The project to install an EMR System in a Health Facility
Technological development has forced many organizations to change their mode of Operandi and embrace new technology as a way of submitting to the changes that have been brought about by the latest developments in the technological realm. Healthcare organizations have also not been left behind in the ongoing technological revolution. They are gradually embracing the change, which is tremendously causing an alteration in the experience of not only the health seeker but also the health practitioners (Dranove et al., 2015). Among the significant milestones in incorporating technological development into healthcare is the development of the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) in healthcare facilities. These systems have made storing and retrieving patient information easy. In this project proposal, the installation of the Electronic Medical Records (EMR) is proposed so that the patient records may be securely stored and retrieved, among many other benefits that come with the EMR (Lee Kuo, & Goodwin, 2013). Electronic Medical Records (EMR) is an innovation in the healthcare facilities that efficiently allows healthcare practitioners to feed, process, and store patient information securely on a computer. This innovation has led to a reduction in tedious paperwork in keeping records of patient data (Lee Kuo, & Goodwin, 2013). This system also proved essential to health researchers since they can readily access vital information about a specific disease.
Stakeholders Impacted by this Project
The adoption of this new technology in the healthcare facility will cause several heads to roll since different entities of the healthcare facility collaboratively function to provide the healthcare services required. Therefore these entities must be involved since they are the major stakeholders in this project who will be affected by this project. The healthcare givers in the organization are the primary stakeholders who will be affected by the change (Teufel et al., 2013). The doctors’ nurses’ nutritionists and other healthcare workers who store and retrieve patient data from the systems for use during the provision of healthcare services will have to adjust to the new technology. They will be able to easily store and retrieve patient information at the click of a button. This will reduce the paperwork and perusing the files (Dranove et al., 2015). The health information department will have to learn new skills on how to run and repair the new system. They have to acquire a short training on how the new system works. Additionally, the public that is the healthcare seeker will also be involved since they will be able to access health services faster since their details will be readily available and retrievable. Thus there will be a short waiting time (Teufel et al., 2013). The health facility administration will also be required to provide finances to fund the project.
Impact of EMR on Patient Outcomes
The installation of the new EMR system will have a host of benefits to the healthcare seekers. Firstly, the system will, in a significant way, reduce the medical errors which have been affecting the outcomes of the patients in a great idea (Lee, Kuo, & Goodwin, 2013). The data that will be shared in this system will assist clinicians to choose the correct prescriptions for the patients who might have allergies since the patient history in case patients are unresponsive when they are emergently brought to the hospital.
The system will lead to an increase in customer satisfaction. For instance, the retrieval of information concerning the client will be faster compared to the use of the hard copy files. This will reduce the general waiting time since the data is automatically be retrieved once the identification number of the patient is available (Dranove et al., 2015). Therefore, the time taken to search for files and retrieve the information will be reduced significantly, thereby increasing the rate of patient satisfaction. Moreover, the patient will not have to carry a record of treatment history, and thus their data will be readily available and safe. Additionally, data safety for the clients will be of high quality since the system is installed will a security system where only the permitted personalities will have access to the data in the order.
The technology required for the implementation of EMR
Digital formatting is among the requirements for the EMR system. The digital aspect requires a software that is able to provide the health records system with a holistic horizontal view of the processes in the hospital. It should also provide for interoperability between the different departments in the health facility clinics and wards units (Lee, Kuo, & Goodwin, 2013). There should be the ability to communicate between departments and the conversion of medical records into the digitalized form. An example of such software is The Chameleon Electronic medical record, which is a model EMR formulated by the Elad Health.
Integrated clinical order sets is also a requirement for the EMR. These standardized data sets can be accessed through a physician order entry that is computerized, also known as the (CPOE) system. These order sets will assist in formulating a tool known as the clinical decision support with benefits that are wide-ranging for both the healthcare facility and the patients. This program that mostly works as a toll that I guideline-based assists medics to carry out standardizations of medical concepts and the practices.
Patient management software is needed. This will assist in online scheduling of appointments, booking of appointments through an online platform. Through this software, the patient or staff can be able to book for an appointment using the application or an app in the smartphone (Lee, Kuo, & Goodwin, 2013). The health practitioner is also able to see all the booked appointments through the application. The patient profiles are also accessible through the application.
Apart from the software needed for the installation of this program, there is also a need for hardware components for the system. A work station is holding every tool that a healthcare worker requires to perform their work (EHR Hardware Basics, 2013). For instance, word processing, fax software word processor, and other significant tools (EHR Hardware Basics, 2013). Desktop, which is a computer that is fixed, is mainly part of the work station. A laptop or tablet can also be used when making ward rounds.
The project team members and roles
The project will need a comprising of different professionals who will collaborate and come up with the system. There are four crucial members in implementing the EMR project. These entail the project manager (Teufe et al., 2018). This person should have the technical know-how and is the lead of the team. He or she is responsible for the overall project.
The nurse informaticist, as the application analyst, is responsible for integrating ideas that the health organization requires to be put in place and elaborating them to the team that is implementing the project in the health facility. After collection of information from different departments, end-users, and department lead, this team player converts this information into the technical format so that the developers will take it to the next design stage (Teufe et al.,2018). Since the nurse informaticist has a clinical background and perfectly understands the needs of most of the departments, they can play a significant role in formulating such a system.
Application developer customizes into EMR requirements of every department. This entails coming up with the implementation of the provisions of different departments. The quality assurance test engineer is also distinguished in this stage since they facilitate the testing of the application. The quality assessment engineer also needs to have a medical background so that they be able to test the effectiveness of the system successfully.
References
Dranove, D., Garthwaite, C., Li, B., & Ody, C. (2015). Investment subsidies and the adoption of electronic medical records in hospitals. Journal of health economics, 44, 309-319.
EHR Hardware Basics. (2013, June 13). Retrieved June 17, 2020, from https://www.aafp.org/practice-management/health-it/product/hardware.html
Lee, J., Kuo, Y. F. & Goodwin, J. S. (2013). The effect of electronic medical record adoption on outcomes in US hospitals. BMC health services research, 13(1), 39.
Teufel II, R. J., Kazley, A. S., Andrews, A. L., Ebeling, M. D., & Basco Jr, W. T. (2013). Electronic medical record adoption in hospitals that care for children. Academic pediatrics, 13(3), 259-263.