Improving Quality Of Care Essay

Health providers across America are using Electronic Health Records systems to keep up with patient’s health information. Long hours of filing and writing patients health information manually has become a thing of the past. The Electronic Health Record system, known as EHRs, has changed how patients and health providers communicate as a whole. It has taken information technology to a different spectrum, and has helped patients become more aware of their health history and health conditions. Throughout the years, EHRs systems have been crucially ridicule in the medical world, due to lack of knowledge, high expenses, and apprehension among health providers. Because there will always be challenges when new technology starts to expand in any type of establishment. I believe that EHRs serves a great purpose in health care despite its delays.

Electronic health records (EHR) are health records that are generated by health care professionals when a patient is seen at a medical facility such as a hospital, mental health clinic, or pharmacy. The EHR contains the same information as paper based medical records like demographics, medical complaints and prescriptions. There are so many more benefits to the EHR than paper based medical records. Accuracy of diagnosis, quality and convenience of patient care, and patient participation are a few examples of the

Answering the call light (also called call bell a handheld like that is attached to the patient room wall, above the headboard of the bed) in a timely manner by the nursing staff in hospital setting is necessary to prevent falls that can harm, prolonged stays, and unnecessarily increase the cost of healthcare. However, researches concerning call light uses as it relates to patient safety, patient-care management and patient satisfaction are limited (Meade et al. 2006). Patients and their families emphasize that nurses should monitor patients constantly and provide assistance and answer a call light in a timely manner (Yoder, 2011). Note that the falls may be caused by several factors such as

Use of EHR (electronic health records) in United States has increased in past years and have gained widespread use in the country. The use of EHR-Electronic Health Records or EMR-Electronic Medical Records and the systems that support them have gained standardized collection of health information and data for patient and healthcare providers. Because of these technologies, healthcare providers now have information about their patients at their fingertips, which has led to better and more accurate care. There are debates on using EHR. According to Mushtaq (2015), one of the most common debate is the use of EHR compliance and the value of these technologies that surround them (Mushtaq, 2015). Providers wonder if EHR use is useful and what is to be gained for the HCP-Healthcare provider. In regards to such debates and ongoing conversations, it is important to understand the definition of meaningful use and whether these technologies have resulted in meaningful use. According to Burchell (2016), The government developed the HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health) Act of 2009, which incorporates the meaningful use program (Burchell, 2016). The program has goals that tell us how to use the meaningful use with EMR or EHR. It helps HCP and organizations alike attain, use and keep goals like patient and clinical outcomes, individual patient autonomy, and increased transparency for providers. When these goals are attained and kept it will greatly

An Electronic Health Record is a computerized form of a patient’s medical chart. These records allow information to be readily available to authorized providers during a patient’s encounter with the healthcare system. These systems do not only contain medical histories, current medications and insurance information, they also track patients’ diagnoses, treatment plans, immunization dates, allergies, radiology images and lab tests/results (source). The fundamental aspect of EHRs is that they are able to share a patient’s information quickly across service lines and even between different healthcare organizations. Information is at the fingertips of lab techs, primary care physicians, pharmacies, clinics, etc. The

In some cases, the unpreparedness of most physicians to use new technologies, may raise another problem. This would be difficult when attempting to meaningfully use the system properly. A great way to leverage EHR to improve quality is to achieve meaningful use. For example, “the emergence of electronic health records (EHRs) also is complicating organizational efforts to define and disclose information [3].” By implementing and putting EHRs into action, it will benefit providers not just financially but also by reducing medical errors, and increasing the availability of records and data. The 2016 Report to Congress on HIT Progress stated that “many health care providers still face challenges accessing and viewing individuals’ electronic health information for a variety of reasons, including confusion about privacy and security considerations, cumbersome enrollment processes, or complex contracts with technology vendors [6].” Furthermore, meaningful use also elevates in legal issues, such as privacy threats on patients and data breaches. These may happen because electronic documents and electronic use of medical information could get exposed as they get implemented in health care services. In this case, private information of

Electronic medical records have the potential to transform and develop healthcare in a multiplicity of ways over the coming years. According to Net Health, there are three different ways that specialized EMRs are transforming the world of healthcare today. The first way is the fact that the more accessible data exists in the healthcare industry, the easier it is to make a diagnosis (NetHealth). These diagnoses are not being used in just one setting, however, but in a conglomeration of medical care settings. These include clinics and treatments which are improving the quality of life for breast cancer patients, diabetes patients, chlamydia patients and even colorectal cancer patients (Kern). Electronic records are creating a huge and accessible database to reach information more quickly and more efficiently. As physicians and practices,

Electronic health records will be electronically accessible to vendors and clients. To protect confidential information a security code must be used to access information. The Institute of Medicine identified six goals for health care; medical care should do no harm, be valuable, patient-focused, relevant, fruitful, and unbiased. (National Academies, 2013). EHR can help increase patient-focused care; the patient will be able to view their records online and assist in guiding their care. When records are accessible online patients can see them and manage diseases, collaborate care with providers, and improve patient to provider communication (Ricciardi, Mostashari, Murphy, Daniel, & Siminerio, 2013). Patients that are well-informed about their care have better health outcomes compared to uninformed patients. Patients who are involved in their care are less likely to experience adverse effects, to be admitted to the hospital, and have a medication error from lack of collaboration with their provider (Ricciardi et al. 2013). For providers to receive funds under the meaningful use incentive to purchase electronic equipment, they must show medical decisions are patient driven. (Ricciardi et al. 2013).

National health database mandate will improve the diagnostics and outcomes for patients. Patients receive optimal medical care when the person should be able to obtain inclusive data. The providers can access their patient’s records at the point of care. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) “not only keeps a record of a patient's medications or allergies, automatically checks for problems whenever a new medication is prescribed or alerts the clinician to potential conflicts” (Benefits of EHRs n.d.). Any information recorded in an EHR by the primary provider is obtainable if the patient is in an emergent situation. It allows the clinician in an emergency department access

The utilization of electronic health records (EHR) has become increasingly common in the inpatient hospital setting and outpatient care. EHRs benefit the physician, patient, and healthcare facility. Historically, electronic records were not in place for healthcare organizations, and currently, it helps the organization in several ways instead of using paper. Patients have access to their medical records and history, which gives them readily available information about their health. Proper implementation of an EHR system results in higher patient satisfaction. The benefits of EHRs significantly improve the care experience for patients physically and mentally. Additionally, patient care is improved because the patient can leave their doctor’s office with a complete copy of their medical record. While inpatient and outpatient care has several similarities, there are also many differences, as well as challenges with both healthcare setting with implementing the EHR.

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) was intended to encourage physicians not just to adopt Electronic Health Records, but to use them in what the federal government described as a “meaningful” way. According to the federal government, physicians should use EHR’s to improve quality, safety, and efficiency, reduce health disparities, and to engage patients and their families. Care coordination and population and public health should improve, while maintaining privacy and security of patient health information (Lundy, D.W., 2015). Physicians will realize the many benefits of EHR and will have no regrets, after they receive the many satisfied reports from their patients and their families, as well as their

The use of Electronic Health Records (EHR) has increase from 20% in 2002 (Burt C, Sisk JE. Which physicians and practices are using electronic medical records? Health Aff (Millwood).2005;24(5):1334–43.) to 50% in 2011 (Hsiao CJ, Hing E, Socey TC, Cai B.Electronic health record systems and intent to apply for meaningful use incentives among office-based physician practices: United States,

Personally, I believe that Quality Healthcare is something that can be measured and improved with time in order to provide better service and quality to our patients. Examples of good Quality Healthcare are: ensuring that medical professionals are licensed and knowledgeable in their profession and are staying up to date with developing diseases, treatments, and last but certainly not least, pharmaceutical alternatives.

Electronic Health Records has many advantages that are not only essential in replacing the paper charts and records, but can rationalize billings, ordering medications, tests and easy communication between providers and patients. EHR can show the entire patients’ medical history including clinic administration practice. The power of EHR is the ability through which it allows providers to share patients’ recent visit to the

Traditional paper-based medical record systems have hindered communication and patient treatment amongst the medical community. Four limitations of the traditional paper-based medical record system are inaccessibility/unavailability, redundancy and inefficiency, influence on clinical research, and passivity (Shortliffe & Barnett, 2014). As a result, it is more practical and imperative to implement an electronic health record system to ameliorate these issues. An EHR is a digital version of a paper chart which streamlines sharing updated, real-time information with other providers; thus authorized users may promptly access a patient’s EHR from any location and across various healthcare providers. As a result, providers employ the EHR to obtain a comprehensive health record to assist them in their decision making for patient treatment.