Technology dependency and iatrogenic injuries.

Research on iatrogenic injuries and technology dependency is sparse in light of the expansive use of technology in health care today. Many of the publications are single case reports of an iatrogenic injury related to a specific type of device. Little has been done to analyze these reports in a collective fashion. Nursing research is especially limited, and most studies were located in the medical literature. The majority of research has been done in pediatric populations with major emphasis on respiratory and nutritional technology. In contrast, little research has been done with adults who are ventilator dependent. Perhaps the paucity of research in this area is related to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requirements for technology safety before placement of a device on the health care market with the subsequent assumption by health care personnel that the technology is safe and effective. The challenge for the future is to build programs of nursing research that (1) describe the incidence and nature of iatrogenic injuries associated with technologies that are of high volume and for which many patients are dependent and (2) to tests ways to prevent iatrogenic injuries associated with technologies often used in nursing practice.