Use of information technology and data to inform policy and…

Respond to two students using the Rubric. Question: How will you use information technology and data to inform policy and improve culturally competent, evidence-based health care delivery that could have a global impact? Student 1 As a DNP student and nurse advocate, I believe information technology and data are powerful tools to shape ethical health policy and advance culturally competent, evidence-based care on a global scale. Health care systems now collect vast amounts of patient data through electronic health records, mobile health applications, and digital platforms. When used responsibly, this data can reveal gaps in access, treatment outcomes, and cultural barriers that inform policy decisions. I plan to use health information technology to support policies that promote equitable access to care, improve patient engagement, and ensure culturally responsive interventions. Technology allows nurses to move beyond individual patient advocacy and influence system-level change by translating real-time data into actionable policy recommendations. Culturally responsive technology design is essential to achieving equitable care. Eustis et al. (2023) emphasized that technology-enabled health services must intentionally integrate cultural considerations into both service delivery and digital design. Without cultural responsivity, health technologies risk widening disparities instead of reducing them. As a DNP-prepared nurse, I will advocate for policies that require health systems and technology developers to involve diverse communities in the design and evaluation of digital health tools. This approach ensures interventions respect cultural beliefs, language needs, and health literacy levels. Using data analytics to measure engagement and outcomes across different populations will help guide continuous policy improvement and strengthen culturally competent care delivery. Mobile health applications and electronic health record integration also provide opportunities to improve evidence-based decision-making and population health policy. Lin et al. (2025) found that integrating mobile health data into electronic health record systems can enhance care coordination, improve clinical decision support, and positively impact patient outcomes. This type of data integration allows policymakers to identify trends in chronic disease management, medication adherence, and preventive care engagement across communities. I plan to support policies that encourage secure data sharing and interoperability across health systems. These policies can expand access to care in underserved areas and support global health initiatives by allowing data-driven interventions to be scaled internationally. Finally, the successful adoption of health technology depends on provider acceptance and training. Sultan Alsahli et al. (2023) identified key factors influencing physician adoption of mobile health applications, including perceived usefulness, ease of use, and institutional support. This highlights the need for policies that invest in clinician education, ethical data governance, and infrastructure support. As a nurse advocate, I will promote policies that ensure frontline clinicians are included in technology implementation planning. When providers are confident in digital tools, patient trust increases, and data collection becomes more accurate and meaningful for policy development. In conclusion, I will use information technology and data to drive ethical, culturally competent, and evidence-based health care delivery by advocating for inclusive technology design, secure data integration, and provider training. These efforts can strengthen local health systems and contribute to global improvements in access, quality, and health equity. References Eustis, E. H., LoPresti, J., Aguilera, A., & Schueller, S. M. (2023). Cultural responsivity in technology-enabled services: Integrating culture into technology and service components. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 25, e45409. Lin, J., Bates, S. M., Allen, L. N., Wright, M., Mao, L., & Kidd, M. (2025). Integrating mobile health app data into electronic medical or health record systems and its impact on health care delivery and patient health outcomes: Scoping review. JMIR MHealth and UHealth, 13, e66650e66650. Sultan Alsahli, Hor, S., & Lam, M. (2023). Factors influencing the acceptance and adoption of mobile health applications by physicians during the COVID-19 era: A systematic review. Jmir Mhealth and Uhealth, 11, e50419. Student 2: During my early years of nursing school I remember how the instructors drilled into us as students that “if it’s not documented, then it didn’t happen”. As a student I was more nervous about my charting then I was about actually caring for the patient. As my nursing career evolved and grew, I began to realize that charting as a nurse is so much more then just proving what you had done or showing that you completed your tasks for the shift. We as nurses generate data daily through our charting and uploading documents into the patient record, which then is analyzed and used as a guide for leading change in patient care and policies (Lee et al., 2024). Much of our time as nurses feels as if its spent on documentation and feeling as if its mundane and has little value, wondering who sees our nurses notes and what they are used for. However, if there were a system that took our nursing documentation along with care plans and the assessment of the patient and treatment plan, put this data together to analyze and identify ways to change policies and provide culturally appropriate care, imagine the changes that would come from such a program. I found a group of students at the University of Florida (UF) who are doing just that. The students gathered data from 12 different hospitals throughout Florida, gathering nursing care plans and assessing nursing language used throughout into the OneFlorida+ Clinical Research Network (Macieira, 2025). When all the information is uploaded into this system, then it can search out patterns and use these to change healthcare keeping cultural competence and evidence-based practices at the forefront. This type of network should be accessible to all hospitals/organizations to help gather large amounts of patient data to help guide the way for necessary changes. As a future Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), I would like to help create such a network and work collaboratively with others in the healthcare system to use other sources of data to help further enrich the data available. Once the data has been collected then there has to be a plan to put the data to use, which requires stakeholders, policymakers, healthcare organizations to work together and create a plan for change, that is focused on culturally competent care and is evidence-based (Bakken & Dreisbach, 2022). References Bakken, S., & Dreisbach, C. (2022). Informatics and data science perspective on future of nursing 20202030: Charting a pathway to health equity. Nursing Outlook, 70(6), 7787. Lee, M. A., Vyas, P., Fabio D’Agostino, Wieben, A., Coviak, C., Mullen-Fortino, M., Park, S., Sileo, M., Nogueira, E., Brown, S., Role, J., Reger, A., & Lisiane Pruinelli. (2024). Empowering Nurses Through Data Literacy and Data Science Literacy. Advances in Nursing Science. Macieira, T. (2025). Bringing Visibility to the Nursing Profession through Data College of Nursing University of Florida. Ufl.edu.