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Brief summary of implementation of electronic health records
Electronic health record introduction
The effects of electronic health records
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Electronic Health Record Systems are rapidly changing the health care industry from a paper-based system to an automated system. These repositories of digitally stored healthcare information allow for more continuity of care by all providers having the ability to access an individual’s health record. The trends and issues in healthcare from the standpoint of managing patient information touch on areas such as medicine, management, and legal and information technology. With the healthcare industry advancing toward electronic records, there will be a high demand for professionals who can manage the automation of patient information and ensure its security. An assessment of environmental factors, both internal and external, that will affect the continued rollout of Electronic Health Record Systems is necessary for effective planning.
Electronic Health Record Systems store a record of patient health information that can be generated and updated by one or more encounters in the healthcare setting. These systems contain a patient’s progress notes, medications, vital signs, past medical history, immunizations, lab results and radiology reports, in other words, a complete view of the patient rather than sifting through voluminous paper records.
Political factors have large impacts on the EHR implementation. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Affordable Care Act are two political factors that are attempting to improve the financial viability of healthcare organizations while improving the quality and safety of care for patients nationwide.
According to CCHIT.org (2013), in mid-2009, certified EHR products represented over 75% of the marketplace. Congress saw the value of such products and acknowledged their...
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...g curve for the users of these system and as we all know with technology, there can be frustrating glitches in the system. However, reverting to paper-based records is taking steps backward, not forward.
Scanning the environment of Electronic Health Record Systems ensures that management has a clear understanding of the issues and trends facing complex healthcare settings. It is a daunting challenge to review all of these factors in order to manage the successful implementation of these systems as it involves many different areas within the organization or clinical setting working together to make sure caregivers are adequately trained on the EHR Systems and the organization is in compliance with regulatory standards. Success comes from a clear understanding of all of the factors and figuring out effective ways to stay ahead of the game.
For years now, the healthcare system in the United States have managed patient’s health records through paper charting, this has since changed for the better with the introduction of an electronic medical record (EMR) system. This type of system has helped healthcare providers, hospitals and other ambulatory institutions extract data from a patient’s chart to help expedite clinical diagnosis and providing necessary care. Although this form of technology shows great promise, studies have shown that this system is just a foundation to the next evolution of health technology. The transformation of EMR to electronic heath record system (EHR) is the ultimate goal of the federal government.
They say that “EHRs’ financial costs and benefits can affect the rate at which providers adopt them, while quality improvement (QI)
Historically, physicians and nurses documented patients’ health information using paper and pencil. This documentation created numerous errors in patients’ medical records. Patient information became lost or destroyed, medication errors occur daily because of illegible handwriting, and patients had to wait long periods to have access to their medical records. Since then technology has changed the way nurses and health care providers care for their patients. Documentation of patient care has moved to an electronic heath care system in which facilities around the world implement electronic health care systems. Electronic health records (EHR) is defined as a longitudinal electronic record of
Many new technologies are being used in health organizations across the nations, which are being utilized to help improve the quality of health care. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) play a critical role in improving access, quality and efficiency of healthcare ("Electronic health records," 2014). In order to assist in expanding the use of EHR’s, in 2011 The Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), instituted a EHR incentive program called the Meaningful use Program. This program was instituted to encourage and expand the use of the HER, by providing health professional and health organizations yearly incentive payments when they demonstrate meaningful use of the EHR ("Medicare and medicaid," 2014). The Meaningful use program will be explored including its’ implications for nurses, nursing, national policy, how the population health data relates to Meaningful use data collection in various stages and finally recommendations for beneficial improvement for patient outcomes and population health and more.
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.
This paper will identify the use of Electronic Health Records and how nursing plays an important role. Emerging in the early 2000’s, utilizing Electronic Health Records have quickly become a part of normal practice. An EHR could help prevent dangerous medical mistakes, decrease in medical costs, and an overall improvement in medical care. Patients are often taking multiple medications, forget to mention important procedures/diagnoses to providers, and at times fail to follow up with providers. Maintaining an EHR could help tack data, identify patients who are due for preventative screenings and visits, monitor VS, & improve overall quality of care in a practice. Nurse informaticists play an important role in the adaptation, utilization, and functionality of an EHR. The impact the EHR could have on a general population is invaluable; therefore, it needs special attention from a trained professional.
The health industry has existed ever since doctors bartered for chickens to pay for their services. Computers on the other hand, in their modern form have only existed since the 1940s. So when did technology become a part of health care? The first electronic health record(EHR) programs were created in the 1960s around the same time the Kennedy administration started exploring the validity of such products (Neal, 2013). Between the 1960s and the current administration, there were little to no advancements in the area of EHR despite monumental advancements in software and hardware that are available. While some technology more directly related to care, such as digital radiology, have made strides medical record programs and practice management programs have gained little traction. Physicians have not had a reason or need for complicated, expensive health record suites. This all changed with the introduction of the Meaningful Use program introduced in 2011. Meaningful use is designed to encourage and eventually force the usage of EHR programs. In addition, it mandates basic requirements for EHR software manufactures that which have become fragmented in function and form. The result was in 2001 18 percent of offices used EHR as of 2013 78 percent are using EHR (Chun-Ju Hsiao, 2014). Now that you are caught up on some of the technology in health care let us discuss some major topics that have come up due to recent changes. First, what antiquated technologies is health care are still using, what new tech are they exploring, and then what security problems are we opening up and what is this all costing.
Over the years, healthcare facilities have acted like a storehouse for patients’ medical records, uninterested and unable to distribute clinical data to anyone beyond their organization. The EHR, started in the 1960s under the name of "computerized-based patient record" (CPR), became known as "electronic medical records" (EMR) in the 1990s and today it is known as electronic health record (EHR).The target of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is to incorporate the EHR and use it in a "meaningful" way to improve the quality, efficiency, and safety of patient care delivery; to engage patients in their personal health record; and to improve care coordination. Equally important, the "meaningful use" of the EHR system intends to build a bridge to other systems by creating an interoperability of health information while implementing quality care throughout. However, this interoperability can only be accomplished when the receiving system and the user fully understand how to apply these exchanges.
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).
Electronic health records is medical information recorded on computers, the data consists of a variety of data, medical history, medication, allergies, diagnoses, immunizations, labs, radiology, vital signs, billing information, and personal statistics weight and age. The EHR is designed to help with medical errors. It helps reduce errors with allergies to a medication. Also help with reading legibility and eliminate the lost forms and paperwork. It allows for the patients history to be viewed by several doctors. Doctors or nurses can update information on your record.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss how Electronic Medical Records (EMR), affects healthcare delivery. I will discuss the positives and negatives this issue has on healthcare and how it effects the cost and quality for healthcare services. In addition, I will identify any potential trade-offs to cost or quality. Lastly, I will discuss how the EMR affects my job as well as any challenges or opportunities this issue presents.
The implementation of electronic health records (EHR) continues to make an impact on nursing and patient care throughout the country. As a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, all public and private healthcare providers were required to implement electronic health records in their facilities by January 1, 2014. By demonstrating “meaningful use” of the electronic medical record, facilities are able to maintain Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement levels. Providers who show that they are meeting the “meaningful use” criteria during EHR use will receive an incentive payment from Medicare and Medicaid. “Meaningful use” is “using certified technology in EHR implementation to improve quality, safety, efficiency, and reduce health disparities; engage patients and families; improve care coordination; and maintain privacy and security of patient health information” (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2013).
The process of implementing an EHR occurs over a number of years. An electronic record of health-related information on individuals conforming to interoperability standards can be created, managed and consulted with the authorized health professionals (Wager et al., 2009). This information technology system electronically gathers and stores patient data, and supplies that information as needed to the healthcare professionals, as well as a caregiver can also access, edit or input new information; this system functions as a decision support tool to the health professionals. Every healthcare organization is increasingly aware of the importance of adopting EHR to improve the patient satisfaction, safety, and lower the medical costs. Studies have implied that, healthcare professionals who practice clinical features through EHR were far more likely to provide better preventive care than were healthcare professionals who did not.
Over the past decade, technological advances have paved the way for nurses to provide, quality, safe, standardized and individualized patient care (Saba & McCormick, 2015). The use of the Electronic Health Records (EHR) to manage patient data is quickly becoming widespread in the healthcare industry. The emerging use of the Electronic Health Record, is transforming how nurses care for patients. By creating and implementing an electronic, comprehensive, standardized method of recording patient data, nurses can facilitate and coordinate patient care with members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team. The use of the Electronic Health Record will promote positive