Information Systems and the Gap That Exists Between Research and Clinical Practice

The article entitled “Information Systems Can Prevent Errors and Improve Quality” demonstrates translation from good science into practice as an ongoing issue within the health care sector. Based on research studies, medical mistakes represent the eighth leading cause of death with one-fourth of all outpatients encountering medication errors (Balas, 2001, p. 398). It is therefore imperative to implement a computer system to reduce the likelihood of such errors.

Research in health care quality revealed that “science is bypassed despite all the good intentions. Expert consensus is widely recognized as the weakest and shakiest type of evidence in linking procedures to outcomes” (Balas, 2001, p. 398). This serves as a mere representation of the gap that exists in scientifically based research and its application to practice as expert consensus fails to provide a substantial level of evidence. Bates and his colleagues proclaim that patient safety could be improved through computerization by having health information systems demand values for certain fields including dose, frequency, and route to prevent any potential medication errors (Balas, 2001, p. 398). Since it takes about 17 years to apply research to practice, the implementation of a state-of-the-art computer system will make the process more efficient (Balas, 2001, p. 399).

To bridge the gap between research and practice, a new role must be developed. The provision of a permanent research presence within a clinical team has been applied to local mental health services through recovery intervention (Molodynski, Anderson, Thomas, and Forrest, 2013, p.1). Donabedian’s assessment and monitoring measures both improvements in health care as well as computerization that entails “measures of structure (like number of terminals per resident), process (like rate of emergency room admissions), and outcome of care, including health status parameters (like hemoglobin A1c), measures of social functioning (like school absenteeism), and measures of patient satisfaction” (Balas, 2001, p. 298). Research must, therefore, incorporate pathological forms of attachment so clinicians could understand the link to such findings (Frankel, 2008, p. 269).

References

Balas, E. A. (2001). Information systems can prevent errors and improve quality. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 8(4), 398-399.

Molodynski, A., Anderson, C., Thomas, J., and Forrest, A. (2013). Bridging the gap between research and clinical practice. HSJ.Co.Uk. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1428186506?accountid=32521

Frankel, K. A. (2008). Attachment theory in clinical work with children: Bridging the gap between research and practice. The American Journal of Psychiatry, 165(2), 269-270. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/220471528?accountid=32521