Electronic Health Record Implementation in the Emergency Department
Contents
Introduction:
Electronic health records are meant to reduce the healthcare costs, decrease the volume of unnecessary testing and improve operational performance of an health system. This particular article by Ward et al shows how implementation of EHR is crucial and how initial stages will disrupt the workflow of an Emergency Department, increase test ordering, medication administration and length of stay.
Method:
study was done for total 28 weeks. 4 weeks before implementaion of EHR and 24 weeks after the implementaion. The variable of study were length of stay, use of diagnostic tests, medication administration, radiologic imaging and patient satisfaction.
Results:
Length of stay and parient satisfaction was reduced transiently but returned back.laboratory testing, medication administration, radiologic imaging, radiographs and CT scan, ECG orderings went up throughout 24 weeks after EHR implementation.
Conclusion:
understaing the EHR implementation affects and why disruption has happened is important to maximize the potential usases of EHR technology.
