Policy and Guidelines for Informatics Staff

Policy and Guidelines for the Informatics Staff: Making Decisions to Use Informatics Systems in Practice

• Write a 3 page paper analyzing the need for specific policies and guidelines related to a chosen EHR tool or system. Write a one-page policy description for the ERH too. Write one page of guidelines describing usage for the tool.

The three assessments in this course ask you to look at a single electronic health records initiative from three different perspectives. The assessments are best done in the order that they are presented. In this first assessment you will establish the policy and guidelines for the EHR initiative you are implementing.

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Competency 1: Evaluate how various electronic health record systems are used by nurses across different health care settings.
  • Written policy and guidelines reflect an evaluation of the function of the tool or system related to evidence based practice.

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• Competency 2: Propose health information designs appropriate to health care settings.
  • Written policy and guidelines reflect an analysis of work setting using evidence based practice.
• Competency 3: Integrate health information system components into strategic planning for health informatics nurses.
  • Written policy and guidelines reflect an analysis of how the tool or system supports the strategic plan for evidence based information use in the organization or practice setting. Policy and Guidelines for Informatics Staff
• Competency 4: Recommend appropriate workflows to maximize efficiencies for the practice setting.
  • Written policy and guidelines reflect an assessment of workflows to maximize efficiency and safe practice within the context of evidence based practice.
• Competency 5: Recommend strategies to maximize efficiency, safety, and patient satisfaction using electronic health records while providing nursing care to patients.
  • Written policy and guidelines reflect an assessment of how the tool or system contributes to inter-professional care and patient satisfaction.
• Competency 6: Communicate as a practitioner-scholar, consistent with the expectations of a nursing professional.
  • Written communication is error free, employs APA standards and is consistent with the expectations of a nursing professional.

Resources

Suggested Resources

The resources provided here are optional. You may use other resources of your choice to prepare for this assessment; however, you must ensure that they are appropriate, credible, and valid. The MSN Program Library Research Guide can help direct your research, and the Supplemental Resources and Research Resources, both linked from the left navigation menu in your courseroom, provide additional resources to support you.

For all three assessments in this course you will refer to a health technology project of your own choosing. The resources below are provided to give you exposure to a variety of perspectives and examples related to the key competencies of the course and the grading criteria of the assessments. You may draw on these perspectives and examples to augment your understanding of your own project.

Evidence-Based Knowledge Development

The following readings provide evidence-based examples of the ways technology tools are being used to support the strategic goals of today’s health care settings.

McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. (2018). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (4th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.

• Chapter 10, “Administrative Information Systems,” on pages 189–
  • This chapter examines how administrators of agency-based health information systems use technology outputs to support their core business. Discusses communication, core business, order entry and patient care support systems.
• Chapter 15, “Informatics Tools to Support Patient Safety and Quality,” on pages 293–
  • This chapter examines patient safety from the strategic perspective of creating a safety culture. It discusses how error analysis can point to workflow changes that mitigate safety risks. It looks at the role of the nurse informaticist in collaborating with other stakeholders.
• Chapter 18, “Telenursing and Remote Access Telehealth,” on pages 359–
  • This chapter applies the Foundation of Knowledge Model to telenursing and telehealth. In addition to describing current use, it examines related legal, ethical and regulatory issues.

American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing informatics: Scope and standards of practice (2nd ed.). Silver Spring, MD: American Nurses Association.

Nursing Informatics and Decision Making

New technologies are in many ways disruptive to established processes and procedures. These readings analyze some of the key benefits of new health care information technologies (workflow efficiencies, availability and access, knowledge generations) and the related accountabilities that these new technologies require. Policy and Guidelines for Informatics Staff

McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. (2018). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (4th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.

• Chapter 12, “Electronic Security,” on pages 241–
  • A key decision point in implementing technology related business solutions is maintaining system security. This chapter looks at ways to think about encouraging accessibility and availability while maintaining security and privacy.
• Chapter 13, “Workflow and Beyond Meaningful Use,” on pages 245–
  • This chapter deals with workflow analysis and design.
• Chapter 14, “The Electronic Health Record and Clinical Informatics,” on pages 267–
  • This chapter explores electronic health records and the contribution of the nursing profession to the success of the technology as well as the accountability such systems require of nursing staff.
• Chapter 21, “Nursing Research: Data Collection, Processing and Analysis,” on pages 443–
  • This chapter examines the importance of information literacy as a research tool and the relationship of informatics generated data to knowledge generation.

American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing informatics: Scope and standards of practice (2nd ed.). Silver Spring, MD: American Nurses Association.

Stakeholders and Information System Use

For any health technology project to be successful, the design, development and implementation of the technology must be done in tandem with input from all of the stakeholders who will be affected by the technology. These readings encourage you to be open to the wide variety of stakeholders that form the universe of stakeholders that you may need to draw on for a project.

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McGonigle, D., & Mastrian, K. (2018). Nursing informatics and the foundation of knowledge (4th ed.). Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.

• Chapter 9, “Systems Development Life Cycle: Nursing Informatics and Organizational Decision Making,” on pages 175–
  • The system development life cycle (SDLC) is iterative. Something new is always evolving from what currently is. This chapter illuminates how new projects depend upon the decision making and collaboration of all stakeholders to address identified issues and opportunities.
• Chapter 11, “The Human-Technology Interface,” on pages 207–
  • Examines the importance of understanding how people experience technology is to the success of a technology. Stresses the critical need for clinician input into the design process.
• Chapter 16, “Patient Engagement and Connected Health,” on pages 323–
  • Health technology has the ability to connect consumers to their own health care in a way that has never happened before. This chapter examines the importance of developing inclusive and engaging educational materials to enable consumers to make the most of the access technology offers to them.
• Chapter 17, “Using Informatics to Promote Community/Population Health,” on pages 341–
  • The chapter takes a look at how federal, state and local public health agencies are involved in developing public health informatics. Policy and Guidelines for Informatics Staff

American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing informatics: Scope and standards of practice (2nd ed.). Silver Spring, MD: American Nurses Association.

• Assessment Instructions

Choose a specific situation in a practice setting related to the use of an EHR tool or system. Write a brief paper analyzing a need for specific policies and guidelines related to the tool or system and place the actual policy and guidelines as appendices to the paper. There are three parts to this assessment.

Part 1: Establish policy and guidelines for the use of an EHR system or data collection tool to support and apply evidence-based practice. Create a brief 3 page paper to address how the policy reflects the following analysis:

• An evaluation of the function of the tool related to evidence-based practice.
• An analysis of the work setting using evidence-based practice.
• An analysis of how the tool/system supports the strategic plan for evidence-based information use in the organization or practice setting.
• An analysis of how the tool/system contributes to creating efficient workflows and safe practice within the context of evidence-based practice.
• An assessment of how the tool/system contributes to inter professional care and patient satisfaction.

Part 2: Create a one page policy with references placed as an appendix to the paper.

Part 3: Create one page with guidelines on how to use the policy in practice placed as an appendix after the policy.

Review the Health Informatics Systems Planning, Analysis, Design, and Build for Nursing scoring guide prior to submission to ensure you address all required grading criteria.

Additional Requirements

• Part 1: Paper
  • Title page:Include your name, course, date, and instructor.
  • Reference:Five scholarly sources that support the policy and guidelines. Additional references may be used.
  • Written communication:Written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message.
  • APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to APA (sixth edition) style and formatting. Use a running head, title on the first line of the first page of text, a brief introduction, a minimum of Level 1 headings used for each section of the paper, and conclusion. Abstract not required. Policy and Guidelines for Informatics Staff
  • Length of paper:3 typed, double-spaced pages.
  • Font and font size:Times New Roman, 12 point.
• Part 2: Policy Statement
  • Length of paper:One page, double-spaced policy statement with references placed as an appendix.
  • Font and font size:Times New Roman, 12 point.
• Part 3: Guidelines
  • Length of paper:One page, double-spaced guideline of steps on how to use the policy in practice placed as an appendix after the policy.
  • Font and font size:Times New Roman, 12 point.

Policy and Guidelines

Next Gen EHR is committed to enhancing care through clinical care solutions. The system is an ambulatory based system that works to provide various information system solutions such as documentation, patient data analysis, and coordination of care (Next Gen Healthcare, 2021). This paper outlines the use of NextGen EHR in healthcare organizations regarding evidence-based practice, organization strategic planning and workflows, efficiency and safe practice, and inter professional care and patient satisfaction.

Evaluation Related to Evidence-based Practice

Next Gen EHR supports evidence-based practice through a clinical decision support system. The analytics and health data in the EHR workflow can guide nurses and other care providers on the best evidence to utilize in patient care. The incorporation of artificial intelligence and machine learning has made it possible for nurses, physicians, and other healthcare professionals to utilize patient data in clinical judgment and deciding the best evidence to use in clinical care (Next Gen Healthcare, 2021). Next Gen has incorporated machine learning to boost their diagnostics and imaging interventions that enhance evidence-based patient care.

A clinical decision support system is becoming a popular component of evidence-based practice tools. The system ensures that care providers can blend large volumes of patient information is revolutionizing diagnostics involving areas such as pathology and radiology. The clinical decision support system manages patient records, disease registries, and information exchange between care providers enhancing sharing of valuable evidence during care practice (He et al., 2019). Next-Gen’s big data digitization also allows care providers to implement evidence-based practice during ward rounds, direct patient contact, or during multidisciplinary team meetings(Next Gen Healthcare, 2021). Therefore, with Next Gen, decisions are made within a short time, as long as the care provider accesses all patient information and the relevant medical knowledge when making the decision.

Analysis of Work Settings

Next Gen allows for the integration of various work settings ranging from pediatrics, oncology, and critical care. The electronic health record has convenient and easy to use features for physicians and care providers. Once the patient has been checked and placed in the examination room, the care provider is alerted that they have a patient ready to be assessed (Glickman et al., 2017). With Next Gen, the providers can view the queue of both current and upcoming appointments, making it convenient for them to schedule meetings. While viewing the patient’s queue and appointments, the care provider can access the patient’s profile, including the vitals that have been taken and medical history (Next Gen Healthcare, 2021). The physician can also access the patient’s charts if they have visited the hospital before and use the information available in the chart to fill in some fields in their current note.

Next Gen allows care providers to view patients’ current and past medications (Next Gen Healthcare, 2021). Providers can either order refills from the currently prescribed medications or electronically prescribe new medications from their screens. When adding new medications, the Next Gen EHR searches for potential flags regarding adverse reactions and allergies and the patient’s insurance. Policy and Guidelines for Informatics Staff

How the Tool Supports Organization’s Strategic Plan

The Next Gen tool supports healthcare organizations’ strategic plan for evidence-based information use through optimization of decision making. The electronic health record system provides a comprehensive chart that contains the necessary information that assists care providers in planning for patient care (Willett et al., 2018). With evidence-based practice raising ethical concerns, especially regarding patient safety and data security, the Next Gen system flags repeat tests to prevent patient harm or medication administration when the patient is severely allergic. With effective documentation, the system allows clinicians to evaluate the current patient condition to deliver planned care that complies with regulatory requirements. Thus, nurses and care providers are freed to spend more time with their patients (Next Gen Healthcare, 2021). The integration of computerized physician order entry tool presents valuable information to physicians (such as laboratory data and referrals) that allow them to make informed ordering decisions.

Workflows to Examine Efficiency and Safe Practice

Next Gen system has established and effective workflow processes from patient check-in, examination, and treatment. The system also incorporates new technologies and treatment methods that enhance care coordination, especially for chronic medical conditions. The workflow improvements when using Next Gen include establishing a streamlined and paperless patient registration with per-registration capabilities (Schmajuk et al., 2020). Patients can self-serve through an automated system and automated appointment reminders, which foster a healthy workflow among patients and their care providers (Next Gen Healthcare, 2021). With the end to end workflow capabilities, the manual requirements in the healthcare organization can effectively be reduced. The system also allows care providers to adopt sophisticated features such as clinical guidelines and voice-enabled documentations.

How the Tool Contribute to Inter professional Care and Patient Satisfaction

Next Gen contributes to inter professional care by enhancing collaboration among extended members of the care team. For instance, nurses can alert providers on gaps in care when assessing the patient, allowing the providers to address such gaps during patient treatment. Both physicians and nurses can also collaborate to address patients’ needs, such as questions regarding their previous diagnosis, potential overlaps, and treatment outcomes (Next Gen Healthcare, 2021). Collaboration and team-based care are instilled in both mobile and desktop/laptop EHR platforms. Finally, the Next Gen system makes the most of patient visits by coordinating and combining activities of patients, care team members, and providers into an integrated whole.

Conclusion

Next Gen EHR is a safe investment as it supports complex workflows, inter professional care, and evidence-based practice. By providing clinical decision support tools, nurses and other care providers can utilize patient data to diagnose and prepare effective nurse care plans. The system also integrates nurses, patients, physicians, and other care providers to enhance collaboration and inter professional care. Therefore, the system supports evidence-based practice by coordinating care, ensuring smooth workflows, and aligning healthcare organizations’ strategic plans for information systems. Policy and Guidelines for Informatics Staff

References

He, T., Puppala, M., Ezeana, C. F., Huang, Y. S., Chou, P. H., Yu, X., … & Wong, S. T. (2019). A deep learning-based decision support tool for precision risk assessment of breast cancer. JCO clinical cancer informatics, 3, 1-12.

Glickman, M. R., Friedman-Hill, E. J., Reza, S., Sholander, P. E., & Thompson, R. (2017). NextGen Workflow for Electrical Analysis Calibration (No. SAND2017-8702D). Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States).

NextGen Healthcare. (2021). Clinical care workflow solutions. https://www.NextGen.com/how-we-help/clinical-care

Schmajuk, G., Li, J., Evans, M., Anastasiou, C., Izadi, Z., Kay, J. L., … & Yazdany, J. (2020, December). RISE registry reveals potential gaps in medication safety for new users of biologics and targeted synthetic DMARDs. In Seminars in arthritis and rheumatism (Vol. 50, No. 6, pp. 1542-1548). WB Saunders.

Willett, D. L., Kannan, V., Chu, L., Buchanan, J. R., Velasco, F. T., Clark, J. D., … & Basit, M. A. (2018). SNOMED CT concept hierarchies for sharing definitions of clinical conditions using electronic health record data. Applied clinical informatics, 9(3), 667. Policy and Guidelines for Informatics Staff