At a time when digital environments are changing care delivery, the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) has released a new best practice guideline (BPG) to support nurses and interprofessional health teams in their practice. Titled Clinical Practice in a Digital Health Environment, this BPG features evidence-based recommendations to support care across settings and sectors to improve people’s health outcomes and equity.
“Nurses and other health providers are increasingly using digital health technologies powered by Artificial Intelligence and Deep Machine Learning, in practice; and this BPG provides a roadmap to ensure high quality and equitable care regardless of setting,” said Dr Doris Grinspun, RNAO CEO and Founder of the world-renowned BPG programme. The guideline also outlines the many resources available to guide the implementation of the recommendations and evaluate their impact within organisations. “We look forward to supporting the work of all health professionals, teams, organisations and systems as they apply this novel BPG into clinical practice to provide safe, quality care using advanced technology, such as predictive analytics,” added Grinspun.
The BPG’s interprofessional expert panel was co-chaired by the late Dr Vanessa Burkoski, former Chief Nursing Executive and Chief of People Strategy at Humber River Health, and Maureen Charlebois, Chief Nursing and Clinical Officer at Bayshore HealthCare. This guideline is dedicated to Burkoski, who passed away in August 2023.
“This BPG is a testament to the legacy and vision of Dr Burkoski, who once said ‘ensuring nurses have all the tools to deliver the best quality and safest care’ was important to her,” said Grinspun. “It was her idea to develop this guideline. Its recommendations will help nurses and other health providers feel confident while providing person-centred care alongside new and emerging technology. We honour Dr Burkoski, her knowledge and expertise as the co-chair of this important BPG.”