Medical Records and Nurses

¶ … Sunrise Alsprits, the software system used in the workplace currently include increased efficiency compared to the manual system, increased access to several records, and ability to use real-time data. The disadvantages of the system include a long response time, some difficult to use features, and down-time of the system (during system upgrades), which decreases the level of satisfaction. Sunrise Alsprits system has a major shortcoming in that it allows for short-cuts around the system. Certain recommendations to improve the system to increase efficiency and effectiveness level are discussed. The observations and recommendations mentioned herein apply equally to similar systems meant for healthcare organizations elsewhere. It is recommended that suitable defaults be incorporated to save time and to facilitate fast switching between patient records; such measures would conform to the way the nurses work. Another recommendation is make provision for independent access, thus allowing for entries by administrative personnel. This enhancement is imperative in order to ease up the workload for some of the team members.

Human Computer Interaction with Nurses using Clinical Software

Concept of Human Computer Interaction

The study of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) encompasses examining the manner in which people interact with computers and the magnitude to which they are developed for easy interaction with users. In recent times, the concept of HCI and its applicability in the healthcare profession has increased substantially. In particular, it is imperative to note that nurses have been dependent interaction with nurses and physicians on a day-to-day basis traditionally for providing sustained care. The advancement in technology is helping nurses achieve improved patient care and clinical nursing practice (Si and Liu, 2010). As such, one of the important features of HCI is its usability and it encompasses making the systems much easier to learn, understand, and implement. A usable system is one that is effective and efficient to use, safe, enjoyable, and easy to remember how to apply it. Usability is measured by the extent to which the objectives of use of the system in general are attained easily, the resources required realize the purposed goals, and the magnitude to which the user finds the system in general to be acceptable. In addition, the usability of a system is linked to issues of physical, visual, and cognitive accessibility (Zaphiris et al., 2008).

What is Good about my Current System (Sunrise Alsripts)

The system that I currently use at the workplace is Sunrise Alsripts. Several aspects of the system I use make it a good system for usability. For starters, the Sunrise Alsripts system is flexible and navigation is simplified. The software is built to make navigating for the nurse easier such as check boxes, drop down menus, icons, change of colors like red for critical values, Alerts/pop ups for reminders. A second element that shows how good the clinical system is customization and free text options. Nursing documentation has lengthy conducts and signifies core element of nursing, but the documentation is often truncated owing to limitations of space. Having free text options allows deliberations and discussion and is a valuable implement in the diagnostic process. More importantly, it enables the nurses to improve their level of critical thinking and may function as valued preparation towards standardized nursing diagnoses (Frigstad et al., 2015). Another important and significant feature of the system encompasses personalization and customization. The system is flexible enough to accommodate inputs from the physicians and clinicians, which makes it much easier for them to avoid any kinds of IT-related errors. In addition, the clinical system is able access multiple patients simultaneously. Being electronic and advanced, the system enables nurses to see the medical health records and data all at one place. Therefore, it becomes possible to assess the health care provided to the multiple patients, increasing the level of output. Another benefit is that the system makes it possible to have variations and visualizations of data ranging from age, blood group, medication prescribed and scanning reports. This makes it possible to improve patient healthcare and satisfaction (Smelcer et al., 2009).

Sunrise Alsripts has increased the level of efficiency and productivity within the workplace. The use of this electronic health records system in comparison to the manual approach has improved the speed with which nurses are able to complete tasks and provide better health care to the patients. In addition, the system has enabled the organization to put real-time data to use. This is enabling the nurses to make better decisions and ensure that they are regularly updated regarding all aspects ranging from infections to whether the departments are overstaffed or understaffed. What is more, the system is beneficial in that is sets task sequences constantly in relation with the manner in which users complete them. Another beneficial feature of the system is that it has instinctively structured drop-down menus. This makes it much easier for the users such as clinicians and physicians to maneuver through the system. The drop-down menus are able to list several of prospective symptoms or problems for a nurse to see, which could have infected a patient. In addition, this makes it much easier for nurses to keep medical records more efficiently (Smelcer et al., 2009).

What is Bad About it

Regardless of the benefits discussed above, there are features and elements of Sunrise Alsprits that need improvement. One of the major downsides of the system is that the response time can be long. The prolonged system response times may cause decreased satisfaction and poor productivity amongst the clinicians. This system causes delays in the provision of healthcare by nurses and gives rise to longer waiting time in queues. Secondly, the system is prone to experience "down time" for system upgrades, affecting the capability to use software. Such periods of down time cause disruption in the nurses work schedule as work progress is affected. Another downside of the system is the lack of integration. It places information needed for one task on multiple screens. This affects the productivity of the physician using it. For example, the physician experiences a challenging time when accessing laboratory results (caused by an alteration in the medications prescribed). Another issue is that of visual ease; a number of the screens are densely packed with information, which makes it time-consuming for the nurses to locate required information. This results in delay when rendering healthcare to the patient, and can generate a great deal of confusion and mix-up with patient and medical information and data. Lastly, the Sunrise Alsprits system has a shortcoming in the sense that it allows the user to take short-cuts around the system. In particular, this can be quite inviting for busy physicians and clinicians. However, this practice can give rise to severe consequences for patient care. This is because the short-cuts around the system can lead to contradictions in the medical records because the information has not been taken from every specific phase and may therefore is inaccurate. In turn, this makes it much harder to track the patient's overall well-being and diagnosis and therefore the credibility of the system is compromised (Smelcer et al., 2009).

Recommendations for Improvement

This paper discusses a system used in a healthcare organization. Some features in the system reveal inadequacies from the HCI perspective. As such, there is a need to suggest improvements in such systems deployed in the industry to facilitate usability, efficiency and incorporate flexibility considering the specific needs of the users -- the nurses, physicians and other stakeholders directly or indirectly responsible for patient healthcare. One of the recommendations is employing a flexible navigation scheme to allow for inputs from the diverse environments, specialists, personnel, as well as, individual customs and practices. Such changes in the system will enable the nurses, doctors, and administrative personnel and those from different departments to use it effectively. Secondly, it is recommended to use suitable defaults to decrease workload that is non-productive. A third suggestion is to incorporate a fast switching between patients' records that conforms to the needs of the several nurses that operate the system. A system that takes into consideration how the nurses function on a daily basis will be more effective as it will be in synchronization with their routine, thereby increasing satisfaction and productivity. Another recommendation is to allow the handing over of suitable responsibility to additional associates of the team. This enhancement is imperative in order to ease up the workload for some of the team members. This will not only increase the speed at which responsibilities are met, but will also increase the level of productivity. In addition, through this system, all members of the medical team have a better sense of their contribution and importance to the cause of the organization (Smelcer et al., 2009).