Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory

Module #7 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

Lesson title: NURSING INFORMATION SYSTEM: THE Materials:

INTERNET Electronic gadget, pen, & notebook

Learning Targets: References:

At the end of the module, students will be able to:
1. Identify the protocols that make use of the internet possible; Calano, Roel B. & Del Rio, Fernando. (2017).
2. Outline the ways in evaluating information obtained on the Health informatics: An illustrative approach
internet; (1st ed.)
3. Discuss how consumer use of the internet has changed
healthcare delivery; and, Saba, Virginia & McCormick, Kathleen.
4. Identify other uses of WWW technology. (2006). Essential of nursing informatics (4th
ed.). McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.

A. LESSON PREVIEW/REVIEW

WORD SCRAMBLE: Answer the worksheet by rearranging the scrambled letters to form a word. Words are related to the
topic.

1. T I N E E N R T _______________________________
2. E S E W T I B _______________________________
3. S E R W O R B _______________________________
4. N I A D M O _______________________________
5. N A R N I T E T _______________________________
6. E R N T A X E T S _______________________________
7. L A R P O T S _______________________________
8. T R C M E A O L L N I E C _______________________________
9. F M A A W E R L S _______________________________
10. O E G L G O _______________________________

B. MAIN LESSON

THE INTERNET
Definition of terms
1. Internet - a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities, consisting of
interconnected networks using standardized communication protocols.
2. World Wide Web - is an information space where documents and other web resources are identified by Uniform
Resource Locators (URLs), interlinked by hypertext links, and accessible via the Internet.
3. Website - a location connected to the Internet that maintains one or more pages on the World Wide Web.
4. Home page - A homepage is a web page that serves as the starting point of a website. It is the default web page
that loads when you visit a web address that only contains a domain name. Examples include index.html,
index.htm, index.shtml, index. php, default.html, and home.html
5. Link (or hyperlink) - In computing, a hyperlink, or simply a link, is a reference to data that the reader can directly
follow either by clicking, tapping, or hovering. A hyperlink points to a whole document or to a specific element
within a document. Hypertext is text with hyperlinks.

This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION

 Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory
Module #7 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

6. Browser - a program with a graphical user interface for displaying HTML files, used to navigate World Wide Web.
7. Search engine - a program that searches for and identifies items in a database that correspond to keywords or
characters specified by the user, used especially for finding particular sites on the World Wide Web.
8. URL - A Uniform Resource Locator (URL), colloquially termed a web address, is a reference to a web resource
that specifies its location on a computer network and a mechanism for retrieving it.
9. Address box - Definition of: address bar. The field in a Web browser that is used to locate a website. After typing
the URL into the address bar and pressing Enter, the home page of the site is retrieved.
10. Search box - Definition of: search box. search box. A rectangular field on screen that accepts typed-in text in
order to look up something or launch a search for related information. Also called a "search bar."
11. Site map - A site map is a model of a website's content designed to help both users and search engines navigate
the site. A site map can be a hierarchical list of pages (with links) organized by topic, an organization chart, or an
XML document that provides instructions to search engine crawl bots.
12. Domain - a group of computers and devices on a network that are administered under the same protocol.
13. HTML - Hypertext Markup Language, a standardized system for tagging text files to achieve font, color, graphic,
and hyperlink effects on World Wide Web pages.

Common uses of the internet

● Research ● Job Hunting
● Downloading files ● Shopping
● Education & self-improvement ● Electronic mail
● Electronic newspapers & magazines ● Discussion groups

THE INTERNET: EHEALTH TOOLS

● Healthcare depends greatly on communication.
● One of the core elements of eHealth is the use of electronic technologies to enhance this communication for the
purpose of furthering the goals of healthcare.

I. WORLD WIDE WEB DOCUMENTS

● Provide users with an encyclopedia in their computer. However, the documents that provide the needed
information are located all over the world and are not always easily found.
● Provide an outlet to anyone who wishes to share his or her views.

II. TYPES OF SEARCH TOOLS

● The www contains all sorts of documents, white papers and personal opinions.
● Uniform resource locators (URLs) – helpful information can also be found in print sources and on television.

A. Search Engines – have 3 parts: a spider (crawler), an indexer and software that allow a user to search the index.
− The spider or crawler as it is sometimes called visits a Web page, scans it and follows links to other pages
within that site. The spider goes to known pages, then follows the links to other pages within the site.
− The pages found by the spider are catalogued into an index that contains information about every Web page
found by the spider. What information is indexed depends on the criteria of the search engine. Some index
major section headers, others the first lines of text on a homepage, frequently-mentioned words and phrases,
or even every word.
− After a page is added to the index, it is available to people who use that search software.
− Google is one example of this type of search engine.
− Metasearchers – are search engines that, instead of sending a spider to the Web at large, search indexes of
many search tools and compile the results into one display, often eliminating duplicates.
− Yahoo is mainly a directory – type search tool, although it will use Google for some searchers.

This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION

 Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory
Module #7 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

B. Specialized Search Tools – are both directories and search engines that search for Web pages in specialized
areas. Can be used for specialized searches like books, journals, images, etc.

C. Health-Related Search Tools – several sites create directories for health-related topics. Some charge users, but
provide very powerful searches and links to full-text resources.

D. The Invisible Web – only a portion of the offerings on the Web are available using a search tool. Some pages
and links cannot be located by search engines, and some are excluded by the policy of the specific search tool.
Examples are portable document format (pdf), or a site that requires password or login.

III. TIPS IN SEARCHING FOR DOCUMENTS

● May use one-word search
● List all the words that might be associated with the topic, including acronyms and abbreviations.
● Adding any organization that might have information on the topic may help.
● Take time to become familiar with help, hints, tips or frequently asked questions (FAQ)
● Some search tools in their advanced features allow the search to be limited to a specific domain like .edu or .com
or .biz

IV. EVALUATING SOURCES

● Veracity or validity – determine the reputation of various newspapers and journals
● Security – have we searched for the facts?
● Seven areas which should be considered when evaluating information obtained from the web
1. Credibility: what is the source of the information; how current is it; what was the process of editorial review
2. Content: to help judge accuracy, examine the hierarchy of evidence, presence of the original sources. Are
disclaimers provided?
3. Disclosure: what is the purpose of the site; who is sponsoring it, what will the site owners do with any
information they collect?
4. Links: what is the quality of links provided?
5. Design: Is the site accessible, easy to navigate and searchable?
6. Interactivity: does the site allow for feedback and an exchange of information?
7. Caveats: does the site clearly state its function? Is its purpose primarily information or it is trying to see
products and/or services?

V. ELECTRONIC MAILING LISTS – an interactive means of communication between a subscriber and the group.
● Joining a list is called subscribing and subscriptions are free.
● Listserv manages these electronic mailing lists.
● List can be:
a. Moderated – messages first pass to the list’s owner or the person who takes responsibility for the list.
b. Moderated with editing – messages not only go to the owner but this person may edit the message before
posting.
c. Unmoderated – all messages posted to the group’s address are automatically sent to the group.

Disadvantages:
● Subscribers receive all messages including obvious errors or requests mistakenly sent to the group instead of the
software that manages the list.
● Mailing lists can also be private and read-only. Subscribers cannot post messages to a read-only list.

Finding an Electronic Mailing List:

● Finding the right one is not always easy. Maintaining an up-to-date list of current mailing lists is not an easy job.

This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION

 Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory
Module #7 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

Flame Wars:
● When others respond derogatorily with other positions on the disputed posts. Rereading all messages before
sending and trying to imagine how they will look to others who do not share the same view or background goes a
long way toward preventing flame wars.

THE INTERNET: THE NEW HEALTHCARE PARADIGM

● Given the knowledge intensity of healthcare, it is not surprising to find that the computer and Internet have had a
profound effect on healthcare.

A. CONSUMER HEALTH INFORMATICS – to reduce healthcare cost. New term to describe patient-centered
informatics. It is an applied science using concepts from health communication, education, social network theories
and behavioral sciences.
● Consumers use the Web to view extensive information on doctors, hospitals, diseases and treatments, including
costs and then create their own insurance plans.

B. USE OF INTERNET FOR SUPPORT

● Clients sought support to collect information and reach decisions. Healthcare providers can design consumer
education that is tailored to the specific information needs of clients and their families.
a. Forums – provides a place for an exchange of ideas. Used by health-oriented Websites to allow people to
interact with others, facing the same situation. One benefit of it is that the discussions are threaded, allowing
participants to read through the development of a topic in a linear manner.

b. Electronic Mailing Lists

c. Support Groups – provide support to those living at home with complex medical problems and their
caregivers. Users could access the service at a convenient time and select from a list of services.
Services were provided in 3 areas:
1. Communication – involved private email, forums and a question-and-answer session.
2. Information – provided an electronic encyclopedia and more than 200 indexed screens about selected
illnesses, home care and social services.
3. Decision support – users were guided through an analysis process using their own words and
preferences to make choices consistent with their values.

C. OTHER USES OF WWW TECHNOLOGY

a. Intranets – accessed using a web browser but are available only to users within a specific organization. Anyone
in an organization who has struggled either to find the latest version of a procedure or to see that all who need
updated information have it in their possession can appreciate an intranet.
o An intranet may or may not be connected to the Internet. Those within the institution can access both the
intranet and internet but outsiders cannot access the information on the intranet.
b. Extranets – an extension of an intranet with added security features. It provides accessibility to the intranet to a
specific group of outsiders. An extranet can be used by healthcare providers to access patient care information
from outside of the institution.
c. Direct Care – allows a provider to use information entered by a client to make a diagnosis and prescribe a
medicine. It was also possible to obtain a prescription drug by visiting one of these online physicians who
theoretically evaluated the answers to a series of questions and made a decision without ever seeing a patient.
o Used also to provide a second opinion. An appropriate specialist is identified and a fee-based
consultation over a secure server is arranged along with a follow-up consult a week later.
d. Online Pharmacies – just make sure that a registered pharmacist is available to answer questions. Users will also
want to find out whether the site will accept their health insurance payments, whether the site runs on a secure
server, and what the privacy policies of the site are.

This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION

 Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory
Module #7 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

D. WORLD WIDE WEB PORTALS

Portal – a Web site that offers a wide array of resources and services such as email, forums, a search tool and links to
useful sites. It is the blending of all internet tools into one useful service. Generally, a portal is targeted at a specific
population such as professionals in a discipline, consumers with a particular condition, people looking for specific
products.

Computers and Healthcare

● Informatics originated in healthcare as management of financial information with the computer healthcare
applications that began in the late fifties and early sixties.
● BY THE 60s, a few patient care applications began to appear in computer systems and some started to include
patient diagnoses and other patient information as well as care plans based on physician and nursing orders.

Historical Aspects
● One interesting early use of the computer in patient care was the Problem Oriented Medical Information System
(PROMIS) begun by Dr. Lawrence Weed at the University Medical Center in Burlington, Vermont in 1968. The
importance of this system lies in that it was the first attempt to provide a totally integrated system that included all
aspects of healthcare including patient treatment.
● PROMIS provided a wide array of information to all professions involved in healthcare including the cost of
procedures and laboratory tests. Documentation was focused on the problem list.
● The system also made it possible to see the relationship between conditions, treatments, costs and outcomes.

IMPACT ON HEALTHCARE
● Improvement of information technology coupled with the evolution of the electronic healthcare record will create a
steady progression to this end.
● For nursing to be a part of healthcare informatics, individual nurses must become familiar with the methods for
analyzing and manipulating it to improve healthcare.
● True integration of data will improve both patient care and the patient experience, as well as enable economic
gains.

CHANGES IN INFORMATICS
● The move today in informatics is to data orientation with a patient – centered focus. A system organized by data is
designed to use one item of data many times. The primary design is based on how data are gathered, stored and
used in an entire institution rather than in terms of a specific process.
● Computerization will affect healthcare in different ways. Some jobs will change focus. As nurses, we may find our
job as patient care coordinator has shifted from being transcribing and checking orders to accessing this
information integrator for other disciplines, we will need our information needs known to those who design the
system.

This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION

 Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory
Module #7 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

Check for Understanding

After studying the main lesson, you may now answer the following multiple choice questions and provide the rationale for
each item.

1. A type of search tools is both directories and search engines that search for Web pages in specialized areas.
a. Metasearchers
b. Specialized search tools
c. Health related search tools
d. The invisible web
Answer: ________
Rationale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Provides a place for an exchange of ideas. Used by health-oriented Websites to allow people to interact with others,
facing the same situation.
a. Forums
b. Intranets
c. Extranets
d. Direct care
Answer: ________
Rationale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Accessed using a web browser but are available only to users within a specific organization.
a. Forums
b. Intranets
c. Extranets
d. Direct care
Answer: ________
Rationale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. An extension of an intranet with added security features.

a. Forums
b. Intranets
c. Extranets
d. Direct care
Answer: ________
Rationale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION

 Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory
Module #7 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

5. Which of the following is not a part of a search engine?

a. Software c. Spider
b. Hardware d. Indexer
Answer: ________
Rationale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. A text box in a web browser displaying the address of the web page that is currently being viewed
a. Address bar
b. Search box
c. Site map
d. Domain
Answer: ________
Rationale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

7. The introductory page of a website, typically serving as a table of contents for the site
a. Home page
b. Browser
c. Search engine
d. Page box
Answer: ________
Rationale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. An information system on the Internet that allows documents to be connected to other documents by hypertext links,
enabling the user to search for information by moving from one document to another.
a. Internet
b. World wide web
c. Website
d. Home page
Answer: ________
Rationale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. These are search engines that, instead of sending a spider to the Web at large, search indexes of many search tools
and compile the results into one display, often eliminating duplicates.
a. Metaparadigm
b. Multitasking
c. Metasearcher
d. Surfing
Answer: ________

This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION

 Nursing Informatics – Lecture & Laboratory
Module #7 Student Activity Sheet

Name: _________________________________________________________ Class number: _______

Section: ____________ Schedule: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

Rationale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. What do you call when others respond derogatorily with other positions on the disputed posts?
a. World wide web
b. Storage wars
c. Flame war
d. Warcraft
Answer: ________
Rationale:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

C. LESSON WRAP-UP

Thinking about Learning

THREE W’s

Answer the following W questions and express your thoughts from the lesson. Have fun!

1. What did you learn today?

2. So What? (relevancy, importance, usefulness)

3. Now What? (how does this fit into what you are learning; does it affect your thinking)

This document is the property of PHINMA EDUCATION