Creating an Improved Morale Program for Health Information Management
Abstract
Electronic medical records EMR are computerized medical information system that collects, stores, and display information regarding the patient. EMR is a means of creating eligible and a well-organized recording of clinical details of the individual’s patients. The adoption of the EMR promises an array of substantial benefits to the patient, their family, and the clinical settings as well. With the key EMR stakeholder stated, this study examines the implementation of the EMR in HIM to improve the morale of the HIM department (Nguyen et al., 2014). It also focuses on the impact of the EMR on the HIM profession. The study uses the method of case study to analyze the benefits associated with the EMR to a clinical setting. The result of the study is an indication of the benefits of the EMR to various clinical settings, which implements a method in terms of security of their HIM and quick access to Health Records. From the study, the research can establish that implementation of the EMR is vital in the development of the HIM department, and this, in the long run, will boost the morale of the department. Lastly, the report recommends other topics that need an investigation from matter arising from the research topic.
The healthcare setting of the topic
The setting for the selected topic, EMR, is an HIM department within a clinical setting or what is known as a healthcare facility. The clinical setting is a setting where a considerably larger number of the patient receives care in a common area or standard unit. It involves more substantial healthcare information management (Bagheri-Tadi et al., 2013).. The information management in such settings are often critical and should be managed with the utmost care to avoid any confusion on the information regarding a patient. As such, the information must be confidentially kept in a safe environment. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
The problem often comes in a time when such information is required for treatment purposes, discharge, or in other cases, for the referral. The healthcare setting for a topic in clinical care is where a more significant amount of information on the patient needs excellent management. Often the clinical setting is likely to benefit from the EMR, and this will boost the morale of the HIM department since it makes it simpler to retrieve any information for any clinical procedures on the patient. The EMR is, therefore, very vital to the HIM department in the clinical setting as it makes the process of information managed straightforward, fast, and effective (Nguyen et al., 2014).
Role of the key stakeholders involved
The clinical setting often consists of the coordination of the various stakeholders. However, the HIM department, in particular, has four significant stakeholders who are very crucial for the development and implementation of the program. All these stakeholders on equal measures are essential for the success of the program. These include; the information management officer (IMO), the IT officer, the nurse, and the patient (Bagheri-Tadi et al., 2013).The information management officer (IMO) is the first most crucial stakeholder. In the HIM department, clinical information manager is undoubtedly the most crucial stakeholder in the information management. The information management officer plays a critical role in coordinating the safety and the accuracy of the information that is handled by the HIM department. As a general rule, the individual is the manager of all information processed within the clinical setting. All the knowledge of the patient within the facility or the environment is under his or her custody. In regards to EMR, the IMO is the overseer of the information of the patient within the EMR of the facility. The Registered nurse is the other very essential stakeholder in the EMR within the HIM department is the nurse. They are the individuals who are directly associated with the actual data or patient information entry and clinical care. Information gathered from the patient is recorded manually by the nurse who submits the complete and the right knowledge of the patient to the IT officer for EMR entry. As such, they have the role of ensuring that the information feed in the EMR is accurate and up-to-date with the correct patient information to avoid errors that can affect the overall quality of care. Making sure the patient information is correct, ensures that all the information regarding the patient establishes data integrity for treatment (Nguyen et al., 2014).
The other stakeholder is the IT officer, the IT Officer is charged with the responsibility of feeding information from the nurse into the EMR system. He has the responsibility of ensuring the collected knowledge of each patient matches the current data for future references. The stakeholder in the EMR is critical in the right treatment process as the whole process depends significantly on the accuracy of the information obtained. Lastly, the patient is the other stakeholder. He or she is the most vital stakeholder for the EMR within the HIM department is the patient. The EMR centers on the patient and the patient’s diagnosis, Medical history, etc. Keeping records of the patients’ medical records ensures that the right information is gathered for treatment needs and or for referral purposes. Data integrity plays a significant role in the quality of care. The patient has one of the most crucial parts and is one of the essential stakeholders in the development and functioning of the EMR for the HIM department.
Explain how your topic evolved within the field of HIM
HIM is one of the most crucial elements of clinical health care. However, information management has had various hurdles in terms of security, and some information getting lost or conduced. The EMR did evolve from the need by the HIM department to improve on the quality of information storage, where most clinical settings did think of innovative means of ensuring that the information is not lost. This is the genesis of the EMR for the HIM departments. The health care system has experienced unprecedented change over the past years. After along years of kicking and screaming, the majority of hospitals have implemented the EMR systems. According to the report from the year 2015, 96 percent of acute facilities in the United States had correctly certified EMR systems. The use of information technology in the health system has dramatically revolutionized and improved the delivery of health care globally. Because the paperwork founded to have numerous limitations, from the illegible handwriting that made it difficult for others to read (Saltz et al., 2013), this resulted in a lot of errors, thus compromising the data captured. Sparse data obtained through paperwork founded to have severe implications on patient care like mixing laboratory samples and therefore providing incorrect drug prescriptions.
Explain how your topic influences the healthcare setting
The EMR/EHR has been able to place a lot of influence in hospitals in many ways. The EMR has not only been able to keep patients records in clinics, but it also automatically alerts providers of contradictions when prescribing new medications. The alerts help to make the best possible decision regarding the patient’s overall care.
The EMR has been able to enable the information gathered by a primary care provider to tell a clinician working in the emergency department about the patient’s life-threatening allergy. By receiving alerts from the EMR, the emergency staff can adjust their care appropriately. In the clinics, the EMR has been able to expose the possible potential problems whenever they occur. The knowledge of potential risks helps clinicians to avoid more issues that may appear to be dangerous to the patients, thus leading to better outcomes. According to reports given by the clinics that use EMR, the system has been able to help clinicians identify and correct operational problems quickly and in a systematic way. Compared to the paper system, identifying such problems is much tricky and may take a longer time.
Study findings have proved that the EMR has been able to improve risk management by providing appropriate clinical alerts and event reminders. There has been an improved aggregation in clinics, analysis, and proper communication of the patients’ information, which makes it easier for clinicians to consider all the aspects of the patients’ health condition. The therapeutic decision making and diagnostic support have been made easier. The lab results can be gathered in one place by the EMR systems, enabling the evidence-based decisions at the point of care (Saltz et al., 2013).
In most clinics, the EMR has enabled the prevention of adverse events, by providing clinicians with the built-in safeguards against prescribing treatment that would somehow result in adverse circumstances. Majorly improving on public health outcomes, clinicians who make use of EMR about the whole patients’ population they serve, can have a more meaningful look at the needs of the patients. For instance, they can appropriately identify those patients who suffer from a specific health condition, and those eligible for some particular preventive measures. They can also determine the patients who are currently taking specific health medications. The system has also helped the clinicians identify and work well with the patients’ to manage the risk factors to improve the patients’ outcomes (Rechtsteiner et al., 2013).
The EMR challenges, negative impacts, and resolutions
Some problems come along with the EMR systems installation and implementation. However, healthcare providers are waking up in facing these challenges and demanding better usability. The EMR capital budget is highest when compared to other sectors. The cost of purchasing and installing these systems requires the price of software and hardware. The price is the main reason why the number of clinics has not yet switched to mode. However, the benefits are exceptional compared to the cost of installation and implementation. If the value of installation is expensive, then the hospital can, therefore, assess their needs and make a consultation with the vendors to create economical EMR solutions (Saltz et al., 2013).
Another critical challenge is the training of the employees, which has proved to be complicated. For instance, scheduling the training sessions for the health care providers can be challenging, because they have to attend to other activities within the health facility. The whole training session is likely to be overwhelming to the employees and can lead to work shutdown. The best solution is to designate some employees who are ready to dedicate their time to learn about the EMR so that they can serve as ambassadors for the technology and be resourceful persons for other staff members and clinicians (Bagheri-Tadi et al., 2013).
Some clinicians may, however, resist using the EMR; this is because some will refuse to accept the new technology. One of the reasons could be they didn’t trust the capabilities and convinced their way is more efficient. Once again, the hospital can correctly identify a superuser who can positively encourage others, so that they can adopt the system and let them feel more comfortable about EMR. However, the peer-to-peer approach can also be used in this kind of situation as well. Another challenge could happen when the EMR systems were not meeting essential requirements. Sometimes it is hard for one to keep up with the regulations. The vendors sometimes even fall behind, which means they face the risks of facing the same penalties for not appropriately meeting the stated obligations. The best way of addressing this is by assigning someone who can communicate with vendors concerning the meaningful use of the requirements and the deadlines so that no step is left out (Nguyen et al., 2014).
Sometimes the EMR may fail to fit with the workflow; some clinics may find that after planning and implementation, the system does not seem to work to their expectations. For instance, if the hospital has invested substantial funds in purchasing the EHR system, and the EHR fails to meet the needs of the department (Bowman et al., 2013). This problem can be avoided by taking more time in the planning process. Instead of rushing in decisions, the clinicians can take more time to get assistance from the vendors to ensure they provide an in-depth demonstration of the EMR functionality. It is also essential to have the clinicians and other staff members to have a test drive that equips them with feedback before they make the purchase (Rechtsteiner et al., 2013).
The impact of EMR on the HIM profession
EMR is the most crucial tool in the enhancement of the HIM profession in modern care. It has dramatically impacted on this profession. With various challenges being based on the element of the safety and the accuracy of information regarding the patient, the EMR is likely to change the profession by enhancing the quality of information handled by the HIM personnel. The EMR has enhanced HIM profession globally through the development of the best ways of handling data or the patient information. The business has become quite more straightforward and lucrative through the EMR adoption by most clinical settings eliminating the barriers which used to exist for the personnel in the HIM department. However, HIM, especially EMR, has had the potential of improving the efficiency and effectiveness of the HIM profession. The adoption of EMR by the non-federal acute care hospitals has, however, increased steadily since the HITECH implementation. In the year 2013, about 59% of the critical care hospitals had already adopted at least a basic EMR system with the clinician notes (Bagheri-Tadi et al., 2013).
The adoption of EMR by the HIM professionals has also enhanced the level of commitment and ability of the individuals in this profession to better understand how best care can be provided. It has impacted on the quality of care provided by the HIM professional since they find it easy to handle information of the patient. Most people have been attracted to the profession by the introduction of the EMR, which has greatly been a boost to the profession. This increment in adoption suggests that the negative and positive financial incentives present in most places across the United States health care systems are working as intended (Bowman et al., 2013). With the HIM involvement in EMR, the quality of the outcomes describes as doing the right thing at the right time and in the right way for the right person. The patient safety has been described as avoiding injuries to the patients for the care that is intended to help those (Nguyen et al., 2014). There was a substantial increment in adoption in the HITECH first year. The primary or comprehensive EMR showed a considerable increase from 2010 to 2011, with an 11.5% to 18% increase in basic EMR systems and extensive EMR systems rising from 2.6% to 8.7%. This gap in EMR adoption depended on the teaching status, the hospital size and the location, this has indicated that hospitals with specific characteristics continue to adopt the HIT at a higher rate than others (Rechtsteiner et al., 2013).
EMR has impacted the HIM profession by the development of a streamlined method of data handling procedures. Conventionally there are agreed methods of HIM data handling process and methods which have made the work of the profession more streamlined and quite direct. The goal of this is to develop a technique that all members of the business can have a uniform method of data storage procedures. This has dramatically improved the quality of service that the HIM profession offers to the various clinical facilities globally. Today, HIM profession has become one of the most admired businesses in the healthcare sector thanks to the adoption and implementation of the EMR by various organizations (Bowman et al., 2013)..
The other impact of the EMR on the HIM profession is by simplifying the element of care provision data or information management. HIM profession are today capable of managing considerably larger information of the patient at the same time due to the EMR adoption as it does not need much paperwork or manual entry of data on the HIM system. Researchers found that there is an association between EMR use and clinician satisfaction with their current practice. The HIM profession has dramatically improved as a result of the introduction of the EMR, which helps the professional to early monitor the patient information and makes the work of the individuals in the HIM department quite simple. This has promoted better service delivery by the HIM professionals. The traditional HIM departments will transition to e-HIM departments with changes in functions and corresponding staff skill levels (Toval et al., 2013).
The EMR systems have been able to transform HIM from a paper-based industry to one that fully utilizes EMR, and other pieces of information to assist clinicians in delivering higher quality care to the patients. The HITECH Act requires the clinicians to fully adopt the EMR and utilize them in a meaningful way, which includes the use of the EMR functionalities associated with error reduction and cost containment. With the presence of patient’s data in the EMR, clinicians have been able to share the patient’s information through the HIM. HIM is a way of sharing the patients’ health information between different health organizations (Bagheri-Tadi et al., 2013).
The research methodology used in investigating the topic
This part represents an ethnographically inspired interpretive case study of the EMR system at Sakkara hospital in India. An interpretive case study of an Indian eye hospital that has successfully adopted the EMR system. The challenges faced are related to the adoption of the EMR, the methods, and the strategies that were carefully utilized in order to overcome the challenges in the adoption process. One of the more notable challenges at the hospital was a user base that included those lacking computer skills, known as skeptical users. Despite the many barriers, the hospital was able to adopt the EMR system carefully and successfully. Some of the crucial issues that are related to the success of the EMR system included the design strategy. Both the critical technical and social features of the EMT system were intended to support the skeptical users (Bowman et al., 2013)..
Several factors created challenges to make custom-built EMR systems challenging to adopt. A well-established issue in CSCW theory is that varying expectations from various users can eventually lead to policies that create a disparity between those who probably benefit from the EMR system and those that work additionally to support it as in this case. However, one of the critical challenges that the hospital faced in adopting the system included an organizational climate that was relatively complicated and added a more extensive range of expectations from the system from the various stakeholders and a hitch in identifying the proper design strategy. In overcoming the challenges, the hospital utilized the extended version of PD.
Recommendations on other topics
HIM is one of the essential in providing modern patient care. Most people are fully aware of the need for a safer, robust, and reliable storage of information for their organization. Healthcare data or information has become one of the most crucial resources as most people use health records for various purposes. There is a higher need for protecting the information utilizing rules and regulations presented by HIPPA, because of potential data breaches. Other than just the EMR, additional recommendations can help the HIM department in securing the healthcare information and make HIM more encouraged. Some of the essential recommendations do include practice management software, patient portal, and remote patient monitoring. There is a need for investigation of these three topics due to their impacts or the probable impact that they can have in the HIM department (Toval et al., 2013).
Despite the significant help the EMR has on HIM functions, some loopholes still exist on the quality and the productivity of the EMR. The investigation of the remote patient monitoring system can improve some specific elements of the records that are obtained from a patient and hence a general improvement in the HIM. The other recommendation is the patient portal. Very often, information on EMR can get in the hands of the unintended persons. The patient portal can help in ensuring that the patient information readily available, communication is open, and help not to compromise data integrity. HIM departments utilize a unique core or password that encrypted the information that is stored on the patient’s EMR system (Bowman et al., 2013). The role-based access helps to limit staff access to patient information based on their job duties or position in the healthcare organization. Providing role-based access helps to decrease potential issues with patient safety, HIPAA violations, and massive data breaches.
References
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