Electronic Medical Record Implementation in Correctional Facilities - Essay Example

? Electronic Medical Record Implementation in Correctional Facilities Kenia Perez HCS/587 July 29th, Amy Reed, MHSA, RN Electronic Medical Record Implementation in Correctional Facilities The need for electronic record keeping in the correctional facility It is no doubt that the world today is living in a technology age. The use of information technology has colonized almost every sector ranging from schools, security, entertainment, leisure, and even politics. Information technology revolutionizes how things are done in every field. However, in the health sector, information technology has evolved slowly over the years in comparison to other sectors and industries. The significance of assessable and consistent medical records continues to be the objective of the health care and correctional facilities. The usefulness of electronic medical records cannot be underestimated. Electronic medical records will serve as the core source of information for patient care. The utilization of information technology to keep records allows capturing, processing and integration of more data. This will provide meaningful information as well as contribute to the knowledge of authorized users for lawful uses. In the contemporary world, people have increasingly become aware of their rights. People have become empowered, and thus demand for better services from servicer givers. As such, there is the need to implement electronic record keeping and enhancing customer/patient expectations. The organization also needs to implement electronic record keeping so as speeding patient treatment. It usually takes some time before a patient’s record can be accessed from the manual record. Embracing information technology in record keeping will help expedite patient treatment (Rodin, Jennifer, & Sharon, 2012). Accessing records from online records will be taking less than a minute when there is an information technology technocrat in the records department. Organizational and individual barriers in implementing information technology in health care While implementing electronic record keeping from manual record keeping, correctional facilities may encounter several barriers. Barriers may be of two kinds: individual barriers and organizational barriers. One of the main organizational barriers is the constraint of cost. Adopting comprehensive electronic records is a long and expensive process. Financial and time cost is mainly involved in containing, managing, and recouping costs. Other direct costs that are a barrier to electronic records keeping are the cost of purchasing information technology equipment and training costs. Another organizational barrier is the fear of having the staff buy-in to the organizational change option. It is quite a challenging exercise to have the hospital staff to accept the option of having to change from manual means of record keeping to electronic record keeping. In correctional facilities that have already embraced electronic records, the management expressed that it is a critical challenge to convince the staff on the need for the organizational change. Many staffs have noteworthy concerns with regard to the anticipated upheaval and changes in their daily and routine activities. The concerns are usually compounded by ambiguity regarding the potential merits that the new system will bring (Rodin, Jennifer, & Sharon, 2012). Correctional facilities also encounter training barriers. Organizations experience tremendous logistical challenges in training virtually the staff and the community on how to use electronic records. The organization needs to enlarge their information technology staff to operate with electronic records vendor in a bid to customize the system. This includes adding information technology knowledgeable clinicians who would bridge the conversation involving practice and technology. The organization may also lack a change agent to help it midwife the process of system changeover (Borkowski, 2009). During organizational change, it is essential to have an appropriate change agent to help the organization, the staff, and other stakeholders work together to implement the recommended change. The organization may lack an experienced change agent, which may result in stakeholder conflicts as a result of electronic records implementation. Individual barriers that could interfere with implementation of electronic records in correctional facilities are in form of staff resistance. Staffs may oppose the intended change due to several reasons. These barriers are such as the fear of the unknown, reduction in personal need fulfillment, perceived stress, and loss of status and personal power. Staffs may resist the introduction of information technology for correctional record keeping as they fear that the new technology may take away their jobs. Information technology is also results in perceived or real stress to staff as they operate on inadequate information. Inadequate information by management whenever there is a technological change creates an atmosphere of stress and anxiety. Staffs may oppose the change, as they perceive introduction of information technology as a rival for their status and personal power. Heads of departments may be reduced to technicians after the introduction of technology. This makes individuals to resist the change, thus creating a barrier (Borkowski, 2009). Factors influencing the adoption of information technology in record keeping There are various factors that influence the adoption of information technology in record keeping in correctional facilities. These are cost containment, maintaining efficiency, and enhancing quality. The hospital experiences huge costs due as a resulting of acting on wrong medical records. Medical errors arising from manual health records are potentially expensive but preventable. With electronic record keeping, correctional facilities care and service providers will make use of centralized patient information. Electronic records will allow providers to access information even from remote locations. This will allow service providers to offer improved health care decisions. Adopting electronic record keeping helps to improve care of healthcare and consistency. Attaining consistency and quality is one of the strategic goals of the organization. As such, adopting electronic records in the organization will aid in integrating inpatient and outpatient care as well as offer continuity of coordinated services across the organization’s systems (Academic Conferences, 2008). Communication is another factor influencing the adoption of electronic health record keeping. Electronic health record helps to enhance communication among service givers across care sites. This kind of coordination is essentially pertinent for further correctional facilities reform. Factors influencing organizational readiness to electronic record keeping The main factors influencing readiness to electronic record keeping are technology acceptance, technology diffusion, and technological complexity. Technology acceptance determines usefulness in various ways. These are; users’ characteristics, the information system characteristics, environmental attribute as well as attributes of task processes. Technology diffusion refers to the adoption pattern for different innovators such as laggards and early adopters. Innovation attributes are advanced by information from sources outside the organization’s social system (Barbara, 2005). The intricacy of the adapting information technology accounts for the collection of agents who interact in a process that does not need to be controlled hierarchically or externally advanced. Theoretical models relating to electronic record keeping The development of electronic health records has immensely revolutionized the landscape of documentation. Electronic records are subject to prerequisites and security concerns in a similar manner as manual records do. As a result of the intense expansion of data technologies, the theoretical suggestions for managing information and electronic health records is embracing proper levels of encryption and use of passwords to safeguard digital information. There should also be specific security that offers guidance on managing electronic health information that is protected (Sturm, 2012). Practitioners have to comply with the security rule as well as carry out documented risk analysis of specified aspects. The practitioner has to choose reasonable security measures suitable for the identified risks. Internal and external resources available to support electronic record keeping For the correctional facility to have an electronic record keeping fully operational, internal and external resources are necessitated. Internal resources are such as organizational commitment from strong leaders. Correctional facilities must employ various approaches to show that implementing electronic record health keeping is a priority. The organization has to commit noteworthy financial resources for software, equipment, and training, and information technology staff. The organization should spread the change momentum to departments with strong leaders to drive change and help other staff to work in the new system. The organization has to use diverse approaches to show its commitment such as committing adequate financial resources, communicate potential gains of using electronic record system, and celebrating staff members upon their accomplishment in using the electronic records systems. An external resource available to support implementation of electronic record keeping is the help from the federal government. The government has promised its total commitment to ensure that the organization attains the right technological infrastructure to serve the citizens well and expedite service provision in the correctional facility. References Academic Conferences. (2008). Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on E- government: ICEG 2008. London: Academic Conferences Limited press. Barbara, C. (2005). Determining factors of organizing readiness for technology adoption in long-term care facilities. Retrieved on 20 July 2013 from http://www.dads.state.tx.us/news_info/publications/legislative/archive/electronichealthrec ords/2005.pdf. Borkowski, N. (2009). Organizational Behavior in Health Care. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning press. Fisher, E. A. (2009). Motivation and Leadership in Social Work Management: A Review of Theories and Related Studies. Administration in Social Work, 33(4), 347-367. Doi: 10.1080/03643100902769160. Rodin, D., Jennifer, N.E & Sharon, S.C. (2012). Using electronic health records to improve quality and efficiency: the experiences of leading hospitals. Retrieved on 20 July 2013 from http://www.commonwealthfund.org. Spector, B. (2010). Implementing organizational change: Theory into practice (2nd ed). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Sturm, C. (2012). Record keeping for practitioners. American psychological association 43,2: 70-73. Retrieved on 20 July 2013 from http://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/02/ce-corner.aspx. Read More