The Care and the People and the ITC

The advancement and consolidation of information and communications technologies (ICT) has favored electronic medical records as the link between the clinical and patient health information. Appropriate use of ICT can improve and ensure coordination between different health professionals and levels of care. The aim of ICT is to facilitate the continuum of care and foster care efficiency and quality. However, professionals should make appropriate use of ICT based primarily on non-maleficence and confidentiality. The ICT: 1. Improve care continuity. 2. Facilitate integration and coordination, in order to provide personalized and excellent care between different levels of care. 3. Reduce health costs (in patients of high complexity, for example). The ICT facilitate the non-contact care, spacing the time between visits. The disadvantage of ICT are related to confidentiality and depersonalization of patient care. Nurses, by using ICT, play a leading role, given its role in health promotion and disease prevention. In these contexts, ICT can help innovate and improve the quality of care and health outcomes. In this regard, nurses have a great opportunity to innovate in care and take leadership in remote monitoring of patients. ICT have created new professionals, patients and providers challenges that should be studied in order to minimize problems and seek solutions. Social networks are useful for refining and deepening the relationship between nurses and patients, disseminating nursing research among nurses and nurse visibility.