ABSTRACT
Keeping current in today’s ever-changing healthcare world can be challenging for providers, staff , and organizations. Healthcare is not maintained in a bubble but is aff ected by many aspects, including technology, regulations, and reimbursement. Th ese are just some areas about which healthcare workers must stay abreast. Technology seems to expand faster than the average person can comprehend. Computers, e-mails, cell phones, text messaging, and electronic imaging are examples of the way techno logy impacts our lives. No sooner do we purchase a computer system than it is replaced by something newer and more advanced. In addition, technology has aff ected how we communicate. No longer is it necessary to have face-to-face meetings when we can “meet” in a virtual setting. Th is ability has allowed communication to occur across various time zones without the need for travel, as well as for quicker dissemination of information and for decisions to be made more rapidly. In addition to the changes in technology, healthcare regulations and reimbursement are frequently adjusted or amended. Considering technology adds to the ability to modify and distribute these changes, keeping current is even more crucial. Physicians, nurses, and case managers are challenged by these changes. Clinicians not only need to stay abreast of medical and scientifi c aspects of healthcare, they also must understand and keep current of how technology and regulations aff ect their roles. How does an electronic record aff ect data entry and chart documentation? How do regulations such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) aff ect these clinical roles as they need to share information while maintaining compliance? How do physicians, nurses, and case managers keep current with government regulations and institute changes into their workfl ows? Th ese are just some of the questions one may ask when
considering various changes in healthcare. However, clinicians should not think they are alone in this challenge. Understanding diff erent healthcare roles and how they intertwine can help the process of keeping current with change. Knowing, or at least partially understanding, others’ roles can provide a resource for one’s own role regarding whom to go to with questions and ideas. As clinicians in various roles collaborate, they can successfully overcome the challenges found in healthcare’s dynamic setting. Collaboration provides an opportunity for people in various disciplines to work together to create positive outcomes.
