scholarly journals The Use of Electronic Health Record Systems During COVID-19 at a Local Community Hospital on the West Coast

2021 ◽  
pp. 53-58
Author(s):  
Malini Krishnamurthi, Ph.D.
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Electronic Health Record ◽  
Patient Care ◽  
Data Privacy ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Quality Care ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Record ◽  
Privacy And Security ◽  
Electronic Health

The United States Federal government looks toward information technology to curtail health care costs while increasing the quality of patient care through the adoption of electronic health record (EHR)systems. This paper examined the experience of a hospital with its EHR system in the context of the pandemic. Results showed that the hospital maintains a state-of-the-art health care system to provide quality care to its community and was responsive to the recent crisis. The results were consistent with other comparable hospitals examined in this study. The hospitals were successful in adopting EHR systems. They were able to identify gaps that could be filled with technology add-ons from different software vendors to improve their functionality and thereby provide better & timely patient care. Managing large volumes of data generated in the normal process of EHR operation and ensuring data privacy and security were the significant challenges faced and are likely to continue in the future.

Business: The Electronic Health Record: Front Line Experience

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 18-22
Author(s):  
Rosemary Griffin
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Information Technology ◽  
Electronic Health Record ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Record ◽  
Health Trends ◽  
Electronic Health

National legislation is in place to facilitate reform of the United States health care industry. The Health Care Information Technology and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) offers financial incentives to hospitals, physicians, and individual providers to establish an electronic health record that ultimately will link with the health information technology of other health care systems and providers. The information collected will facilitate patient safety, promote best practice, and track health trends such as smoking and childhood obesity.

scholarly journals Utilizing a Prototype Patient-Controlled Electronic Health Record in Germany: Qualitative Analysis of User-Reported Perceptions and Perspectives

10.2196/10411 ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. e10411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina Poss-Doering ◽  
Aline Kunz ◽  
Sabrina Pohlmann ◽  
Helene Hofmann ◽  
Marion Kiel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Electronic Health Record ◽  
Data Privacy ◽  
Patient Questionnaire ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Health Record ◽  
Patient Relationship ◽  
Specific Patient ◽  
Electronic Health ◽  
Nationwide Implementation

Background Personal electronic health records (PHR) are considered instrumental in improving health care quality and efficiency, enhancing communication between all parties involved and strengthening the patient’s role. Technical architectures, data privacy, and applicability issues have been discussed for many years. Nevertheless, nationwide implementation of a PHR is still pending in Germany despite legal regulations provided by the eHealth Act passed in 2015. Within the information technology for patient-oriented care project funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (2012-2017), a Web-based personal electronic health record prototype (PEPA) was developed enabling patient-controlled information exchange across different care settings. Gastrointestinal cancer patients and general practitioners utilized PEPA during a 3-month trial period. Both patients and physicians authorized by them could view PEPA content online and upload or download files. Objective This paper aims to outline findings of the posttrial qualitative study carried out to evaluate user-reported experiences, perceptions, and perspectives, focusing on their interpretation of PEPA beyond technical usability and views on a future nationwide implementation. Methods Data were collected through semistructured guide-based interviews with 11 patients and 3 physicians (N=14). Participants were asked to share experiences, views of perceived implications, and perspectives towards nationwide implementation. Further data were generated through free-text fields in a subsequent study-specific patient questionnaire and researcher’s notes. Data were pseudonymized, audiotaped, and transcribed verbatim. Content analysis was performed through the Framework Analysis approach. All qualitative data were systemized by using MAXQDA Analytics PRO 12 (Rel.12.3.1). Additionally, participant characteristics were analyzed descriptively using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 24. Results Users interpreted PEPA as a central medium containing digital chronological health-related documentation that simplifies information sharing across care settings. While patients consider the implementation of PEPA in Germany in the near future, physicians are more hesitant. Both groups believe in PEPA’s concept, but share awareness of concerns about data privacy and older or impaired people’s abilities to manage online records. Patients perceive benefits for involvement in treatment processes and continuity of care but worry about financing and the implementation of functionally reduced versions. Physicians consider integration into primary systems critical for interoperability but anticipate technical challenges, as well as resistance from older patients and colleagues. They omit clear positioning regarding PEPA’s potential incremental value for health care organizations or the provider-patient relationship. Conclusions Digitalization in German health care will continue to bring change, both organizational and in the physician-patient relationship. Patients endorse and expect a nationwide PEPA implementation, anticipating various benefits. Decision makers and providers need to contribute to closing modernization gaps by committing to new concepts and by invigorating transformed roles.

scholarly journals Electronic Health Record Acceptance by Physicians: A Single Hospital Experience in Daily Practice

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-17
Author(s):  
Andrija Pavlovic ◽  
Nina Rajovic ◽  
Jasmina Pavlovic Stojanovic ◽  
Debora Akinyombo ◽  
Milica Ugljesic ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Electronic Health Record ◽  
Technology Acceptance ◽  
Daily Practice ◽  
Ease Of Use ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Health Record ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Electronic Health

Introduction: Potential benefits of implementing an electronic health record (EHR) to increase the efficiency of health services and improve the quality of health care are often obstructed by the unwillingness of the users themselves to accept and use the available systems. Aim: The aim of this study was to identify factors that influence the acceptance of the use of an EHR by physicians in the daily practice of hospital health care. Material and Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted among physicians in the General Hospital Pancevo, Serbia. An anonymous questionnaire, developed according to the technology acceptance model (TAM), was used for the assessment of EHR acceptance. The response rate was 91%. Internal consistency was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. A logistic regression analysis was used to identify the factors influencing the acceptance of the use of EHR. Results: The study population included 156 physicians. The mean age was 46.4 ± 10.4 years, 58.8% participants were female. Half of the respondents (50.1%) supported the use of EHR in comparison to paper patient records. In multivariate logistic regression modeling of social and technical factors, ease of use, usefulness, and attitudes towards use of EHR as determinants of the EHR acceptance, the following predictors were identified: use of a computer outside of the office for reading daily newspapers (p = 0.005), EHR providing a greater amount of valuable information (p = 0.007), improvement in the productivity by EHR use (p < 0.001), and a statement that using EHR is a good idea (p = 0.014). Overall the percentage of correct classifications in the model was 83.9%. Conclusion: In this research, determinants of the EHR acceptance were assessed in accordance with the TAM, providing an overall good model fit. Future research should attempt to add other constructs to the TAM in order to fully identify all determinants of physician acceptance of EHR in the complex environment of different health systems.

scholarly journals The Development and Piloting of the Ambulatory Electronic Health Record Evaluation Tool: Lessons Learned

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (01) ◽  
pp. 153-163
Author(s):  
Zoe Co ◽  
A. Jay Holmgren ◽  
David C. Classen ◽  
Lisa P. Newmark ◽  
Diane L. Seger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Support ◽  
Electronic Health Record ◽  
Medication Safety ◽  
Medication Reconciliation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Record ◽  
Evaluation Tool ◽  
Safety Test ◽  
Electronic Health ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Substantial research has been performed about the impact of computerized physician order entry on medication safety in the inpatient setting; however, relatively little has been done in ambulatory care, where most medications are prescribed. Objective To outline the development and piloting process of the Ambulatory Electronic Health Record (EHR) Evaluation Tool and to report the quantitative and qualitative results from the pilot. Methods The Ambulatory EHR Evaluation Tool closely mirrors the inpatient version of the tool, which is administered by The Leapfrog Group. The tool was piloted with seven clinics in the United States, each using a different EHR. The tool consists of a medication safety test and a medication reconciliation module. For the medication test, clinics entered test patients and associated test orders into their EHR and recorded any decision support they received. An overall percentage score of unsafe orders detected, and order category scores were provided to clinics. For the medication reconciliation module, clinics demonstrated how their EHR electronically detected discrepancies between two medication lists. Results For the medication safety test, the clinics correctly alerted on 54.6% of unsafe medication orders. Clinics scored highest in the drug allergy (100%) and drug–drug interaction (89.3%) categories. Lower scoring categories included drug age (39.3%) and therapeutic duplication (39.3%). None of the clinics alerted for the drug laboratory or drug monitoring orders. In the medication reconciliation module, three (42.8%) clinics had an EHR-based medication reconciliation function; however, only one of those clinics could demonstrate it during the pilot. Conclusion Clinics struggled in areas of advanced decision support such as drug age, drug laboratory, and drub monitoring. Most clinics did not have an EHR-based medication reconciliation function and this process was dependent on accessing patients' medication lists. Wider use of this tool could improve outpatient medication safety and can inform vendors about areas of improvement.

Transitioning from one Electronic Health Record (EHR) to Another: A Narrative Literature Review

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 489-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason J. Saleem ◽  
Jennifer Herout
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Electronic Health Record ◽  
Health Care Systems ◽  
Health Care Organization ◽  
Data Migration ◽  
Health Record ◽  
Care Organization ◽  
Healthcare Organizations ◽  
Electronic Health

This paper reports the results of a literature review of health care organizations that have transitioned from one electronic health record (EHR) to another. Ten different EHR to EHR transitions are documented in the academic literature. In eight of the 10 transitions, the health care organization transitioned to Epic, a commercial EHR which is dominating the market for large and medium hospitals and health care systems. The focus of the articles reviewed falls into two main categories: (1) data migration from the old to new EHR and (2) implementation of the new EHR as it relates to patient safety, provider satisfaction, and other measures pre-and post-transition. Several conclusions and recommendations are derived from this review of the literature, which may be informative for healthcare organizations preparing to replace an existing EHR. These recommendations are likely broadly relevant to EHR to EHR transitions, regardless of the new EHR vendor.

scholarly journals Clinical decision support alert malfunctions: analysis and empirically derived taxonomy

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (5) ◽  
pp. 496-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam Wright ◽  
Angela Ai ◽  
Joan Ash ◽  
Jane F Wiesen ◽  
Thu-Trang T Hickman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Support ◽  
Electronic Health Record ◽  
Medical Informatics ◽  
Clinical Decision Support ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Clinical Decision ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Record ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative Methods ◽  
Electronic Health

Abstract Objective To develop an empirically derived taxonomy of clinical decision support (CDS) alert malfunctions. Materials and Methods We identified CDS alert malfunctions using a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods: (1) site visits with interviews of chief medical informatics officers, CDS developers, clinical leaders, and CDS end users; (2) surveys of chief medical informatics officers; (3) analysis of CDS firing rates; and (4) analysis of CDS overrides. We used a multi-round, manual, iterative card sort to develop a multi-axial, empirically derived taxonomy of CDS malfunctions. Results We analyzed 68 CDS alert malfunction cases from 14 sites across the United States with diverse electronic health record systems. Four primary axes emerged: the cause of the malfunction, its mode of discovery, when it began, and how it affected rule firing. Build errors, conceptualization errors, and the introduction of new concepts or terms were the most frequent causes. User reports were the predominant mode of discovery. Many malfunctions within our database caused rules to fire for patients for whom they should not have (false positives), but the reverse (false negatives) was also common. Discussion Across organizations and electronic health record systems, similar malfunction patterns recurred. Challenges included updates to code sets and values, software issues at the time of system upgrades, difficulties with migration of CDS content between computing environments, and the challenge of correctly conceptualizing and building CDS. Conclusion CDS alert malfunctions are frequent. The empirically derived taxonomy formalizes the common recurring issues that cause these malfunctions, helping CDS developers anticipate and prevent CDS malfunctions before they occur or detect and resolve them expediently.

Implementation and evaluation of Stanford Health Care store-and-forward teledermatology consultation workflow built within an existing electronic health record system

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 125-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace E Kim ◽  
Olga K Afanasiev ◽  
Chris O’Dell ◽  
Christopher Sharp ◽  
Justin M Ko
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Electronic Health Record ◽  
Primary Care Physicians ◽  
Health Record ◽  
Record System ◽  
Privacy Concerns ◽  
Successful Model ◽  
Dermatology Clinic ◽  
Electronic Health ◽  
Store And Forward

Introduction Teledermatology services that function separately from patients’ primary electronic health record (EHR) can lead to fragmented care, poor provider communication, privacy concerns and billing challenges. This study addresses these challenges by developing PhotoCareMD, a store-and-forward (SAF) teledermatology consultation workflow built entirely within an existing Epic-based EHR. Methods Thirty-six primary care physicians (PCPs) from eight outpatient clinics submitted 215 electronic consults (eConsults) for 211 patients to a Stanford Health Care dermatologist via PhotoCareMD. Comparisons were made with in-person referrals for this same dermatologist prior to initiation of PhotoCareMD. Results Compared to traditional in-person dermatology clinic visits, eConsults decreased the time to diagnosis and treatment from 23 days to 16 hours. The majority (73%) of eConsults were resolved electronically. In-person referrals from PhotoCareMD (27%) had a 50% lower cancellation rate compared with traditional referrals (11% versus 22%). The average in-person visit and documentation was 25 minutes compared with 8 minutes for an eConsult. PhotoCareMD saved 13 additional clinic hours to be made available to the dermatologist over the course of the pilot. At four patients per hour, this opens 52 dermatology clinic slots. Over 96% of patients had a favourable experience and 95% felt this service saved them time. Among PCPs, 100% would recommend PhotoCareMD to their colleagues and 95% said PhotoCareMD was a helpful educational tool. Discussion An internal SAF teledermatology workflow can be effectively implemented to increase access to and quality of dermatologic care. Our workflow can serve as a successful model for other hospitals and specialties.

scholarly journals Beyond Getting Rid of Stupid Stuff in the Electronic Health Record (Beyond-GROSS): Protocol for a User-Centered, Mixed-Method Intervention to Improve the Electronic Health Record System

10.2196/25148 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. e25148
Author(s):  
Ahmed Umar Otokiti ◽  
Catherine K Craven ◽  
Avniel Shetreat-Klein ◽  
Stacey Cohen ◽  
Bruce Darrow
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Data Analysis ◽  
Electronic Health Record ◽  
Health Record ◽  
User Centered Design ◽  
Pilot Phase ◽  
Direct Input ◽  
Electronic Health ◽  
The Impact ◽  
User Centered

Background Up to 60% of health care providers experience one or more symptoms of burnout. Perceived clinician burden resulting in burnout arises from factors such as electronic health record (EHR) usability or lack thereof, perceived loss of autonomy, and documentation burden leading to less clinical time with patients. Burnout can have detrimental effects on health care quality and contributes to increased medical errors, decreased patient satisfaction, substance use, workforce attrition, and suicide. Objective This project aims to improve the user-centered design of the EHR by obtaining direct input from clinicians about deficiencies. Fixing identified deficiencies via user-centered design has the potential to improve usability, thereby increasing satisfaction by reducing EHR-induced burnout. Methods Quantitative and qualitative data will be obtained from clinician EHR users. The input will be received through a form built in a REDCap database via a link embedded in the home page of the EHR. The REDCap data will be analyzed in 2 main dimensions, based on nature of the input, what section of the EHR is affected, and what is required to fix the issue(s). Identified issues will be escalated to relevant stakeholders responsible for rectifying the problems identified. Data analysis, project evaluation, and lessons learned from the evaluation will be incorporated in a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) manner every 4-6 weeks. Results The pilot phase of the study began in October 2020 in the Gastroenterology Division at Mount Sinai Hospital, New York City, NY, which includes 39 physicians and 15 nurses. The pilot is expected to run over a 4-6–month period. The results of the REDCap data analysis will be reported within 1 month of completing the pilot phase. We will analyze the nature of requests received and the impact of rectified issues on the clinician EHR user. We expect that the results will reveal which sections of the EHR have the highest deficiencies while also highlighting issues about workflow difficulties. Perceived impact of the project on provider engagement, patient safety, and workflow efficiency will also be captured by evaluation survey and other qualitative methods where possible. Conclusions The project aims to improve user-centered design of the EHR by soliciting direct input from clinician EHR users. The ultimate goal is to improve efficiency, reduce EHR inefficiencies with the possibility of improving staff engagement, and lessen EHR-induced clinician burnout. Our project implementation includes using informatics expertise to achieve the desired state of a learning health system as recommended by the National Academy of Medicine as we facilitate feedback loops and rapid cycles of improvement. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/25148

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