Chapter 24by Peter J. Murray and W. Scott Erdley

Emerging Technologies and the Generation of Knowledge

Objectives

• Outline the history of technology development and informatics applications.

• Describe the state of the art technologies of today.

• Predict the evolution of technology and its impact on knowledge generation in nursing.

Key Terms Defined

• Blogs• Change • Electronic Data Interchange• Emerging Technologies• Folksonomies

Key Terms Defined

• Futurologists• Genomics• Half-life of Knowledge • HealthVault• Information Mediator

Key Terms Defined

• Lab-On-A-Chip Device• Nanotechnology• Podcasts• Relational Databases• RSS (Really Simple Syndication)

Key Terms Defined

• Social Bookmarking• Social Networking• Tags/Tag Clouds• Transistor• Transparent Technology

Key Terms Defined

• Ubiquitous• Virtual Peers• Virtual Worlds• Wearable Computing• Web 2.0

Key Terms Defined

• Weblogs• Wikis

Looking Back from the Future

• Visions of societies of the future • Eastel & Demosthenes future views• The use of search engine technology

Historical Overview

• Hardware to software evolution• The invention of transistors • Future directions of technology• Pre-1800 computing

Historical Overview

• Technological developments in the 1800’s• Hardware developments between the

early1900’s through the 1950’s• One of the first computer used in health

care • A burst of activity in the 1960’s

Historical Overview

• The use of transistors in computers• The founding of Intel • The growth of software applications

Historical Overview

• The computerization of The National Library of Medicine

• Information Technology in the 1970’s• The use of the silicone chip • Computer growth in the 1980’s

Historical Overview

• The evolution of the computer chip • A prominent software development in the

early 1980s• What the application sought to apply• The explosion of technology applications in

the 1990s

Historical Overview

• Complex health care software• The growth of software applications • The increased popularity of electronic data

interchange (EDI)• The trend in the early 21st Century

Technology We Have Today

• Political forces in technology• The rapid development of technology • How do nurses preceive technology• What is the true potential of technology in

the health place?

Technology We Have Today

• Are nurses currently using technology? • Have there been changes in the use of

technology?• What is Web 2.0 ?

Technology We Have Today

• What does Web 2.0 allow for?– Social bookmarking– Tags and tag clouds– Folksonomies

Emerging Technologies

• A new variety of technology • What does m-health include?• How would you define m-health?• Technology beyond the hospital walls

Technology Wish List

1. The mouse? The keyboard?2. Ubiquity of computational devices?3. The ability to access information?

What The Future Holds

• The amount of information available will expand

• New health care technologies will develop• What are the major challenges?

What The Future Holds

• More information = ability to store more data

• More data stored in a smaller space• Multi-functional equipment will be able• Increasing modes of wireless

communication

What The Future Holds

• Nurses will not be able to say they are not able to access information

• Non-technological issues will pose a bigger issue

Thought Provoking Questions

1. This chapter raises several important issues related to nursing knowledge, not the least of which might be the uniqueness of nursing knowledge. Is this uniqueness requisite for future care by nurses and or nursing informatics specialists?

Thought Provoking Questions

2. Given the future is relatively unpredictable, what might be said regarding what can be predicted and to what degree of certainty?