How Case Managers Benefit from Electronic Medical Records - Literature review Example

? How case managers benefit from electronic medical records The paper represents four summaries of different articles on the issue of electronic medical records and benefits this technology introduces in health care organizations. Modern case managers have an opportunity to perform their job more effectively, avoid mistakes of paper work, store, and process and analyze huge amounts of various data about patients. Key words: electronic medical records, effective data processing, digital technologies. . How case managers benefit from electronic medical records Summary of the article by Seeman and Gibson (2009) “Predicting Acceptance of Electronic Medical Records: Is the Technology Acceptance Model Enough?” from SAM Advanced Management Journal, 74, p. 54+. The paper deals with the EMR implementation in health care organizations and the way case managers would benefit from this step. In the modern globalized world high-speed development of technological innovations leads to an overall growth and expansion of computerization. Different companies, firms and organizations are looking for the most convenient ways to facilitate the work of their employees. Therefore, case managers in health care organizations underline the necessity of electronic medical records implementation. Unfortunately, it is evident that very often case managers reject electronic medical records usage. In accordance with Seeman and Gibson (2009) such kind of behavior should be analyzed in terms of Davis's technology acceptance model and Ajzen's theory of planned behavior. The first benefit for case managers when using electronic medical records is the way to costs cutting and health care industry efficiency. This can be explained by direct functions of EMR. This technology enables fast and efficient collection of the following data: (demographic, financial, and medical information). The storage, transmission and processing of the collected data facilitates the work of case managers. There is no need to penetrate into useless and boring paper activities. There is a right way to process data in digital format. Consequently, it is evident that EMR implementation will change “handwritten order documentation, minimizing transcription errors, and fundamentally reducing clinical mistakes” (Seeman and Gibson, 2009, p. 54). Case managers claim that physicians are able to make more relevant and appropriate decisions in case this technology is implemented. Sometimes, such promptness guarantees lives saving. In accordance with the article, case managers underline the importance of digital data processing in the process of their performance. A possibility to save huge amounts of data facilitates the job of case managers in the modern world of digital age. In spite of the fact that the concept of electronic medical records was developed 40 years ago, only the modern digital age enables keeping and collecting data of patients in different amounts. Unfortunately, health care organizations do not pay much attention to implementation of EMR into practice. The article states that less than 10% of American hospitals have enabled their case managers to facilitate their work by means of EMR. Another intimidating fact is that case managers may not have such an opportunity to facilitate their job. There are some predictions that by 2014 electronic medical records are introduced across America, but these predictions can hardly be true. Therefore, the article comprises different points of technological advancement of case management. Summary of the article “Supporting Management Programs” A strong criticism is also evident in the article “Supporting Management Programs” (n.d.): “The issue is one of adoption [of EMR]. Are people really ready to do this? As long as it's easier to script it out and hand it to a voice-activated nurse, that's what the physician will do” (Supporting Management Programs). Another important point, represented in the article is the fact that case managers have many other obligations and it is too hard for them to focus on paper work. Case managers have degree in social work or mental health counseling. These people should perform a role of a connecting bound between the clients and physicians. With respect to the fact that the main function of case managers is to connect the client with different services, there is a need to facilitate the work of case managers in order to develop creative and flexible approaches in medical services. As a result, the main functions of health care system are facilitated. It is also further on underlined in the article that the main benefits of EMR are facilitation of proactive reaction and processing of the clients’ needs, evaluate enormous lists of requests, focusing on their energy and creative potential. The article discusses that some case managers can easily manage many patients’ requests for information about them. Other case managers prefer to do their job in a slower manner. There is a need to avoid outdated systems and implement more flexible, modern and relevant solutions. Therefore, implementation of EMR would lead to the following benefits: productivity improvement of case managers, enhancement of physicians’ and nurses’ access to relevant information; a growth of customers’ and patients’ services satisfaction, governmental funding preservation with accurate reporting (Supporting Management Programs). With respect to this study, the usage of Microsoft products enables mobile and efficient data collection. This is possible by means of custom data forms implementation for easier and efficient data collection. Moreover, in their study they claim that:  “potential savings and costs of widespread adoption of electronic medical record (EMR) systems are evident in health care organizations” (Supporting Management Programs). In accordance with prognosis, it is possible to save approximately $81 billion annually. Moreover, prevention and management of chronic disease would lead to a larger growth of those savings. The examples provided in the article are the following: for patients with asthma, congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and diabetes EMR decreased the levels of hospitalization, because the patients were able to visit their doctors in the offices and use prescribed drugs. Tens billions of dollars may be saved in case their program is implemented in different health care organizations and case managers would be able to process a wide variety of data. Thus, modern technological corporations and organizations are working at development and advancement of a centralized, automated platform for making the job of case managers more efficient and up-to-date. Summary of the article “Hospital Owner Centralizes Electronic Medical Records while Delivering LAN-like Application Performance across the WA” (n. d.) There is a step-by-step analysis of advantages of EMR implementation presented in the study “Hospital Owner Centralizes Electronic Medical Records while Delivering LAN-like Application Performance across the WA” (n. d.). The first advantage is the absence of errors, which may occur in the process of manual data processing. The problems of illegibility and the usage of different terminologies are also excluded in the process of EMR usage. The second advantage, in accordance with the article, is the absence of possibility that a paper may get lost or may be destroyed. Thus, patients’ data may be saved for decades and there is no that option in paper records. Thirdly, data maintenance is another challenging issue. There is no need to shift bulk records from one place to another at the time, when electronic records are kept on small disks. The doctor is able to easily upload the data on the internet, for example. The fourth advantage is to enable doctors to make their decisions in a more efficient manner. Therefore, it is possible to benefit from EMR implementation and maintain data collection and data request more efficiently so that doctors were able to help their patients as soon as possible. There is a chance to introduce effective treatment once case managers are able to process relevant data of a patient. Consequently, it is claimed in the article that there is a need to improve a process of EMR implementation into health organizations. It is evident that essential investments are required in order to advance EMR implementation. Moreover, case managers would benefit more from effective technological advancement and there is a need to invest money into additional training of case managers. Summary of the article “Case Management. Model Act” In accordance with the article: “Case Management. Model Act” (n.d.) the costs and efficiency of EMR implementation are often underestimated. The administration staff of health care organizations often argues to choose EMR for their organization. There is no exact strategy to introduce EMR in health care organizations and case managers are often confused. Case managers suggest that it is relevant to consider such variables “hospital size, setting, specialty, prior computer integration, etc will determine the effectiveness of an EMR dramatically and must be considered in all cases” (Case Management. Model Act). Another important point discussed in the article concerns the necessity to develop an appropriate model of EMR implementation for case managers in health institutions. It is further claimed that implementation of EMR would lead to workflows coordination, development and advancement of communication between different specialists and patients. There is a right way to introduction of a transformative innovation, such as monitoring systems elimination. In this case patients’ biodata are transferred from their homes to the hospitals and nurses would be able to respond to these requests in a quick and efficient manner. Especially, this is beneficial for patients with multiple chronic diseases and who have to obtain help from multiple health care providers. Therefore, the article underlines that case managers do not reject advantages of EMR implementation in health care organizations. At the same time, huge investments are required at the governmental and local levels to train managers in the issues of EMR and advance technologies. There are certain criteria for EMR implementation and there is a need for health care organizations to advance a process of the technology integration. Moreover, it is relevant to consider if EMR leads to net profits gaining or not and it should be determined by the administration of health care organizations. References 1. Seeman, E. and Gibson, S. (2009). Predicting Acceptance of Electronic Medical Records: Is the Technology Acceptance Model Enough? SAM Advanced Management Journal, 74, p. 54+. 2. Hospital Owner Centralizes Electronic Medical Records while Delivering LAN-like Application Performance across the WA. (n.d.) Retrieved November 22, 2011, from: http://www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/contnetw/ps5680/ps6870/prod_case_study0900aecd806a2ea9.pdf 3. Case Management. Model Act. Retrieved November 22, 2011, from: http://www.cmsa.org/portals/0/pdf/PublicPolicy/CMSA_Model_Act.pdf 4. Supporting Case Management Programs. (n.d.) Retrieved November 22, 2011, from: http://www.articlesbase.com/management-articles/advantages-of-electronic-medical-records-systems-4521984.html Read More