Electronic Medical Records Essay Example for Free

Electronic Medical Records EssayElectronic Medical Records (EMR) are becoming more wide employ across the health pull off spectrum. One of the reasons for their popularity is the potential that is presented for increasing the quality of care delivered to patients by f each(prenominal) handwriting interpretation errors, reducing medicament brass errors and eliminating lost graphs. Time management is a life-and-death skill to shake up as a toy with. It allows for a smooth workflow which translates into quality patient care. often era can be wasted not moreover by the nurse signing forward illegible handwritten separates, but too by the other nurses that have to dish out interpret the handwriting. The EMR requires the doctor to enter battle arrays electronically, thereby eliminating handwritten orders. Electronic orders are more precise and more accurately followed (Sokol, 2006). fewer errors make it to the patient, reducing unnecessary tests and increasing the qual ity of care that patients are receiving. Electronic medication administration records (MAR) are useful in displaying medications due at specific measures. Not only is it possible to founder the medications due at one time, the MAR will also alert the nurse to potential drug interactions. Late medications will be displayed in red to be substantially seen.If bar coding is implemented, medication errors can be reduced by a range of 60%-97% (Hunter, 2011). A lost chart can be very frustrating while trying to deliver seamless care to a patient. Paper charts are easily misplaced. Since there is only one, if a single provider is using it, no one else of the medical team can view the chart. The EMR can be viewed from any computer with reassure net access or on a hand-held device. When the internet is down, a downtime view only access is available. breast feeding Involvement Nurses are known as patient advocates.In advocating for their patients, nurses strive for what is shell in their patients care. Since nurses will be using the EMR most frequently, it is imperative that they are part of the selection and implementation on an EMR. A nurse, on the EMR team, will represent all breast feeding. Nurses will be accessing the EMR through their shift several times and will become familiar with the layout and workflow and will be able to provide insight into what would work topper to ensure quality of care. thither is a utter that you dont know what you dont know. A nurse knows what she will gather up and is the best to supply this nurture.While re take careing which EMR would be the best for a facility, a nurse can provide culture on time saving workflows between systems. Nurses must also be trained as tops(p) users to provide a seamless change from paper charting to electronic charting and provide support to fellow breast feeding staff. A nurse on the EMR team will be able to deliver new cultivation in a way that other nurses are more receptive to. Handhel d Devices If nurses were to use handheld devices in delivery of patient care, there would be a noticeable nest egg of time as headspring as more accurate charting.Nursing personnel carrying a handheld device would have immediate access to their patients chart to notice new orders, lab results, or medication admission records. The need to review the paper chart repeatedly throughout the day would be eliminated along with the long search that commences every time you have to look for the paper chart. This could add several minutes to a nurses time at the bedside, improving patient satisfaction. When vital signs are taken, written on a slip of paper and then transcribed into the paper chart, there are many opportunities for error and delay. metrical composition can be transposed, written incorrectly or the wrong patients tuition could go into a chart. With the immediate avail major power of a handheld device, the discipline from the vital signs monitor would have the ability to int erface into the patients chart virtually eliminating late charting and errors. Security Standards The Health Insurance Portability and obligation Act (HIPAA) was initiated in 1996 as a standard for protecting individually identifiable health tuition (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services).HIPAA requires that all information, either written or electronically, that falls under the criteria is protected from unauthorized viewers. An EMR carries more stringent HIPAA guidelines than a paper chart due to the risks associated with computer based files and there are a few key steps that must be taken to ensure contour with this act. Access control each user will have a unique user distinguish and password that must not be shared. Firewall protection must be used on the internet server the hospital habituates to prevent hackers from obtaining access to protected information.If users are authorized to access patient information from home, there must be a secure server used (Arev alo, 2007). Storage Data must be encrypted to kick upstairs the security while information is being stored and while it is transferred. Encryption entails protection of files and info that is only viewable to authorized users. Compliance of these regulations should be audited on a regular basis with any violation being swiftly remedied (Medical Records, 2013). Healthcare Costs Purchasing an EMR can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.In order to justify such a large purchase, one must examine the potential ways that cash can be saved while using an EMR. After spending hours training users and with a picayune practice, nurses workflows will improve and less time will be wasted. A chart will not have to be searched for, double or triple charting is eliminated by using handheld devices for immediate charting. The quality assurance team will be able to run reports on conformism of core measures and be able to recommend changes to nursing personnel to implement. Fewer medication e rrors will be made by using the electronic MAR.Most importantly, these time and money saving factors will enhance patient safety. With fewer paper charts to store, valuable space can be remodeled into patient care areas that exsert services not previously offered due to space issues (Power, 2013). This will increase revenue for the facility. Comparison heroic offers a computerized management system that is utilized by everyone in the healthcare manipulateting including, nurses, nurse aids, physicians, dietary, radiology, hint segment and the business office. Each department will have a unique look and functionality to their program.There is no need to use multiple systems to gather information on a patient. It can be used in medium size ambulatory settings such as a clinic as well as in a hospital setting for either inpatients or outpatients. With all departments having access to the very(prenominal) information on a patient, errors will be reduced in delivery of patient care. The misadventure for entering erroneous lab results or miss- documentation will also be reduced with department specific workflows. Not only will this result in better patient care, but also in a nurses ability to delivery effective, efficient, quality care without delay.In addition, all physician order entry is electronic, every time. Order sets can be springerized for each prescriber, saving time and hassle while maintaining meaningful use and following core measures. For added security, the system can be set to automatically sign a user out after a specified length of time of non-use. And while all of the patients information is available to each user, audit trails are leftover enhancing patient security. Epic has pre-loaded patient teaching materials available as well as the option to custom make information.After visit summaries are easily printed upon discharge and an electronic copy is permanently given over to the chart. Patient would benefit from a facility the uses th e Epic system by having access to MyChart. MyChart is a door of access between a patient and their provider for communication as well as a portable computerized health record. IF a patient were to access care from a facility that does not utilize the Epic system, that patient would have access to MyChart and would then be able to provide critical information that would enhance their care. Another computerized management system available is one from Cerner.This system can be used in all settings in a hospital including nursing. For medication administration, Cerner has available barcode identification of medication to help nursing staff complete their five rights verification prior to administration. It also allows charting at the bedside to enhance the true either through a handheld device or a stationary computer. All order entry by physicians is done on the computer allowing the providers to follow built in prompts for allergy information and adverse drug interactions as well as prompts that will aid in the order of care protocols to enhance patient care.Cerner also has a portal designed for patient to have access to their records no matter where they are as well as tracking information for health goals a patient and their provider have established. The portal allows progress tracking and provides information on steps that can be used to help the patient reach their goals. This gives patients more responsibility for their health while providing the incentive needed. Nursing care will be escalated similarly to the way it would be in Epic.Patient information is easily accessible through intuitive workflows allowing nursing staff to make responsible decisions regarding patient care. My recommendation for a computerized management system would be the one available from Cerner. It is the most user friendly for staff including nursing and offers intensive training and yearly upgrades. The different departments systems appear to work together seamlessly resulting in increased savings of time and money (Cerner, 2013).