Visit Health IT Legislation: 21st Century Cures Act (Links to an external site.). Review a law related to Health Care IT and Medical Informatics. Please address the following in your analysis:
- What is the problem that the law or regulation is trying to solve?
- What is the purpose of the law or regulation?
- Who benefits from the legislation?
- How does this legislation impact nurses?
Please be sure to validate your opinions and ideas with citations and references in APA format.
Expert Solution Preview
Introduction:
As a medical professor, it is essential to keep up-to-date with current regulations and laws related to healthcare IT and medical informatics. The 21st Century Cures Act is a significant legislation passed by the United States Congress in 2016 that aims to address various problems related to healthcare IT. In this analysis, we will discuss the problem that the law tries to solve, the purpose of the law, who benefits from the legislation, and how it impacts nurses.
Problem:
The healthcare industry was facing various issues related to healthcare IT, including slow adoption of electronic health records (EHRs), interoperability issues, and cybersecurity risks. The 21st Century Cures Act addresses these problems by emphasizing the adoption and implementation of EHRs, improving the sharing of patient health information among healthcare providers, and ensuring the security of patient data.
Purpose:
The main purpose of the 21st Century Cures Act is to improve the quality of patient care by investing in healthcare innovation, including healthcare IT. The legislation emphasizes the use of EHRs to streamline healthcare processes and improve patient outcomes. Additionally, the law aims to speed up the process of getting new drugs and medical devices approved by the FDA.
Beneficiaries:
The 21st Century Cures Act benefits patients, healthcare providers, researchers, and healthcare IT vendors. Patients will benefit from improved quality of care, quicker access to new treatments, and a more streamlined healthcare process. Healthcare providers will benefit from easier access to patient data and improved interoperability among EHRs.
Impact on Nurses:
The legislation has a significant impact on nurses as they are front-line caregivers who play a vital role in patient care. The 21st Century Cures Act encourages the adoption of EHRs, which can help nurses to document patient data more efficiently, which can free up their time to focus on patient care. Additionally, the improved sharing of patient information can help nurses to provide more personalized care and make informed decisions.
In conclusion, the 21st Century Cures Act is a significant piece of healthcare legislation that aims to improve patient care through healthcare IT and innovation. The law addresses several problems that the healthcare industry was facing and benefits multiple stakeholders, including patients, healthcare providers, researchers, and healthcare IT vendors. Nurses, as front-line caregivers, benefit from the legislation by improving the quality of patient care and streamlining the healthcare process.