Improved communication

Better Communication Via Email Between Practitioners and Patients

One thing that I would like to see in the future of nursing is more computer or technology based communication between nurses and patients or doctors and patients.    I feel that a number of questions could be answered via emails and would not require a doctor’s visit.  I also think that pre surgery and post surgery would be an excellent time to send emails to patients regarding their procedure.  Prior to the surgery you could send an email in which they could fill out their history.  You could remind them of when and where they needed to be and educate them on being NPO or other special instructions. They could also send patients links explaining the procedure and how it would be performed. Post surgery doctors can send reminders about post surgical care and precautions.  They can remind them of their follow up visits and answer questions that they might have. 

Another way that I would like the internet to be used for patient care is to have on line support groups.  Instead of having to go and sit in a room with strangers this is a way for people to share and not have to leave their house.  Some people won’t go because they are afraid of being judged or afraid that they might run into those people at a store, in the internet world you can share your thoughts and feeling but still be anonymous.  I think more people would be will to seek help if they could do it from the comforts of their own home where they don’t have to be uncomfortable sitting next to a stranger.

Webliography

Webliography for Multiple Myeloma

                As an Oncology nurse I come into contact with many different types of cancer when caring for my patients.  There is one cancer that has intrigued me, yet I know very little about.  The cancer is multiple myeloma. When most people think of cancer they think of solid tumors in the breast, colon, liver or other parts of the body.  Most people are also aware of leukemia, which are cancers of the blood, but most people have not heard of multiple myeloma.

                Multiple myeloma is cancer of the plasma cells.  Plasma cells are what make the antibodies that help our body attack and kill germs that could do us harm.  When the plasma cells are not working properly they reproduce too much and crowd out the normal blood cells that can lead to anemia, thrombocytopenia, and leukopenia which put your body at risk for fatigue and weakness, bleeding, and infection.  Because this is a cancer of a cell developed in the bone the cells can make a solid tumor called a plasmacytoma in the bone.

The risk of getting multiple myeloma is about 1 in 161. After diagnosis the treatments are a lot like other cancers, with the use of chemotherapy.  Multiple myeloma also has other treatment options such as biologic therapy, steroids, and stem cell transplant.  The following web sites and databases provide newly diagnosed patients with valuable information that can help them in their journey with treatment and care as they struggle for remission.

The sites that I selected are based on the value and accuracy of the information provided.  Some of the sites are from well established, well known cancer research centers, while others are from major universities with a special area of study in multiple myeloma.   Each site had to share the same basic information about the disease while also providing a firm understanding of the treatment process.  Each site was not written by one individual but rather as a group or organization.  This does not allow for one opinion but rather factual information. 

Web Sites:

The American Cancer Society is the first site that I chose.  There are many pages that you can travel to on this web page, links to other information about multiple myeloma.  The address is:

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_1X_What_is_multiple_myeloma_30.asp?sitearea

The intended audience for this information is for those that are diagnosed and seeking more information as well as healthcare workers that wish to further their knowledge.

This site provides information about the disease basics.  They discuss who is at risk, the rate of incidence, the signs and symptoms of the disease and treatments.  This site discussed at great length the many different treatment options and details about those treatments.  It also provided information about other resources that would be helpful to those seeking more information.

The second website that I chose is the International Myeloma Foundation.  This site provided a printable handbook for patients with information about multiple myeloma.  The address is:

http://myeloma.org/Main.action

This website provides information to an audience of newly diagnosed, caregivers, as well as health professionals. 

On this website you will find a printable patient handbook that tells about the disease and treatment options.  This website also has a link to clinical trials, support groups, and research.  There is a link from the main page for webcasts as well as an area for healthcare professionals to find seminars and workshops about multiple myeloma.  I liked this website because it shows information gathered around the world about this disease and the current treatment plans.

The third website that I chose was University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy.  I chose this site because of it location.  It is a research center that is located close to our hospital and our patients.  The website has good information about myeloma as well as what the university research center as to offer patients.   The address is:

http://myeloma.uams.edu/

The intended audience for this website is patients that have been newly diagnosed as well as those that have been through treatment and they are not in remission.

This website offers the basic information about the disease, multiple myeloma.  From this site you can learn what this research center offers patients as well as learn about the staff that would be taking care of you as the patient.  At this website you can also see their treatment models and the success that they have had.  From this website there is a link that patients can go to about seeking treatment far away from home. 

The last website that I chose is the National Cancer Institute, U.S. National Institute of Health. This website has multiple links that can provide useful information.  The address is:

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/types/myeloma

The intended audience for this site is newly diagnosed patients and healthcare workers.

This website, while you can get the basics of the disease, provides information about treatment courses and clinical trials.  From this site you can also find links to cancer literature and research.  This site also provides a link for Spanish speaking patients to seek information.  There is also a dictionary of cancer terms and drug information on this website.

Databases

The first database that I found is the disease database.  This database has up to date links to multiple websites and journals for information.   The address is:

http://www.diseasedatabase.com/search_engines.asp?glngUserChoice=8628

                The intended audience for this information is patients and healthcare professionals.

                This database has the different names that multiple myeloma is known as and different resources that they have links to.  Within this database there are links to the US National Library of Medicine, Medical databases, dictionaries, and online textbooks.  The site can look overwhelming but is full of many helpful links that a patient or healthcare worker could find helpful.

Another database that I found useful was the NLM Directory of Health Organizations.  This database provides the names of many organizations that research multiple myeloma. The address is:

http://dirline.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/sis/search

                The intended audience for this database is patients as well as healthcare professionals.

                This database had links to organization that can help patients research their disease and their treatment options.  Many of the links are websites that were acknowledged above in the website section of this article.  Each site has their own information that would be helpful for those that are diagnosed with multiple myeloma.

                I found many more websites that provided useful information for patients, caregivers, and healthcare professionals.  Because of the research and mass amount of factual knowledge about multiple myeloma I did not come across any websites that did not seem professional and filled with good information.

Nursing Informatic

Nursing informatics is the combination of health care and computers along with medical personal working together to further knowledge about and for our patients.  Through the use of clinical standards and guidelines for the care of our clients in combination with computers we are now able to care for our patients better.  The ability to share information through an electronic health record, educate nurses, and create a common language is the core of health care informatics.  The ability for all involved to speak and understand each other in a common medical language so that the best care for a client is provided is essential in our technically advanced world we live in today.   The realm of health care informatics is always evolving due to advances in technology and the standardization of health care practices. 

Within the first week of entering a class about health care informatics I learned more about Electronic Health Records and common terms that are computer based.  I did not know prior to this class that URL stood for Universal Resource Locator. I also did not realize that the government plays such as active role in the health record.  An example of this is the Department of Defense plays apart in the security of our health records.  I learned that the government has not mandated the use of an EHR but recommends the use of one.  I had always understood that this was an issue that the government was forcing upon hospitals and doctors. 

This class has been very interesting so for and with more weeks ahead I know I will be learning so much more.

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