The importance of workflow analysis cannot be overemphasized. According to McGinley and Mastrian (2012) information technology can improve quality care for patients when there are “considerations for related workflows” (p. 264). Workflow evaluation represents a visual interpretation of steps required to complete certain tasks. Once an activity is written out, each step can be carefully scrutinized for the transformation into technology. This paper will review the workflow related to the administration for blood products.
Blood Administration Workflow
The process of blood administration is complex. There are many steps to consider when considering the workflow for the task of blood administration. The blood is ordered. The next steps require end users to make phone calls in order to process the preparation of the blood product. The physician, beside nurse, unit secretary, blood bank, and phlebotomist are all involved in this process.
The first step requires the physician to place an order to administer the blood product. He/she will utilize an electronic medical record to enter the order. There are guidelines for blood administration available. There is a rule related to assuring there is a physician obtained informed consent prior to the administration. Important information includes the patient’s clinical status and laboratory values.
The nurse needs to recognize that a new order has been placed. Then the nurse needs to call to check to see if there is an up to date type and screen available. The laboratory is on a separate computer system not accessible to clinicians. Nurses do not know if there is an up to date type and screen in the health record. The nurse is required to call the lab. There is a blood ...
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... that do not communicate with each other will need to be addressed. The implications of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act will lead to an investment in the transformation of healthcare systems. Ultimately, healthcare systems will become transformed to exchange health information between systems in order to deliver equitable high quality care to everyone. According to Kadry, Sanderson, and Macario (2010) clinicians need to understand workflow and recognize barriers to meaningful use. Poor user interface can lead to negative clinical outcomes (Kadry et al., 2010). Without a clear vision, “institutions will convert paper-based systems into expensive digital chaos” (Kadry et al., 2010, p. 185). Without proper workflow analysis, potentially the same outcome could occur.
...estions if not 100% sure of something or use a double checking system. When a nurse is administrating medication, they should use the ten rights of medication administration (right patient, right drug, right route, right time, right dose, right documentation, right action, right form, right response, and right to refuse). Nurses should always keep good hand hygiene and always wear appropriate clothing to prevent from the spread of disease. Good communication with patients and healthcare team members is also key to success. Keeping on the eye on the patient within an appropriate time is important. If the patient ever seems to be looking different than their usual self vitals should be taken immediately. Encouraging patients to ask questions if they are unaware of something can prevent errors as well. Nurses should make sure the patient is on the same page as they are.
Unfortunately, the quality of health care in America is flawed. Information technology (IT) offers the potential to address the industry’s most pressing dilemmas: care fragmentation, medical errors, and rising costs. The leading example of this is the electronic health record (EHR). An EHR, as explained by HealthIT.gov (n.d.), is a digital version of a patient’s paper chart. It includes, but is not limited to, medical history, diagnoses, medications, and treatment plans. The EHR, then, serves as a resource that aids clinicians in decision-making by providing comprehensive patient information.
“An electronic health record (EHR) is a digital version of a patient’s paper chart. EHRs are real-time, patient-centered records that make information available instantly and securely to authorized users.” (healthit.gov) The EHR mandate was created “to share information with other health care providers and organizations – such as laboratories, specialists, medical imaging facilities, pharmacies, emergency facilities, and school and workplace clinics – so they contain information from all clinicians involved in a patient’s care.” ("Providers & Professionals | HealthIT.gov", n.d., p. 1) The process has proved to be quite challenging for providers. As an incentive, the government began issuing payments to those providers who “meaningfully use certified electronic health record (EHR) technology.” (hhs.gov) There are three stages that providers must progress through in order to receive theses financial incentives. Stage one is the initial stage and is met with the creation and implementation of the HER in the business. Stage two “increases health information exchange between providers.” ("United States Department of Health and Human Services | HHS.gov", n.d., p. 1) Stage three will be the continuation and expansion of the “meaningful use objectives.” ("United States Department of Health and Human Services | HHS.gov", n.d., p. 1) The hospital, where I work, initiated the HER mandate many years ago. In this paper, I will discuss the progression and the challenges that my hospital encountered while implementing the EHR mandate.
The topic chosen is blood transfusion. Blood transfusion is one of the most common procedures that are performed in the hospital setting to save lives and help improve one’s health. People who have serious injuries may need blood transfusions to replace the lost of blood. Some of the injuries are more critical than others and require an enormous amount of blood. In addition, many people have illnesses that prevent their body from making blood properly. Blood circulates in the body providing oxygen and nutrients and collects waste so it can be eliminated by the body; therefore, it is an important factor for everyone’s lives (Lewis Medical surgical nursing). Blood should be carefully transfused. Although it is a lifesaver, nurses should follow the proper procedure and strict guidelines to safely transfuse the blood. One sample error during transfusion can cause someone life.These situations can lead to death, especially in serious cases. So nurses must have knowledge and understand the purpose of blood transfusion.
Advances in technology have influences our society at home, work and in our health care. It all started with online banking, atm cards, and availability of children’s grades online, and buying tickets for social outings. There was nothing electronic about going the doctor’s office. Health care cost has been rising and medical errors resulting in loss of life cried for change. As technologies advanced, the process to reduce medical errors and protect important health care information was evolving. In January 2004, President Bush announced in the State of the Union address the plan to launch an electronic health record (EHR) within the next ten years (American Healthtech, 2012).
The patient care processes must be consistent with the patient care processes of all other health care providers. These processes include the assessment of the client’s pharmaceutical needs, a health care plan that is constructed to meet the specific needs of the client and a process in which evaluates the health care plan to gauge the efficacy of decisions made and actions taken. Pharmaceutical care management system includes all resources needed to manage the client’s needs, which include the space provided, such as a clinic or hospital, an appointment system for patients, appropriate and ethical documentation, reporting of patient care, evaluation of decisions made and actions taken and payment of service
Precision of a patient’s intravenous medication is essential; it must be safe from. contamination, toxicity, and side effects. Most people believe these medications are compounded or mixed by a trained and licensed individual. However, this is inaccurate because the pharmacy technician actually compounds a large percentage of a patient’s medications. Compounding involves a technician’s math skills, aseptic technique, and professional ethics.... ...
Analyzing Workflow for a Health IT Implementation by Lydia Washington, is a short shifted scenario published January 1, 2008 The inability to integrate electronic health records (EHRs) into clinician workflow is a well-documented barrier to implementing EHR systems. To address this problem, organizations must analyze their workflow processes before implementing an EHR system. Optimal workflow requires having the right information at the right time so that the individual performing a step or task can advance the process toward completion. To achieve optimal workflow, organizations must take a step back and analyze the flow of work.
When scheduling a patient for a diagnostic procedure or laboratory test, it is often easier for the physician’s office to schedule the appointment than to have the patient schedule it. Before scheduling a procedure for a patient, the medical assistant needs to compile the information that needs to be relayed to the outside facility. The critical information needed for scheduling a patient procedure includes:
You can use SharePoint to create libraries of lists on various business topics and procedures. You can use a workflow to outline and check-off the steps in an employee training program, to collect signatures needed by your HR department, to track the status of a large project or to trigger additional workflows. A good example of one workflow triggering a secondary workflow is in marketing. If a customer buys a product or subscribes to a service or email list, the event can trigger a welcoming email or a series of ongoing marketing emails. You can set workflows to send notifications, SMS messages or emails for annual events like birthdays, one-time affairs or recurring events like happy hour or singles nights at a bar or restaurant.
VI. Some individuals requiring blood are surgical patients; burn victims; accident victims; anemics'; hemophiliacs; seriously ill babies; and persons suffering from leukemia, cancer, kidney disease and liver disease.
If the bloodstains are wet, such as in this scenario, it needs to be packaged in a paper bag, taken to a secure location, and taken out to allow for air dry. Once it is thoroughly dry, it will need to be re-packaged in the original bag and sent to the lab (Schiro,
Plasma donation begins with the individual arriving at the Biolife Plasma Center. Upon arrival the person signs themselves in via clipboard or computer. Then after sign-in the individual is seated amongst many other potential donors awaiting their name to be called so they may advance in the donation cycle. Eventually, a nurse calls the individuals name, and directs them toward the front desk. Here they will be weighed on an electronic scale, and also at have their finger pricked with a small punch. This punch makes a small inci! sion in the index finger, that allows a sample of blood to be squeezed into a small straw-like tube. This blood sample is then taken to the small laboratory to be tested for efficiency, while the potential donor is taken to a small cubicle to answer a series of questions involving their immunization history. After the questioning session ends the individual is once again seated in the waiting area until their name is called over the intercom system.
Multiple steps are conducted to ensure that medications received and administered to nursing facility residents are the intended ones. Nursing facility regulations specify that the facility “must develop and implement appropriate policies and procedures for accurate acquiring, receiving, and administering of all medications” (CMS, 2014). Before medications are packed for delivery, a LTCP employee checks that individual content of a package match the prescription label on the package (CMS, 2014). It is crucial for the nursing staff to be conscientious on the order submission cut-off time so the medications can be delivered as soon as possible.
Blood transfusions have become a common part of medical care with nearly 5 million Americans a year receiving a transfusion. Blood transfusions are used in the treatment of many different conditions, from replacing blood lost in surgeries or injuries to fighting diseases like liver disease, anemia, and bleeding disorders like hemophilia (Nglbi.nih.gov, 2014). Blood collection and transfusion are overseen by many different agencies including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Through these agencies work in donor screening and surveillance, blood transfusions usually cause no adverse reactions in the recipient and are considered a safe medical procedure. Despite this, blood safety remains an important public health matter both due to the seriousness of some adverse reactions when they do occur and the need for preparedness in reacting to future blood safety issues that can suddenly arise when new bloodborne diseases emerge. It is for these reasons that Healthy People 2020 has made reducing the proportion of averse reactions from the medical use of blood and blood products one of their objectives.