Job aid for new nurse administrators

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Electronic health records are information systems that allow for the convenient storage and retrieval of patient health records. These systems make it easier for health professionals to have a full patient history, which can aid with diagnosis and prescription, and ensure that patient care is at the highest level. It is important, therefore, that EHRs have the highest standards of quality and consistency in order to perform this role effectively (Hoerbst & Ammerwerth, 2010). There are several different EHR systems from which to choose, and the one that will be described here is Allscripts.

Allscripts was founded in 1986 as Mysis, having since changed its name. Today, Allscripts provides comprehensive electronic health record service that includes such functions and features as analytics, billing, information, patient safety and other related features. Today, Allscripts provides service for a wide range of health care facilities including clinics, hospitals, hospices and other related settings. This versatility is one of the main assets, because patients will utilize different facilities and different healthcare professionals, so their information should also be transportable.

When considering the choice of a provider for electronic health records, it is important such a provider is aligned with healthcare information standards. Allscripts has such alignment, because it provides its clients with software package and follow-up service that enables healthcare professionals to train on the software and learn how to use it optimally. Furthermore, the software itself is easy-to-use, and can provide a wealth of patient information quickly and easily, to enhance patient safety, while simultaneously providing a high level of privacy protection.

One of the biggest concerns with respect to electronic health records is the security aspect. An issue within this is that EHRs can be shared across different organizations, so there needs to be a fairly high standard of security protocols to enable this sharing to take place, even over the Internet, while maintaining strict confidentiality (Van der Linden et al., 2009). Allscripts products have a high level of security, including things like passwords and encryption, to ensure patient confidentiality. It is important, however, to also train those professionals who will use the EHRs on the best practices for maintaining security, because there are a lot of ways that users can compromise the security that a software package has.

Allscripts also has a number of other features that make it a great choice for electronic health records. It provides software that can assist with patient engagement, patient flow, care coordination across providers, as well as billing, e-scripts and a wide range of analytics to help with the management decision making process. One of the most significant benefits of Allscripts is that it is effective for both managerial staff as well as for the front-line healthcare practitioners.