Electronic medical records adoption in healthcare organizations

¶ … Change

Healthcare organizations face notable challenges when it comes to 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 medical records (EMR) system for the healthcare facility.

Description of the Change

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 EMR systems it is evident that the title "electronic medical records" is generally self-defining. EMR 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. EMR systems have been viewed as a panacea for improving the efficiency and outcomes of healthcare organizations (Baharozian, 2005).

As reviewed in the current literature, EMR systems appear to provide a panacea for the healthcare organization. Not only do these systems reduce the paperwork associated with healthcare practice, but also by filing patient information electronically, it is possible to provide healthcare workers and organizations with critical patient information. To illustrate this point, one only needs to consider the individual on vacation away from home. If this individual is injured or hurt during his vacation, the healthcare organization can contact the individual's physician for medical records. If the information is stored in a computer database it can be easily transferred via the Internet to the treating physician. In this instance a physician that is not familiar with the needs of the patient will be able to provide better medical care with a clear understanding of the patient's medical history. When placed in this context, it is evident that EMR systems do indeed provide healthcare professionals and organizations with the resources necessary to drastically improve patient care (Schwartz, 2005).

Introducing the Change

In order to successfully introduce this change, specific steps will be needed to prepare the organization and it staff. These include:

Planning and Design: Nursing professionals in the organization can identify what current technologies are utilized in the healthcare organization to provide patient care. The nursing professional can use this information to determine the best methods for developing EMR systems. Based on what has worked for the organization in the past, the professional can make recommendations about the features of the system and the methods that should be used for integrating the new system with current information technologies used by the organization.

Implementation: Once the system has been planned and designed, implementation is the next phase of development. Implementation can include oversight of the physical hardware installation and training of staff members. The new system should be implemented in phases such that the entire system does not collapse in the early stages of development.

During these two phases 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.

Evaluation

The program will be evaluated using benchmarks and metrics. The financial performance of the organization will be monitored before and after system implementation to determine where cost savings have occurred. In addition, patient and healthcare professional satisfaction with the system will be evaluated. Patients will be asked to provide customer satisfaction data, which could be used to make improvements to the system. In addition, healthcare employees will be asked to provide feedback on the efficacy and efficiency of the system.