EHR system adoption Homework Help

EHR system adoption

An electronic health record is a systematic way of collecting information electronically on the health of an individual patient or even populations. The records appear in a digital format and can be accessed by different health care officials in an institution. The information is network-connected in the database of a certain health facility to be accessed any time it is needed. Usually, the records include such things as the patient’s medical history, allergies and medication, personal statistics like weight and age, immunization status, laboratory tests conducted and the results and other patient related data (Holdford & Brown 168). Its aim is to have a record of all the encounters that a patient has had with the health care specialists in order to be able to better the services offered by a health facility together with ensuring the safety of the patient by using evidence based medical care. It also helps a health specialist to make proper informed decisions in the treatment of a patient and also in the reporting of the outcomes.
Discussion
It is essential for healthcare facilities to adopt the electronic health record technology and to also advise their patients on the benefits that come with the technology. The organization should also research and identify the factors that would lead to the technology’s acceptable use. The health organization should also make sure that the doctors, nurses and other staff in the organization understand the electronic health recording system. In making the use of the EHR system mandatory, the attitude of the employees towards it change and the start regarding it with importance even though it is very much possible to have an EHR system without necessarily having any positive attitudes towards it or any satisfaction from the people using it (Carol, 52). The negative attitudes are however not good for the work environment or the use of the system and usually lead to the dissatisfaction of the employees in their work. The consequences that would be encountered would include the shifting of employees to other organization or sabotage. This leads to the fact that in order to have a successful adoption of the system, the organization is supposed to work closely with their employees, vendors of the EHR system and the IT technicians to bring about the understanding of the system and its uses, in the process generating positive attitudes.
The EHR has its advantages and disadvantages. Understanding these advantages and disadvantages would really help the organization make an informed decision about its implementation. The advantages of the EHR system are that it reduces cost, improves the quality of care, mobility and reliable in record keeping and also promoting the practice of evidence-based medicine. There are a number of patients that have endured suffering due to medical suffering. The use of the EHR system would help to reduce the suffering that these patients go through as a result of these medical errors ensuring that there is an improvement in the quality of care offered (Niles 205). The electronic health records provide the health professional with decision support that is very essential in the treatment of a patient. Large amounts of clinical data that can be used for research are available on EHR and they can be used to increase employee’s knowledge on effective and safe medical practices. The EHR is more reliable than getting medical information from a patient as humans can sometimes forget information that later turns out to have been very crucial and this might end up endangering patients’ life especially if they have a mild allergy to certain drugs.
There are also other benefits associated with the electronic health recording system. Medical staff is considered to be more efficient in their work with notable improvement in time management. The practice of exchanging information concerning the patient electronically with the other department in the organization really save time and also increase the efficiency of the organization as a whole. There is smooth clinical workflow that ensures the patients don’t have to wait for long before being attended. Patient confidentiality and privacy is greatly enhanced by creating access control to only a certain group of specialists (Niles 206). Moreover, there is a great improvement in the doctor-patient relationship that usually comes about as the doctor gets to know more and more about the patient without having to enquire about basic things every time the patient comes to the health care facility.
The disadvantages of the EHR system are mainly those of the cost of the EHR and the time it takes to learn it. The EHRs do save the health organization money but those who buy the EHR and the physicians do not benefit financially. There is also the issue of the excessive amount of time spent as the physicians initially enter data into a newly acquired empty EHR compared to the time they were previously using when updating a paper chat (Hersh, 2273). This is eventually overcome once the system has some data. Doctors are usually reluctant in learning a new system with some of them arguing that the EHRs are likely to bring about the reduction in clinical productivity.
There are also risks of the electronic health record system that should also be put into consideration. Privacy of data if not access controlled would lead to patient dissatisfaction and could bring about the issue of law suits. The EHR system is at times not available due to technical problems and this may at times end up being fatal. There are legal issues that may at times result due to the system and this is at times viewed as a risk some organizations are not willing to undertake. There might be no security of data if the system is not used properly. In addition, the staff may get into the habit of over-relying on the EHR system making them to not seek other relevant information (Carter 249). There is also the risk of a patient finding out about certain details of their condition that would end up frightening them. This is not such a good thing as it would affect the healing progress of the patient. Most of these risks can be progressively reduced with proper vigilance and care keeping them at a complete minimum.
Conclusion
It is clear that the benefits of the electronic health record system far outweigh the risks that may be involved. The risks that are associated with the system are also avoidable making the EHR a safe system to use. The fact that the EHR system improves the efficiency of the workflow together with the clinical processes is motivation enough that the system should be adopted to increase the safety of the patients. This is only one among many other benefits that should be convincing enough to make anyone realize that the EHR system would go a long way in making patient encounters less sufferable with the reduction of medical errors and improved quality of care (Carter 249). The issue of funding resources for the EHR systems can be solved by the state government or by entering a deal with the vendors that would allow the organization to pay the amount over a certain period of time and therefore eliminating the greatest obstacle in the adoption of the electronic health recording systems. The EHR systems would definitely make all the health facilities better places for the recovery of patients.
Works Cited
Carol, Ruth. “EHRs, the Doctor Will See You Now.” Journal of AHIMA 76.4 (2005): 54-55.
Carter, Jerome. Electronic health records: a guide for clinicians and administrators. Sydney: ACP Press, 2008.
Hersh, William. “Health Care Information Technology: Progress and Barriers.” Journal of the American Medical Association 292. 18 (2004): 2273-2274.
Holdford, David & Brown, Thomas. Introduction to Hospital and Health-System Pharmacy Practice. New York: ASHP, 2010.
Niles, Nancy. Basics of the U.S. Health Care System. Sudbury: Jones & Bartlett Learning, 2010.206.