing EHR systems, which often requires substantial investment in new infrastructure (Teng et al., 2022). For example, Kaiser Permanente invested considerable resources in upgrading patient record systems to integrate features like remote patient monitoring and secure messaging. Additionally, maintaining secure data storage, staff training, and regulatory compliance presents ongoing financial and operational demands.

From a policy perspective, inconsistencies in reimbursement rates between in-person and virtual services deter widespread telehealth adoption. Furthermore, cross-state licensing restrictions limit providers’ ability to offer telehealth services to out-of-state patients (Shachar et al., 2020). Kaiser Permanente’s telehealth initiatives encountered these regulatory challenges, particularly when expanding services beyond state borders.

Lastly, privacy and data security remain pressing concerns for both patients and organizations. Telehealth platforms house sensitive personal health information, making them potential targets for cyberattacks (Houser et al., 2023). Adhering to regulations like the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires continuous monitoring and financial investment, posing additional organizational burdens.

Workflow Redesign for Telehealth Integration in Primary Care

To address these inefficiencies, Kaiser Permanente initiated a workflow redesign targeting operational challenges such as cumbersome scheduling processes, fragmented communication, and the difficulty of integrating telehealth data into existing EHR systems. Previously, scheduling telehealth appointments was disorganized, leading to patient confusion and missed virtual visits. A significant issue involved verifying patient technology readiness, which often delayed consultations.

Providers reported obstacles including incomplete patient records and insufficient technical preparation before telehealth appointments. Additionally, the lack of integration between telehealth systems and EHRs resulted in tedious manual data entry, increasing the risk of documentation errors (Al-Alawy & Moonesar, 2023).

To remedy these issues, Kaiser Permanente introduced an automated appointment booking system through the patient portal, offering telehealth consultations based on patient preference and sending automated reminders. A pre-visit technology readiness assessment was implemented, evaluating patients’ device and internet capabilities. Provider preparation was improved by supplying patient information, pre-visit surveys, and medical histories before each appointment.

Integrating telehealth platforms with EHR systems enabled real-time documentation during consultations, reducing administrative burdens and enhancing data accuracy (Zhang & Saltman, 2021). Additionally, an automated follow-up system provided patients with post-visit instructions, medication reminders, and scheduling options for subsequent visits.

This redesigned workflow notably improved operational efficiency by streamlining scheduling and preparation processes, reducing session interruptions, and enhancing overall patient experience (Abernethy et al., 2022). Providers benefited from timely access to complete patient information, improving diagnostic precision. Automated follow-ups increased adherence to care plans, fostering better clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction.

Conclusion

In summary, telehealth has reshaped primary care delivery at Kaiser Permanente by increasing care accessibility, enhancing patient participation, improving chronic disease management, and streamlining operational workflows. Although challenges such as technology limitations, provider workload, and regulatory restrictions persist, thoughtful workflow redesign and strategic investment have successfully mitigated many of these barriers. As healthcare systems continue to refine telehealth models, the overarching goal remains to ensure equitable, high-quality care for all patients through digital innovation.

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

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

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/

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). The evolving landscape of telehealth: Regulatory and privacy challenges. Journal of Health Information Management, 37(1), 14–21.

Kaiser Permanente. (2025). Annual telehealth report. Retrieved from https://about.kaiserpermanente.org

Shachar, C., Engel, J., & Elwyn, G. (2020). Implications for telehealth under COVID-19: Regulatory and privacy issues. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 27(11), 1816–1818. https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocaa174

Teng, M., Alqasemi, R., & Wang, R. (2022). Telemedicine in primary care: Barriers and challenges for widespread adoption. BMC Health Services Research, 22(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-07937-9

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

Zhang, Z., & Saltman, R. B. (2021). Redesigning health care delivery systems for telemedicine integration: Frameworks and strategies. International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 36(4), 1153–1166. https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.3140