Electronic Medical records - Assignment Example

?Electronic Medical Records Introduction Electronic medical records are computerized records. They are introduced in the medical world to replace thetedious paper based records. Paper based mode of recording is the most used by many hospitals. Most medical practitioners find it cheap and easy to use this method. Regardless of the cost, paper based records, require a lot of storage space unlike computerized records that only take the space of a hard disk or any other storage device. Electronic media records can be easily located in case of reference according to HIMSS (2007). This is quite not the case with paper-based records where a lot of room is required to store up the paper work. Trying to locate paper-based records is time consuming and at times results to inaccurate information or lack of it generally. Objectives behind the Implementation of EMR in Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital Electronic Media Records are known to be cost effective, thus improving the quality of service, cost and general wellbeing of the patients in the long run. This eventually leads to a reduction in the cost of hospitalization for patients and improves the overall safety of the patient. Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital’s aim behind the institution of the EMR was to improve efficiency in record keeping, operations and patient care. The successful implementation of a project depends largely on its planning and efficiency of the project team as noted by HIMSS (2007). According to the General Manager of the hospital, it was important for the hospital to roll out a planning development strategy on the implementation of the Electronic Media Records. The hospital chose the already developed technology strategy considering that EMR is a technology that has been applied in other hospitals with a lot of success. The hospital formed a team of professionals to oversee the planning and implementation of the technology. The project team consisted of a few medical staff, IT experts, management staff, computer scientists and nurses. Due to the nature of the EMR project and the size of the project, a lot of time was required for the implementation stage. Roughly, the project needed six months for preparation before implementation and six months for the implementation stage and assessment stages. Resources for and Constraints to the Implementation of the EMR System Estimating the cost of a project is important if the same has to be successfully implemented according to Whitehead (2003). This was the greatest determinant as to whether the EMR system would be successfully implemented. The hospital organized its board members and come up with a reliable source of funds for the implementation of the EMR. Fortunately, the hospital had most of the required resources in terms of funds, skilled personnel, Internet connectivity, and a well networked set of computers. The main constraint was that the hospital needed better firewall software considering the need to protect personal and confidential records from illegal intrusion and hacking. The hospital also needed an effective EMR software. It was noted that for the effective functioning of the system, a more powerful server would be needed together with more powerful network devices. One main issue that relates to the application of the EMS in hospitals is privacy. Indeed the issue of patient privacy is as weight an issue as patient autonomy. Considering that the EMS makes part of patients’ records accessible to over 500,000 payers, care providers, insurance firms and other organizations, the project team working with the hospital’s management had to establish a privacy policy to be applied by the hospital in handling patient records. This would ensure that chances of privacy infringement were as much as possible minimized. Impact of the Technology According to the general manager of the hospital, the institution would expect a lower mortality rate due to cut down on medication errors with the implementation of the electronic media records system. The hospital also expected to save close to one million US dollars every year with the system in place. Adoption of the electronic media records would also improve the general quality of care (KnowIT, 2010) thereby leading to high satisfaction among patients. During the planning and implementation of the technology, all the stakeholders of the hospital were involved. The various stakeholders were encouraged to air their views regarding the implementation of the technology. Some members of staff aired their worries regarding the system. They feared that they or other members of the organization would lose their jobs. On the other hand, some stakeholders commended the move and expressed their full support for the system for its positive impacts on patients’ lives and efficient management of organization. Training and Communication The project team assured the members of staff that no one would lose their jobs as a result of the implementation. However, some staff would be relocated to other work stations or trained to perform new duties. Considering the need for the wholesome support of the technology and for its future use and management, the various stakeholders were trained on various aspects of the technology as suggested by Whitehead (2003). The hospital’s doctors, nurses, IT staff and computer scientists were given in-depth training on the application and use of the technology by the software vendor. The various stakeholders were encouraged to engage in constructive communication and to assist where possible in the implementation of the technology. Actual Implementation and Assessment The implementation of the system mainly involved computer and IT specialists working together. The implementation process was divided into manageable tasks, with each task assigned a deadline, as established from the work schedule. The physical facilities were laid out and tested for their functionality before the various software were installed and tested. Considering the comprehensive nature of the project, every step of the way was documented for future reference and in a bid to help in tracking problems in case they errors occurred in the future. In total, the system cost the hospital about 600,000 US dollars. Care was taken to ensure that the system was implemented in consideration of legal requirements including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. Once the implementation process was completed, the system was tested to establish its functionality and effectiveness. The assessment was done based on initial objectives, vendor recommendations, and actual costs compared to budget costs. Conclusion From the case study, it is noted that he process of implementing a new technology such as the EMR system demands careful planning and implementation. In order for the technology to b successfully implemented, the various stakeholders should be involved. Furthermore, the objectives of the project must be established well before the technology is implemented. Yet again, it is important to develop a plan that acts as a roadmap to the implementation of the project considering the available resources, constraints and time. There are several challenges and constraints that may be faced during the implementation of the project. The project team should employ a lot of logic and reasoning in making decisions, always trying to project ahead of time the needs of the project. In order to ensure that the project stays on course, regular assessments should be done. Since employees and other stakeholders can be a major hindrance to the implementation of new technologies, it is important to have their views considered and their fears addressed. The stakeholders should be encouraged to communicate effectively with one another and trained on various aspects that relate to the implementation and use of the technology. This way, they are better able to understand the benefits that come with such technologies thereby embracing them. References HIMSS (2007) EMR implementation issues. Retrieved 21 January 2012 http://www.himss.org/content/files/emr_imp_issues_032707.pdf KnowIT. Electronic Medical Records. Information systems. Retrieve 17Jan 2012. http://knowledge.wpcarey.asu.edu/article.cfm?articleid=1912 Open Clinical (2005). Electronic Media Records, Electronic Health Records…Retrieved 21 January, 2012. http://www.openclinical.org/emr.html Whitehead, B. (2003). Planning for Technology: A guide for school administrators, technology coordinators, and curriculum leaders. Corwin Press. Thousand Oaks. CA. Read More