Electronic Medical Record Systems
1.0 Introduction
The tenet of the present assignment is based on implementing new technologies in the healthcare organizations. The study notes that there is a need for getting insight to the body of knowledge of health informatics in order to support the effectiveness of utilizing health information technology (HIT), particularly, in the clinical section. The study will examine the implementation of electronic medical record systems within healthcare facilities.
The outcome of the research will be subject to the objective evidence that will result from it. Notably, the present study will apply the concepts in the workplace to help grow the body of knowledge. Additionally, discussing the way this research could be used to determine the effectiveness of implementing electronic medical record systems technology in a medical workplace constitutes the scope of investigation.
2.0 Literature Review
Electronic Medical Record Systems
In the current section, a literature review focusing the implementation of the electronic medical record systems will be provided. Ellen Lee (2013) observes that the impact of technological innovation has been felt in all fields across the globe and healthcare sector has not been left behind. She notes that over time, developments in technology have increasingly contributed towards a significant role in the growth realized in the healthcare systems. In the healthcare facilities, services that range from patient registration, patient data monitoring to conducting lab tests have recorded a shift from the manual approaches
A study performed by Spekowius and Wendler (2013) elucidates that electronic devices that entail healthcare electronic systems, smartphones, and computers tend to replace the conventional and traditional monitoring and healthcare recording systems. As concluded in Schmidt and Strickland (2012) study, modern patients receive faster services and some even undergo full consultation from their homes because of the easy tracking via healthcare electronic devices.
A study by Porzsolt and Kaplan (2014) is also in agreement that advances in healthcare technology have resulted to a serious shift recording of patient information. Initially, the process of recording patient information was manually done and stored in hospital books that were often challenging to store and retrieve information. Additionally, an integration of healthcare services with user-friendly and accessible retrieval devices has enables the availability of stored information.
Geisler and Heller (2014) established that 46 million people currently residing in the UK have access to electronic medical record systems that enables doctors across the globe to collaborate online in sharing patient records and handling complex cases.
3.0 Implementing Electronic Medical Record Systems
In the present section, the way to implement the electronic medical record system in the medical workplace will be examined. The implementation of the electronic health record system will be done to facilitate a record keeping system in healthcare facilities and service. Outsourcing IT experts will be performed to conduct the implementation and training of internal healthcare staff to comply with the electronic medical systems requirements.
Notably, the IT infrastructure that entails computer software, hardware, and high-speed internet will be outsourced for the project. The IT experts will then install the computer and program them to keep the records once information is keyed to the computers.
3.1 Need Assessment Steps
Before implementing the electronic medical record system, a number of steps need to be performed to determine the need for adopting the electronic medical record system. Firstly, two studies will be done. One study will examine the way patient records are kept in healthcare facilities that embrace manual system while the other one should examine the way records are kept in healthcare facilities adopted electronic recording. The study should focus on the identified differences.
Based on a study conducted by Porzsolt and Kaplan (2014), 78% of the healthcare facilities in the U.S have embraced Electronic Health Recording. It is because the new technology enables physicians to have the access to patient information for better diagnoses. Since many studies have established that record keeping has recorded a shift from the manual to electronic recording because of the attributed advantages in registration and patient data monitoring, the study establishes the need for implementing the electronic medical record system.
3.2 Research Question
Formulating a research question regarding the implementation of the electronic medical record system will be premised on the importance of adopting the system. As such, the research question is as follows.
- What are the benefits of implementing the electronic medical record system in the medical workplace?
3.3 Hypothesis
A null and alternative hypotheses will be developed based on the effects of implementing the electronic medical record system.
H0: There are no benefits of implementing electronic medical record system in the medical workplace (Null hypothesis).
H1: There are benefits of implementing electronic medical record system in the medical workplace (Alternative hypothesis).
3.4 Outside Research
Using the outside research will serve as a benchmark to determine if electronic medical record system should be implemented. The prior studies focusing the need of implementing electronic medical record system will act need assessment platform to determine whether the chosen HIT should be implemented.
Schmidt and Strickland (2012) asserts that since the management of healthcare facilities intends to achieve the highest patient service delivery, there is need to integrate technology and align the healthcare services with the changing technology trends to realize such an objective.
3.5 HIT’s Value
In the present section, choosing a research method that will be used to determine the value of electronic medical record system will be done. Qualitative and quantitative research methods will be examined. Being exploratory in nature, qualitative studies seek to gain insight to reasons underlying occurrence or opinions. In order to obtain data, semi or unstructured approaches are used. On the other hand, in quantitative research, numerical data is generated and transformed into statistical figures interpreted to quantify opinions.
Quantitative research would be more appropriate for determining the value of electronic medical record system in a medical workplace since it is based on conducting the interviews to determine perceptions regarding the need for implementing electronic medical record system.
Nominal and interval measurement method can be used to determine the value of electronic medical record system. However, interval measurement is more appropriate for determining the value of electronic medical record system in a medical workplace in the work place because of its ability to determine the descriptive statistic measures that include mean, standard deviation, and variance unlike nominal where only mode and median can be determined.
3.6 Data Collection Tool
In order to provide data on the implementation of the electronic medical record system, interviews will be utilized. The ability of the tool to evoke perceptions, opinions, and experience of respondent are the attributed benefits of the tool. The collected data will be keyed in to a software package, SPSS, and analysis of descriptive statistics done. Additionally, hypothesis testing will be performed.
4.0 Conclusion
In creating conclusions, the present study forecasts that the findings of data analysis will justify the need for implementing the electronic medical record system. Benefits that include the rapid patient registration, retrieval of patient information, and flexibility further constitute the premise of implementing the electronic medical record system. It is worth noting that healthcare facilities should align patient service delivery to the ever advancing technology, consequently, affirming the need for implementing the electronic medical record system in the medical workplace.
References
Ellen, L. (2013). Ways Technology Is Transforming Health Care. Retrieved February 5, 2017, from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/bmoharrisbank/2013/01/24/5-ways-technology-is-transforming-health-care/
Geisler, E. & Heller, O. (2014). Managing Technology in Healthcare. Boston: Kluwer Academic.
Porzsolt, F. & Kaplan, R. M. (2014). Optimizing Healthcare: Improving the value of Healthcare Delivery Services. New York: Springer.
Schmidt, F. & Strickland, T. (2012). Client satisfaction surveying: Common measurement tool. Ottawa: The Centre.
Spekowius, G. & Wendler, T. (2013). Advances in healthcare technology: Shaping the future of medical care. Dordrecht: Springer