The need for properly managed data within the health sector continues to rise with each passing day. There is a general increase of implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) (although at a slower rate than expected) and disease registries both of which are used to monitor and track patient’s populations. These give the facilitators an easy time when administering solutions. The experts need to have a working knowledge on EHRs and the said registries for them to utilize the records effectively. There is need to understand the different settings within which patients may be presented in this case being that outpatient and inpatient are not similar. In addition, there is a need for the facilitators to know that medical records cover a patient’s entire lifetime hence the need to be managed properly to avoid any confusions and mix-ups. It is necessary for the information to be recorded in a longitudinal format for ease of report generation at a later stage. In case your practice still uses paper-based systems then you must consider the longitudinal record as a concept especially when considering choosing EHR systems later on. Keep in mind that not all practices are the same depending on the specialty that the facility has chosen to focus on; there could be specific scheduling and documentation that need to be considered before making your move (DesRoches et al,2008)
The implementation process
It does not matter what type of EHR system a facility uses. The important thing is for the practice facilitator to determine the software and hardware that are supported by the system and who does the supporting. Incase all or part of the EHR system is supported by the company from which it was purchased, it is necessary to have an internal IT expert to provide leverage for the system when need be. This person serves as the contact incase any expert concerns and questions arise. This is a vital relationship as it helps the facility keep up with the needs of the system especially if there is need for extra external support.
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EHRs have the ability to influenceworkflow in a medical facility. It is important for the facility coordinator to help the practicesintegrate EHRs into their workflows. Thereare specific guidelines depending on the system you choose that help practitioners map patients according to the services they have received and those they are yet to receive (Hyrinen& Saranto,2008). For instance the record can show clearly the list of patients whose conditions are under control and that of those that are yet to receive preventive care. EHRs also have the ability to improve care by giving specific instructions to appropriate medical personal. An example: When standing orders are issued to authorized nurses and other staff members to carry out certain practices, following the center’s approved procedures. Case in point is of a study where EHRs remaining tools coupled with standing orders for immunization, screening and diabetes measures helped staff members come up with new roles (Nementh et al, 2012).
The information gathered through the EHR system can also come in handy when identifying educative materials that is suited for each patient (Gans et al, 2005). This works in the instances that the EHRs can be linked to relevant libraries that enable easy understanding of print and audio-visual content. The data that has been stored in the EHR including the preferred patient language will be useful in selection of appropriate materials. EHR materials can also be used in creating visual displays an example being useful lab results that will come in handy when making decisions and educating patients or when drafting an action plan (Hillestad et al, 2005).
In case a practice selected an EHR system that does not support a certain model then there will be need to supplement the management capacity to accommodate the missing needs. For instance, if an EHR system cannot support the identification of apopulation of certain patients due to chronic care service then the practice may have to come up with registry just as they would have done had the EHR system not existed before. A registry in this case refers to a database of patients records with specifications on their diagnosis, procedures or conditions that patients are suffering from. An EHR system contains patient specific information precisely about the experiences and encounters the patient has had to go through in a specific health center. A registry serves as a subset and offers an easier patient tracking solution compared to the EHRs. The registry can stand on its own but this application is often integrated in the EHR system to avoid double entry of information into the system.
Reports generated through the EHRS system are crucial in helping facilities to manage their patients actively not to mention track operational indicators and match all the required accreditations and regulations. Based on the report, this can happen at the practice or provider level. It is recommended however to start at the practice level since this helps in the identity of red flags that need to be followed up. A good case scenario is the compliance
Security and privacy concerns
The importance of EHR system cannot be downplayed. Health care continues to change with technological advancements happening every other day. There are better tools being developed to coordinate and care for patients in a better manner. EHRs are part of these developments where care providers are given an opportunity to be well coordinated as well as enhancement of useful information for patients. However, despite all the good, EHRs also come with numerous questions for most people ( Angst & Agarwal, 2009) . There is always the concern on the security of vital health information and to whom it is being exposed to. Patients and families want to know who will have access to the private information in the electronic records. The issues on verification of the information on theelectronic records also come up frequently. Sometimesconcerns on how the information is protected from hacks and theft are also brought up. There is also the question of what action to take in the vent that one realizes that the information in the EHR system is compromised.
It is from these concerns that one can appreciate the need to manage the data in the EHRs. The health insurance portability and accountability act protects privacy and security rules thus keeping patients health information safe.it is the responsibility of the care facility to ensure that patients records and information and well protected as obligated by the law Inasmuch as EHRs improve the care system efficiency, it should not be at the expense of the patients’ private information. Some of the common ways to manage data privacy as provided within the patients’ rights include the patients having access to or getting a copy of the medical records, requesting for mistakes to be corrected, demanding for a notification whenever information is shared ,determining how and where a patient wants to be contactedfrom and finally being able to file a complaint in the event that a patient feel his or her rights have been violated ( Blumenthal & Tavenner, 2010) .
All EHR systems used by health care service providers need to have certain protective measures that will protectpatients’ data. It is a legal requirement that safety measures be built into the system. This includes access controls such as the use of Pins and passwords to limit access to this information. This is one of the most effective ways of managing such data.There is also the use of encryption of the information. This technique means only a person with the ability to decrypt the health record can read it. The key to decrypting such data is then held by authorized personnel only thus managing patients’ data from being accessed by just any person. An audit trail also comes in handy as it helps keep track of the records that have been accessed and notes any changes that have been made. As part of the record management procedure, incase an unauthorized person accesses certain medical records throughthe EHR system then the federal government should be notified of breech for legal action to be taken incase of any harm.
Data management within an electronic health record system is crucial since it affects the efficiency of the system as well as the privacy of the patients. For a care facility to be on the safe side it needs to come up with proper management techniques that guarantee the security of patients information without compromising the efficiency of the system. The management of these records begins from choosing the right EHR system through to complying with the legal requirement to guaranteeing safety of patients’information. Havingspecific authorized persons to access information, allowing patients to verify their own data and choosing the right systems to accommodate the needs of a care facility are but parts of managing the EHR data system. For an overall improved care provision it is important that the data be managed property. A care facility does not want to get into the wrong side with the law for neglecting its basic duties of securing privatepatient information. In addition, a poorly managed data system will be costly in the end ( Chaudhry et al, 2006) .
References
Angst, C. M., & Agarwal, R. (2009). Adoption of electronic health records in the presence of privacy concerns: The elaboration likelihood model and individual persuasion. MIS quarterly , 33 (2), 339-370.
Blumenthal, D., & Tavenner, M. (2010). The “meaningful use” regulation for electronic health records. New England Journal of Medicine , 363 (6), 501-504.
Chaudhry, B., Wang, J., Wu, S., Maglione, M., Mojica, W., Roth, E., ...&Shekelle, P. G. (2006). Systematic review: impact of health information technology on quality, efficiency, and costs of medical care. Annals of internal medicine , 144 (10), 742-752.
DesRoches, C. M., Campbell, E. G., Rao, S. R., Donelan, K., Ferris, T. G., Jha, A., ...& Blumenthal, D. (2008). Electronic health records in ambulatory care—a national survey of physicians. New England Journal of Medicine , 359 (1), 50-60.
Gans, D., Kralewski, J., Hammons, T., & Dowd, B. (2005). Medical groups’ adoption of electronic health records and information systems. Health affairs , 24 (5), 1323-1333.
Häyrinen, K., Saranto, K., &Nykänen, P. (2008). Definition, structure, content, use and impacts of electronic health records: a review of the research literature. International journal of medical informatics , 77 (5), 291-304.
Hillestad, R., Bigelow, J., Bower, A., Girosi, F., Meili, R., Scoville, R., & Taylor, R. (2005). Can electronic medical record systems transform health care? Potential health benefits, savings, and costs. Health affairs , 24 (5), 1103-1117.
Nemeth LS, Ornstein SM, Jenkins RG, et al. Implementing and evaluating electronic standing orders in primary care practice: a PPRNet study. J Am Board Fam Med 2012 Sept-Oct; 25(5):594-604.
