In healthcare, modern technology is necessary to help facilitate patient care. Various clinical systems are utilized, from point-of-care testing to electronic healthcare records. When facilities introduce new methods, stakeholders are involved in creating a systems development life cycle (SDLC). With SDLC, there a various types; waterfall, rapid application development (RAD), object-oriented systems development (OODS), and dynamic system development method (DSDM). SDLC addresses a problem or need, creates a plan, implements the system, reviews and evaluates, and sometimes destroys it if it is impractical. The waterfall approach is linear, where each step must be accomplished before moving on to the next. Rapid application development is a faster method incorporating functionality and user testing. Object-oriented systems utilize incorporate data from the system to test their effectiveness. Last is DSDM, where the SDLC is very interactive and involves much user involvement.
In most healthcare facilities, patients have rights, one of which ensures that patients are provided their healthcare information in methods and language they can understand. Per the patients’ bill of rights, patients have the right to “receive complete information about diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis from the physician, in terms that are easily understood. If it is medically inadvisable to give such information to you, it will be given to a legally authorized representative” (Department of Health and Human Services, 2021).
In my facility in 2018, they implemented an SDLC as RAD by introducing My Accessible Real-Time Trusted Interpreter (MARTTI) (Gritman, 2019). The system “provides language access to help connect, communicate, and provide excellent care to your limited English proficient, Deaf, and hard-of-hearing individual” (MARTTI, 2023 ). The tablet system provides real-time interpretation in various languages, including American Sign Language. Patient representatives from my facility brought the system around to multiple units. They had them actively use the service in front of the patients requiring the MARRTTI. It was instrumental in using the nurses with the team to use the system as they are usually the first encounter with the patients. Having the nurses use the system first and ensuring they know how to effectively use the system to provide accurate communication with communication determinates. Additionally, getting the nurses’ input is crucial since they communicate with patients more often than other healthcare members. With the MARTTI system needing to incorporate the nursing staff who need to use it, it could impend vital feedback between the facility and the nursing staff.
Utilizing the RAD SDLC approach let me and other nurses immediately implement the MARTTI in real-time. Over time the MARRIT is updated as improvements are needed. Since I function in an emergency room, the RAD approach lets me and other nurses use the MARRTI right when they need it. When there are instances in my unit where there are issues connecting to the services or a particular language is unavailable. The nursing staff can and does inform the facility consistently when there are shortfalls in the system. Generally, as a nurse and interacting with the patients, I provided considerably enhanced care to my patients. I ensured they had their needs addressed during the care visits. I could provide feedback on improved patient care with the system when it ran smoothly. I had delayed care for my patients due to a long wait for an interpreter. Since the enactment of MARTTI, vast improvements in patient care have increased the unit’s efficiency.
References
Department of Health and Human Services. (2021, May 24). Patient Bill of Rights | Clinical center home page. Clinical Center Clinical Center. Retrieved April 21, 2023, from https://clinicalcenter.nih.gov/participate/patientinfo/legal/bill_of_rights.html
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