Everyone in the healthcare industry is aware of the benefits of Electronic health records (EHRs). The driving force behind EHR is the ability to be able to use EHR date has great patient benefits.
Health care providers who can access complete information can provide better care by having the ability to diagnose, which improves patient outcomes.
Successfully implementing EHR requires having a coordinated and integrated data system that ensures correctly tracking all the details of a patient’s treatment. Such a system provides healthcare organizations of all types the ability to reduce or even eliminate errors of all types.
Benefits Beyond Diagnosis – Reduction of Errors
A well-designed EHR not only keeps a record of a patient’s medications or allergies and potential problems with new prescriptions. it also automatically checks for problems whenever a new medication is prescribed and alerts the clinician to potential conflicts. This also helps reduce liabilities for the healthcare provider.
While a national survey of physicians and other organizations indicates that there are not only fewer errors with integrated because records readily available at point of care, there are also clinical benefits for the organization and the ability to deliver better patient care.
Another Level of Patient Care
One sometimes overlooked benefit of data integration is the fact that it will improve patient treatment even in the area of things as mundane as being able to provide correct supplies for each patient need, for instance making sure that patients who require incontinence products receive the size that is correct for them.
That aspect of patient care affects outcomes not only for the patient but their family and other caregivers. This can be an especially important factor in the outcomes for residential care patients. In short-term situations, it can allow for more accurate dispensing of “minor” supplies.
Easing Anxiety and Unease
In longer-term care situations, many residential patients are anxious about not only their physical condition but also their perception of care. A sense of unease can negatively affect not only attitudes but physical manifestations as well – higher blood pressure and exacerbation of other symptoms and outcomes.
Resident may not be able to completely comprehend their own situation. They can misinterpret care procedures and become disturbed. It is not a case of fact but perception. Reassurance may be required to avoid issues by demonstrating that proper care has taken place.
Families and caregivers may also become anxious, leading to a cascade of other negative consequences that interrupt the flow of care and require additional time reassuring patient advocates that the resident is getting the best care, include what supplies were dispensed and when.
While correcting emotional misperceptions may not seem as important as correct clinical diagnosis and treatment, they are a very important issue to residents and advocates. Distrust and distress can lead to disruption or even outbreaks in a facility. Having the data from a integrated system can ease or eliminate those types of problems.
Avoiding or correcting misunderstandings about things like what size incontinence product was issued may seem minor but are actually an important part of the benefits of a completely integrated data system.
AdminiCare by InBeam is a sophisticated, affordable medical supplies inventory system that allows for easy, accurate and complete integration with HER, ordering, supply and billing for residential care facilities.
