Implementing Electronic Health Record Essay.

Healthcare organizations face notable challenges concerning information accuracy. This can impact both patient privacy and the delivery of care. For instance, if patient information is not properly transmitted from the physician to the pharmacy, medication errors can result which can have detrimental impacts on a patient’s health. Given the importance of improving patient outcomes, the current change proposed is the adoption of an electronic health record (EHR) system for the healthcare facility.

Electronic health records systems are an integral component to the maintenance of effective delivery of healthcare services (Sierra, 2007). There are two main attributes that electronic health records systems must have in order for it to have a positive impact on the organization. Data from the electronic health records system should be easily accessible by physicians, clinicians, and ancillary staff, and should provide integrated clinical information in order for healthcare providers to view a patient’s current condition within the context of the patient’s past medical history (Amatayakul, 2006).Implementing Electronic Health Record Essay.

The ultimate goal of an electronic health records system is for the most appropriate individual to enter the data only once, and for this data to be available and easily accessed by clinicians. It is of the utmost importance that organizations ensure that specific electronic health records systems are a right fit for their needs. Description of the facility The facility is Children’s Hospital of the Kings Daughters, which is a private, non-profit medical center. The facility has 212 beds, and is the facility of choice for pediatric care in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina.

The services offered by the Electronic Health Record facility include a full spectrum of pediatric care services, from primary to advanced care. This facility places a particular emphasis on community-based care (Harrington, 2004). The factors that influenced the implementation of Electronic health records system within this facility were quality of patient care as well as patient safety. The reason behind the need to implement an Electronic health records system is the need for a more unified approach to the medical records process.Implementing Electronic Health Record Essay.

There are several gains that will occur due to the implementation of the electronic health records system, including massive cost savings (Harrington, 2004). Essentially, the use of electronic health records system provides the foundation for vast improvements in patient care, and accurately measure the outcomes of patients (Harrington, 2004). The implementation of the electronic health records system into the facility. In order to effectively undertake this change, it is important to consider a brief overview of the proposed change and its potential benefits for the healthcare organization.

Critically reviewing what has been written about the definition of EHR systems it is evident that the title “electronic health” is generally self-defining. EHR requires physicians to use a computer database to store information, rather than keeping records on paper in files. By keeping medical records in electronic form, physicians and healthcare organizations can reduce the paperwork associated with medical care and provide greater access of patient records to healthcare professionals.Implementing Electronic Health Record Essay.

EHR systems have been viewed as a panacea for improving the efficiency and outcomes of healthcare organizations (Baharozian, 2005). Electronic Health Record Creating Dissatisfaction Healthcare professionals working in the organization will be given the opportunity to actively adapt to the new system. Professionals will be included in the development and design to ensure that their needs are met in the final system. In addition, comprehensive training will be provided to ensure that all staff members are able to use the new technology.

These processes will help reduce resistance to change and improve overall outcomes and utility of the new system. Organization’s Support of Change Under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, up to $27 billion in incentive payments will be given to doctors, hospitals, and other providers who adopt and make meaningful use of these health record systems. Through the implementation of the electronic health record, the organization’s management of the patient’s health care records will become more efficient.

There will be improvement of revenue cycle management, lowering of costs, improvement of patient care and safety, increased efficiency, decreased paperwork, automating chart distribution, and the ease of compliance reporting and adherence. It is imperative that the organization’s culture support this change because there are many major stakeholders that this change will affect. Stakeholders The stakeholders in the implementation of the electronic health record should include hospital administration, physicians and nurses, and the patients.

Hospital administration Electronic Health Record will be able to improve financial outcomes through the application of this system. Additionally, fewer patient errors will mean less legal liability for the organization. The new system should improve efficiency and reduce the time needed to undertake administrative tasks. For healthcare providers, this will mean more time with the patient. In addition, the system should eliminate errors and improve patient outcomes. The patients will benefit from both error-free care and improved quality of care provided by healthcare professionals.

Conclusion Process changes involved in the implementation of the electronic health records system were actively accepted and promoted in the medical center, which resulted in a smoother transition. And finally, each step involved in the transition from a paper-based system to an electronic health records system was carefully planned out and prepared for, which resulted in an overall successful implementation. In Phase II of the implementation phase, it will be determined how the implementation took place and how it was financed.Implementing Electronic Health Record Essay.