Linking remote practice to research: technology in action

Area of Science:

• Nursing Practice
• Health Informatics
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Nursing faculty practices often lack robust data collection and analysis capabilities.
• Health plans and payers increasingly require evidence on the effects and costs of faculty clinical care.
• There is a need to integrate faculty research with clinical practice and teaching activities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a strategy for linking nursing faculty research programs with practice and teaching.
• To outline the development of an informatics infrastructure for data collection and analysis.
• To explore the theoretical underpinnings of practice-based research in nursing.

Main Methods:

• Describing a strategy that integrates faculty research, clinical practice, and teaching across various settings.
• Implementing an informatics infrastructure with a common data language and coherent processes.
• Reviewing the theoretical basis for conducting practice-based research.

Main Results:

• The proposed strategy facilitates the collection and analysis of clinical care data from nursing faculty practices.
• An informatics infrastructure can standardize data collection and streamline implementation.
• Linking research, practice, and teaching provides valuable evidence for health plans and payers.

Conclusions:

• Integrating research, practice, and teaching through informatics can enhance nursing faculty practice data capabilities.
• This approach addresses the need for evidence-based clinical care information required by external stakeholders.
• The strategy supports the development of practice-based research within nursing education.