HTML and Website Development for Nursing Informatics - Research Paper Example

HTML and Website Development for Nursing Informatics Mankind has always been set apart by the ability to communicate in complex ways, allowing humans to create and build more than any other species in history. Modern internet technology has provided greater tools than ever before to help people communicate, and the internet now appears in virtually every area of society from work to recreation. The development of websites, including a variety of programming languages and a backbone of HTML, has created new routes through which nurses can communicate and interact with their patients in a variety of settings. Nursing informatics is a field that seeks to apply new technologies, such as websites, to nursing in order to improve the patient experience. In order to effectively develop websites and HTML for nursing, a fundamental understanding of website development, an innovative concept how multimedia can foster interaction between patients and healthcare professionals, and firm grasp of the particular challenges of nursing documentation that websites can help to improve are all necessary. By combining these elements, nurses embrace technology and take a forward-looking approach to patient care. Many different types of coding are now used to make websites, giving website creators almost unlimited potential in design. With the development of interactive websites, the potential for websites as tools for interaction with patients has grown exponentially. The basic language used in websites is called Hyper Text Markup Language, which is not actually a programming language, but instead it is what is commonly referred to as a markup language. A markup language contains tags and text, and basically serves as a set of rules that help other programs—such as browsers—to interpret how the text should be displayed (Refnes, 2010, p.2). The information found on a webpage lives on powerful computers called servers. When a nurse or patient connects to the internet and types in an address, they are sending out a request for data from a certain location, and it is important that all professionals have a basic understanding of how the internet and the networks used in their workplace function (Turner, 2005, p.5-7). Fundamental understanding of how this system works is critical when working with web development companies or on-staff web developers in order create HTML pages that are effective for nursing. Since HTML is only a markup language, it does not actually contain elements such as images, animations, audio, and video. Instead it serves as a roadmap that points a user’s browser towards where these types of data are housed on a server, and the HTML tags display the image as if it were part of the HTML page. This allows the user to see a cohesive page, as if from a book or magazine, that is actually a composite of many different elements. Images used on the web are normally low resolution, meaning that they have a small size and fast transfer time, and are normally Joint Photographic Experts Group format (JPEG) and Graphics Interchange Format (GIF). Similarly, HTML does not actually contain text of different types; instead it directs the browser to display text in different sizes, fonts, and colors on the user’s screen (Macura, 2010, p.1). HTML is a guide that allows information to be displayed in an organized manner that the user can easily navigate. Many design styles exist, but it is important that the information on a webpage always be easily accessible for the patient in order to get the most from an HTML page. Although HTML pages served as the first source of content on the internet, and are still widely applicable, development of multimedia that allows interaction is paramount in improving patient care. This includes a wide variety of systems such as those that allow nurses to enter patient information digitally, patients to access health information from remote location, or forms that allow patients to communicate with health care professionals from different locations. In order to accomplish the level of interaction and functionality necessary to make a webpage useful, a variety of coding can be used. Programming languages such as PHP, Perl, and Java allow developers to create dynamic content, or content that responds to the user, such as forms and surveys. Animation and streaming video, often in Motion Pictures Experts Group format (MPEG), can be an excellent way to provide information or tutorials to patients. Small programs located on a webpage called applets, may be programmed in Java or JavaScript, and can be used to provide useful tools such as medication dosage calculators, self-diagnosis tools, and much more (Macura, 2010, p.1). Applets are often inexpensive to have developed, and can greatly add to the patient experience on a webpage. In order to truly innovate, one must have an understanding of the technologies available and the capabilities of those technologies. For many years, nursing documentation has been a handwritten account of nurse-patient interaction as well as insurance documentation and plans for future care, but this method does little to standardize records. Additionally, searching for records can become time consuming and require vast amounts of space to house patient files. The United States healthcare system, and many others worldwide, are taking action to move all healthcare records to digital formats, and beginning with initiative created under the direction of President Bush, all medical records are to be in electronic format within ten years (Stein and Deese, 2004, p.273-275). Websites can allow internal searching and indexing of medical records, and easier access to individual records for patients and insurance companies. The integration of websites based in HTML markup language into the nursing practice has many benefits, allowing patients, insurance companies, and healthcare workers to more easily access records and to communicate more effectively. In order for nurses to be involved in creating innovative new nursing informatics solutions that web-based in nature, nurses must understand the basics of HTML and website development, the interactive media that is incorporated into HTML pages and its capabilities, and the improvements that can be offered by the use of webpages in managing nursing documentation. Embracing the communication tool offered by websites is critical to the future of the nursing practice. References Macura, Katarzyna M.D. (2010). Part 5: Multimedia on the Internet. RSNA Informatics: Solutions for Quality and Efficiency. Retrieved 13 September from http://www.rsna.org/Technology/internet5-1.cfm. Refnes, D. (2010). HTML Basics. W3 Schools Online Course Material. Retrieved 13 September from http://www.w3schools.com/html/html_intro.asp. Stein, M. and Deese, D. (2004). Addressing the Next Decade of Nursing Challenges. Nursing Economics, 22(5), 273-279. Turner, Laura. (2005). Twenty Technology Skills Every Educator Should Have. The Journal: Transforming Education Through technology. Retrieved 13 September from http://thejournal.com/articles/2005/06/01/20-technology-skills-every-educator-should-have.aspx. Read More