The Most Important Role Of Healthcare Technology In The Hospital

Technology is emerging as a growing need within the healthcare organization. From documentation to medication administration and management of inventory, technology is utilized to help manage various areas of the hospital. The most important role of healthcare technology is the capability to assist in the patient care. Cerner Corporation has taken on the challenge of developing a system that can appropriately handle computerized physician order entry (CPOE), barcode administration, and documentation of patient care. This paper will analysis how Cerner technology is used within a healthcare facility, including strengths and weakness, implementation and training, and quality and safety.

Cerner in the Workplace

Deciding on a technology application

“The primary use of an HER system is to facilitate clinical care while improving the quality of healthcare delivery and enhancing the safety of patients with emphasis placed on workflows that support the provision of care”(Laird-Maddox, Mitchell, & Hoffman, 2014, p. 1). However, no system is perfect and when compared with other technology application systems, Cerner presents with benefits, strengths and weaknesses. Cerner is considered the largest independent health IT company worldwide with continue satisfaction among user surveys. The benefits of Cerner are its longevity and functionality in the hospital setting. It offers increased efficiency by providing instantaneous, updated information needed to make effective decisions. Strengths incorporated in this system is the ability to integrate medical devices such cardiac monitors transmitting vital signs to the Cerner system and the capacity to access information on portable devices such as smartphones and tablets through various applications. Nonetheless, Cerner does carry a number of weaknesses. Although it functions great within the hospital, physicians have complained that the system can run slowly and entering orders can be time consuming as search functions require exact language and requires numerous clicks. Another issue for this technology application is the lack of ability to integrate with other systems. “Part of the driving force behind the model (using technology to track and follow patient flow), stemmed from the need to integrate EHRs throughout the health system and share information with network of referring hospitals”(Palma, 2013, p. 1). When compared with other health technology systems, Cerner fairs well, but not the