Enhancing Patient Safety and Quality of Care, Research Paper Example

Introduction

The electronic medical record is a critical path for a healthcare organization to take in the modern era, as it is critical to provide an online portal and environment to manage patient records efficiently. This solution provides significant opportunities for a healthcare organization to be competitive and to maintain strong communication with patients and among healthcare staff members. This is a critical step forward for an organization to take in order to be competitive and to provide patients with the best possible resources to maintain their health over the long term. Therefore, the implementation of the electronic health record requires a period of adjustment that is likely to engage individuals and provide them with the tools and resources that will be instrumental in achieving a successful rollout. This reflects a change in perspective and in recognizing the different areas where the implementation may be met with challenges and resistance from within an organization, and requires a strategy to manage this implementation as seamlessly as possible.

Body

The electronic health record requires a number of critical elements that must be addressed in order to effectively manage the needs of an organization to protect patients and improve their overall health. Change within a healthcare organization of his magnitude requires a period of adjustment and a greater focus on the potential outcomes that exist and what is required to ensure that patient needs are met without disruption (Middleton et.al, 2013). The integration of an electronic health record system requires a level of social change within an organization that engages employees in the implementation effort and what is required to achieve the intended results (Cresswell, Worth, & Sheikh, 2012). It is important to address these conditions and to be cognizant of how the transition might impact employees and patients, particularly when changes are imminent (Cresswell et.al, 2012).

The level of performance within the organization is likely to improve with the integration of an electronic health records system; therefore, this requires a high level of support and acknowledgement of how this tool will impact patient care quality (Persell et.al, 2011). It is expected that this process will improve patient care quality and the overall development of a strategy to improve the health of the population. With this approach in mind, the electronic health record will open the door to new forms of technology-based integration and an overall understanding of the tools and resources that impact the level of care that patients receive. The goal of this process should be to demonstrate a high level of support by employees to facilitate an effective implementation process and to be cognizant of the needs of the organization in a proactive manner that will also have a positive and lasting impact on patient care and treatment at all levels.

Conclusion

An electronic health record implementation within an organization is a challenging and complex process that requires full cooperation and focus from employees and patients, as this process is likely to have a significant impact on operations and patient care quality. These issues must be considered throughout all phases of implementation and the overall life cycle in order to protect the best interests of patients at all stages. It also requires full cooperation from employees throughout the organization to ensure that the process is successful and does not impact patient care in a negative context. As a result, there must be a greater focus on implementing the project in a realistic manner in order to protect the best interests of patients and of the organization and its employees.

References

Cresswell, K. M., Worth, A., & Sheikh, A. (2012). Comparative case study investigating sociotechnical processes of change in the context of a national electronic health record implementation. Health informatics journal, 18(4), 251-270.

Middleton, B., Bloomrosen, M., Dente, M. A., Hashmat, B., Koppel, R., Overhage, J. M., … & Zhang, J. (2013). Enhancing patient safety and quality of care by improving the usability of electronic health record systems: recommendations from AMIA. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, amiajnl-2012.

Persell, S. D., Kaiser, D., Dolan, N. C., Andrews, B., Levi, S., Khandekar, J., … & Baker, D. W. (2011). Changes in performance after implementation of a multifaceted electronic-health-record-based quality improvement system.Medical care, 49(2), 117-125.