Usefulness of Information and Communication Technologies: Portuguese Nurses’ Look

Abstract

Objective to identify nurses’ perception on the usefulness of information and communication technologies in their professional practice, as well as in communication among the multidisciplinary team. Method this is a quantitative, descriptive study, of exploratory character, carried through with 3.451 nurses from 36 hospital institutions of Portugal. A questionnaire was used as a data collection instrument. In data analysis, using SPSS® resorted to descriptive statistics. Results of the nine technologies under study, we found that regarding their usefulness in professional practice, nurses qualified as useful or very useful: Intranet (84.3%), email (79.5%), SClínico® (74.8%), Nursing Practice Support System (70.9%), Physician Support System (63.2%), newsletter (62.9), ALERT® (59.4%), Health Data Platform (42.8%) and SONHO® (31.8). Regarding its usefulness in communication among the multidisciplinary team, nurses qualified as useful or very useful: email (75.2%), Intranet (74.2%), SClínico (72.5%), Nursing Practice Support System (67.1%), Physician Support System (63.6%), ALERT® (58.9%), newsletter (57.2), Health Data Platform (40.1%) and SONHO® (29.4%). Conclusion despite the usefulness of technologies presenting relevant percentages, it is pertinent to analyze why nurses’ perceived usefulness is superior to Intranet and email when compared with specific technologies of care data used in the hospital context.

Digital Platform for Management of Special Immunobiologicals in Primary Health Care

“…ConectAPS-CRIE's intention is to replace filling out requests for immunobiological on paper or electronic mail, as it is a technological resource produced specifically for this purpose. Although some nurses may express a preference for using electronic mail in relation to specific user care record interface technologies, it is not necessarily the most appropriate 24 .…”

Plataforma Digital Para Gerenciamento De Imunobiológicos Especiais Na Atenção Primária À Saúde

“…A intenção da plataforma ConectAPS-CRIE é de substituir o preenchimento das solicitações de imunobiológicos em papel ou correio eletrônico, visto tratar-se de recurso tecnológico produzido especificamente com essa finalidade. Embora alguns enfermeiros possam manifestar preferência pelo uso do correio eletrônico em relação às tecnologias específicas de interface de registros da assistência aos usuários, ele não é necessariamente o mais adequado 24 .…”

Uso de tecnologias de informação e comunicação: estudo quantitativo com enfermeiros gestores hospitalares

“…It is also worth noting that, in an investigation carried out in Portugal on the usefulness of ICT in nursing practice, the factors that conditioned the appreciation of SClí-nico®, which in this country is the technology that incorporates items that translate the nursing process and the nurses' work plan, referred to the complexity and inadequacy of the technology to some work contexts, the lack of knowledge about the technology, as well as the time required to perform the records (16) . Although information and communication technologies constitute, when properly used, excellent working tools, the lack of knowledge about them conditions their use, as well as the exploitation of all their potential (17) . In view of the above, it is emphasized that the use of technologies aimed at communication is indispensable nowadays in health services.…”