Health Care Workflow

obligations in documents and alerts. Ease-of-use and functionality of workflow processes in the EHR system are key considerations for selecting the system vendor. Consequently, the needs assessment, readiness assessment, and the workflow analysis are fundamental steps to decide if an EHR system is convenient to be implemented in your healthcare facility, however the workflow analysis will guide you in choosing and purchasing the best system that fits your institution. Mapping the workflow for various tasks enables recognizing the features and functionalities that should be in the EHR system. These features are important to be presented for the vendor as scenarios, and it is recommended to ask the vendor to show you how a patient record is initiated and managed based on your previous presented scenarios. This allows you to compare between vendors and clarify the usage of the software for various workflows in your institution. Only scenario-based demonstrations elaborate if the system’s smooth usability matches your institution workflow or not. Finally, it is critical to test-drive the system by yourself

This section defined workflow, workflow management, workflow improvement concepts, theories and components. It has introduced software that could be used to support a workflow redesign endeavor. In addition, it has provided a basis for how an organization could begin to formulate and execute a plan to change the way work is done. This redesign, in turn, would allow for the use of information technology to enable the process of improved patient care and organizational performance. The remainder of this toolkit will focus on healthcare organizations that have used these tools to transform patient care within their organizations. By conveying their stories, the EHR Adoption Task Force hopes to demonstrate how such a journey can allow for improvement

During our electronic health record (EHR) implementation at my organization I was tasked with leading a team that designed and implement new workflows in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). This required the staff to abandon a nine-page flow-sheet, and migrate to all electronic

The term workflow is used within the health sector to relate the various complicated process that provides delivery of care (Laureate Education,2012). The optimization of the workflow is achieved by analyzing every step in the process and implement changes that will provide a more efficient way to complete it (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2015). Nevertheless, before analyzing the workflow one needs to understand the current process that is being implemented. Flowcharts provide a simple way to gain this understanding by tracking each step of the task from the beginning to the end (U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, n.d.).

This course introduce students to the concepts and applications of the process improvement (ILO 11) in the healthcare. The HQRS 841 is deliver extensively online with no face to face component.

There are many challenges associated with HHR. For example, there must be additional instructions to find the storage locations of patients’ health information. The instructions must show whether the documents are in electronic, paper, or scanned format. An additional process to link all of documentation formats needs to be deployed so that patients’ data can be collected and saved accurately. Not all the time those extra helps are available. Therefore, composing and organizing a completed HHR take a significant amount of time for health information management (HIM) professionals to gather all paper records and retrieve digital documents. The functions of HIM professionals encounter many challenges when working with HHR. The privacy and security policies for different types of records must be fully reinforced. Moreover, the updated data for each HHR have to be kept in detail for accuracy of information and easy accessing. In case of disclosing information requests, HIM professionals face a big burden of locating and verifying the information that is needed to fulfill the reasonable demand while limiting the release of information to the minimum. HIM professionals sometimes have to search through multiple systems to find the requested documents. According to Dimick, another disadvantage of the HHR system is when healthcare organizations participate in quality

Then, they would need to implement core measures and protocols. Continuously track performance and outcomes. Lastly, they can disseminate results to throughout the hospital to increase quality improvement (Cherry & Jacob, 2010).

Use at least two patient identifiers when providing care. Double checking of ID bands and ID/Driver’s license of patient if possible. Using labels to mark all materials /items needed for the procedures. A two person check off procedure must be implemented. Items requiring labeling include: patient records, signed consents, and all assessments, diagnostic tests and x-rays. Also included should be any item that is needed for the procedure (blood products, devices, and equipment). Using a matching system, so that all items in the procedure area are matched to the patient. The matching system must be completed by a minimum of two staff members. These staff members should include a qualified staff member, nursing staff involved in the procedure, recovery room staff, and discharge staff.

Monitoring everything, payroll, billing, human resource, scheduling, follow-up with nurses and employees, doctor requests, communicate with the doctor about patients and pre-authorization documents needed for the plan of care, HMO, training, physical therapy for patients.

A current LCD for the regional Medicare intermediary (Michigan - Region V) is shown in the example below. This LCD is for Erythropoiesis Stimulating Agents, L25211. The LCD is active and became effective on 12/1/2007 with an date of 11/01/2013 for the 10/22/2013 revision (cms.gov, 2014b).

One possible outcome measurement strategy that will be utilized will be patient satisfaction surveys. These surveys are sent out after patients have been discharged from the rehabilitation hospital. The surveys consist of questions that cover the quality of care received by nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy, dietary services, speech therapy, physician care, etc. The survey also covers the hospital itself, to include cleanliness, noise level and so on. These surveys will allow the quality management director to collect data on areas that need improvement and areas that are doing well. The areas that need improvement will show where training can be developed or new policies developed to assist with implementing new changes or making adjustments to the current changes.

Hospitals need to measure performance in key areas that affect patient flow and capacity, and identify the drivers of capacity constraints and key opportunities for performance improvement.2 “Identifying real drivers of capacity constraints and key opportunities for performance improvement can be achieved by: Monitoring how many cases are being diverted from the hospital, understanding how systems and tools are functioning for patient admission, discharge, and transfer, determining the efficiency of activities such as bed tracking and control, patient transportation, housekeeping, and care delivery.3”

Health Information Exchange (HIE) signifies the transmission of health-related data between healthcare facilities, according to national government standards. HIE remains an essential component of the health information technology (HIT). HIE technology must facilitate reliable and secure transfer of data between diverse systems and also enable access and retrieval of data. The purpose of HIE development is to improve healthcare delivery and information gathering. An HIE is not an information system within a single organization. A true HIE involves multi-directional flow of information electronically between providers (hospitals, physicians, clinics, labs) and other sources of administrative or clinical information provided by health care providers