Know My Voice - Part 12

We can integrate technology to enhance humanity in healthcare.

October 24, 2026

Technology is a tool. People can use technology to support cognitive needs. At a basic level, people need access to data and information to make decisions. However, those decisions must also be based on knowledge for the most effective outcomes.

For example, consider something as simple as the name of an over-the-counter medication. While many are familiar with the brand name of Tylenol, fewer are familiar that the active ingredient in the brand Tylenol, is acetaminophen. Acetaminophen is the generic name of the medication. Acetaminophen can be purchased over the counter as well as a generic brand, often located right next to the Tylenol. They both have the same active ingredient. However, the prices are often different. While not everyone is exposed to this knowledge, every nurse, pharmacist, doctor learns it as part of their educational preparation.

Now, what if there was a way to bridge this knowledge gap for patients and people who could use this insight while deciding about what medication to buy at CVS or Walgreens? This is a place where technology could be helpful to other humans by being a knowledge resource as it is unlikely the pharmacist could answer every over-the-counter medication question that comes through each day. In this example, the direct beneficiary would be the person (who may or may not be considered a patient at that time). Healthcare or the care of health is a daily ongoing event, not just when one needs to see a doctor or go to the hospital.

A second example where additional knowledge would be beneficial is in the hospital setting. In the example I am about to share, the direct beneficiary of the additional knowledge is the nurse. What you may or may not know is that nurses often are looking for equipment around the unit to assist with administering medications. Many intravenous medications require a piece of equipment called a syringe pump. Syringe pumps are notoriously hard to find on a patient care unit.

So, sometimes nurses, who know they will need a syringe pump will proactively seek one out ahead of the scheduled medication time. They may search supply rooms, empty rooms,and/or other places where there may be a syringe pump. There is no systematic way to identify this essential piece of equipment to deliver meds. The patient may never know the struggle the nurse is facing trying to make sure the medication is delivered on time.

If one is found, the nurse may opt to hide it somewhere for later. However, what if this did not have to happen? What if there was a way to tag the equipment and link it to a find my equipment search tool available for nurses across the hospital? We know the technology exists. We know there is a need. The benefit would be to the nurses directly and indirectly to the patients.

I just offered two very simple examples of how humans could benefit from more knowledge to make informed decisions. The additional knowledge can come through technology solutions that would benefit the person or user seeking out answers. While these two examples are relatively simple in terms of the problem, they do represent the approach that offers a human need for an answer that can be supported through technology. We must keep this perspective in mind as new technologies are presented that may or may not be solving a problem faced by a human.

Perseverance is an essential characteristic when embarking on something new.

I was a PhD student for 4 years. Some students took 5 years to complete the degree. Yet, I knew I wouldn’t be able to sustain a fifth year. I needed to finish in 4 years. I spent the first two years of the program trying to demonstrate that there was value in studying nursing documentation. More specifically, I studied the information needs of nurses before and after an electronic nursing documentation system implementation. I remember being in a class one day and the professor looked at me and said, “no one cares about nursing documentation”. Ouch!

My first paper wasn’t accepted until I was in my 3rd year of the program. Yet, it was accepted with very little changes required to the Journal of Nursing Scholarship. That paper was what caught the attention of a publisher that led to them asking me to write my book, Electronic Health Records for Quality Nursing and Health Care. (So, it turns out MANY people care about nursing documentation… 😉 ). I applied for many external grants before finally figuring out the best way to present the case. I worked tirelessly every day. After that, I had several grants funded with a total of 7 by the end of my PhD program.

I remember thinking (often) ‘would it really happen, would I finally get this PhD degree?’ I also remember thinking it had to be preparing me for something else that would come. I couldn’t think of any other reason why it was so painful and difficult for that long of a time frame. That something else was entrepreneurship. Starting a business from an idea (e.g., Nightingale Apps) requires extensive perseverance (and many other characteristics). Instead of being in one academic setting, your ecosystem is much larger with greater variability in perspective. There aren’t set protocols and when you have something brand new, (e.g., Know My Patient), there isn’t a path already paved for you to follow. You need to be the one to figure it out. You also need to decide who and what to listen to as you go down this path. Everyone will have an opinion but you’ll need to decide which one(s) are aligned with your vision.

“The truth is, there is only so far ‘motivation’ can carry you and your vision when you are in the grind (especially in the early days). People watch you from afar, some half-expecting you to fail, and after all the good wishes and pep talks, you are only left with yourself — and your willingness to keep going.”

https://www.goalcast.com/2017/12/01/secrets-persevering-when-all-you-want-to-do-is-give-up/

Post originally appeared on Dr. Tiffany Kelley RN on December 4th, 2017