Patient-Centric Healthcare
Over the past five years, numerous legislative acts have fundamentally changed the way the country thinks about healthcare. Nowhere have the changes been felt more than for those delivering care. However, often providers do not stop and consider how the changes affect patients, which is unfortunate as patient acceptance and participation in their healthcare can improve outcomes. Murphy (2011) concurred that healthcare should revolve around the patient rather than the patient treated as a passive participant. Her viewpoint extended to implementing health information technology (HIT) that is patient-centric and collaborative in helping patients become a full partner in their preventative self-care and disease management.
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There are obvious benefits to the technology such as quick access to patient information, efficient and faster billing, and lower storage costs. In addition, there are huge advantages to linking laboratory, radiology, and pharmacy information to the larger EHR. According to Murphy (2011), linking this data is very patient-centric as it lessens the likelihood of repeating tests, thus better care decisions happen when current data is available. However, there are cons to the technology that are hampering its full acceptance. In the digital age, the public is becoming aware of how pervasive computers are to our everyday lives. Computers run our cars; manage our financial matters, and numerous other daily functions. In addition, computers and electronic information allow medical devices to function and more often than not, track our medical footprints. When the shift to EHR was nearly mandated, the one consideration not taken into account is the public’s mistrust of how the healthcare industry uses this information. Certainly, those in the healthcare industry want to keep their patients healthy, heal them when illness develops, and develop better ways of treating disease; however, the medical industry, like all businesses, are motivated by profit. According to Blankenhorn (2010), medical records, from pharmacy records …show more content…
The advances in medicine have dovetailed with technology, although this has often been an uneasy relationship. While the public can celebrate the positives of high-tech medicine and technology, its downside has been a loss of personal connection and fears of how patient information is used. The reality is, healthcare information technology is moving forward, but with an ear for improving performance by admitting its shortcomings and seeking ways to avoid patient rejection of all it has to offer. As improvements are made, CPOE has the potential to reduce medical errors by clarifying information before adverse events occur. Electronic health records and the sharing of vital information can perform remarkably well in reducing repeat testing and maintaining continuity of care between providers. As with any new system, HIT will evolve and with great hope and determination, change the way healthcare is delivered in the United
Also, these studies question those who are effected; in this case, those who are most effected, is everyone. Doctors and nurses spend the most time working within these systems, but the information that is put into these systems effects every individual in America, because it is their information. Because nurses are often considered “both coordinators and providers of patient care” and they “attend to the whole patient,” their opinion is highly regarded (Otieno, Toyama, Asonuma, Kanai-Pak, & Naitoh, 2007, p. 210). It is clear that the use of these new systems is much debated, and many people have their own, individualized opinion. This information suggests that when there is a problem in the medical field, those who address it attempt to gather opinions from everyone who is involved before proceeding. It has been proven by multiple studies that this system of record keeping does in fact have potential to significantly improve patient health through efficiency, and it is because of this that the majority of hospitals have already completed, or begun the transfer from paperless to electronic (Otieno, Toyama, Asonuma, Kanai-Pak, & Naitoh,
The federal government has taken a stance to standardized care by creating incentive programs that are mandated under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) of 2009. This act encourages healthcare providers and healthcare institutions to adopt Meaningful use in order to receive incentives from Medicare and Medicaid. Meaningful use is the adoption of a certified health record system that acquires or obtains specified objectives about a patient. The objectives or measures are considered gold standard practices with the EHR system. Examples of the measures include data entry of vital signs, demographics, allergies, entering medical orders, providing patients with electronic copies of their records, and many more pertinent information regarding the patient (Friedman et al, 2013, p.1560).
“Meaningful Use” implemented in July, 2010, set criteria’s for physicians and hospitals to adhere, in order to qualify for certain financial incentives and to be deemed meaningful users (MU) of the EMR. Meaningful use in healthcare is defined as using certified electronic health record to improve quality, safety, efficiency, and reduce mortality and morbidity. There are 3 stages of meaningful use implementation. The requirements for the 3 stages are spread out over a period of 5 years. MU mandates that physicians meet 15 core objectives and hospitals meet 14 core objectives (Hoffman & Pudgurski, 2011). The goal is to in-cooperate the patient and family in their health, empower autonomy to make decisions while improving care in all population.
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 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.
“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 preliminary effects of the Meaningful Use Program have began to have an impact on improving the quality of care and its’ safety and efficiency. I gained a greater understanding of information technology and it’s role and importance to my current and future practice. I learned the goal of the Meaningful Use Program isn’t just to install technology in facilities across the nation its so much more. The goals are to empower patients and their families, reduce health disparities and support research and health data. The EHR can prevent medication errors, reduce long term medical costs, improve population health and through the Meaningful use program the vision of this program is becoming reality.
Physicians use these systems to collect detailed, specific information about each patient, providing complete documentation of their personal health records. The history documented includes injuries, diagnoses, treatments, prescriptions, visits and much more. This comprehensive database helps physicians see the big medical picture, which in turn makes future diagnosis easier. Health care businesses have capitalized on this information by providing practices with patient portals. Integrating an ambulatory EHR solution with a patient portal gives patients access to their up-to-date medical records. In recent years, this has become more of a necessary EHR feature than a “nice-to-have”
The forthcoming passages will illustrate initiatives and barriers to adopting health IT (HIT), as well as critical factors relating to successful adoption. The goal is to establish a realistic guide to increasing the possibility of successfu...
In his instructive article, Dr. Philip Caillouet focuses on the application of communication and information technologies in the health care industry. Referred to as Health Info Exchange (HIE), Cailloeut outlines the difficulties policymakers have faced in creating a platform of circulation for information on patient’s important medical information and history, virtually. HIE would not only make medical information easily accessible to physicians, but it would improve the overall quality and cost of patient care. As Cailloeut puts it, we live in a time of “There’s an app for that!”— a time where the Internet and informatics are the expected norm. He outlines the brief history of HIE, the vision for the future, and strategies to ensuring the
EHRs play a major role in patient’s safety since it can prevent double outpatient electronic prescribing, can track down in-patient computerized physician order entry and can have patients having their essential health data accessible to their different providers. The EHR is considered one of the main products in the integration of various tools such as decision-support systems, digital imagery that can be observed by authorized physicians while working with patients and other staff via telemedicine which would enable a safer and more efficient healthcare system in Canada (Gagnon et al.,
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).
Many fear entering a doctor 's office. They are afraid of talking to a doctor, filling out endless paperwork, encountering unknown bills and receiving unwanted diagnoses. These are all problems, however, that modern patient engagement technology seems to be alleviating. With patient engagement technology digitizing forms, allowing for secured payment and helping manage treatment plans the gap between patients and provider seems to be decreasing tremendously. Ultimately patient engagement technology is clearing communication pathways and helping improvement long term health and status of patients in a multitude of ways!
Studies have implied that, healthcare professionals who practice clinical features through EHR were far more likely provide better preventive care than were healthcare professionals who did not. (page 116). From 2004, EHR has initiated, even the major priority of President Obama’s agenda is EHR (Madison & Stagger, 2011). Health care administration considers EHR as the introduction of advanced technology which can improve patient satisfaction are can increase the financial incentives of the healthcare organization. Studies have pointed out that the federal policy is proposed to transform all medical records into EHR (Hebda & Calderone, 2010).
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