Informatics nurses, along with other IT personnel, can make the implementation of health IT go more smoothly.

Informatics Nurses Ease EHR Implementation

Written by Ronny Bachrach on September 10, 2015. Posted in Digital Radiography and PACS, E.H.R., PACS, Software

While it is not a recent occurrence, the implementation of technology in health care still has a ways to go. Luckily, there are professionals in the industry who make the process go more smoothly. The hiring of informatics nurses, along with other information technology personnel, is on the rise, according to a Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society survey released at the annual conference.

Positively impacting MU
Since the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act was enacted in 2009, the Meaningful Use program has been making its way into medical offices and hospitals. Its implementation has not been easy. However, with informatics staff in place, the process is simplified.

MU has various EHR software requirements that organizations must meet to move to the next stage. Hospitals and doctors were more likely to comply with these guidelines when informatics nurses became part of the analysis, design, implementation, optimization and selection process, according to 70 percent of the study's respondents. Slightly more than half of participants reported that informatics professionals also increased the likelihood of integration between EHR software, picture archiving and communication systems and other medical programs.

"We are going to continue to see the role and use of technology expand in healthcare and the demand for nurses with informatics training will grow in parallel," vice president of informatics for HIMSS Joyce Sensmeier explained in a press release. "As clinicians further focus on transforming information into knowledge, technology will be a fundamental enabler of future care delivery models and nursing informatics leaders will be essential to this transformation."

Increasing patient care
While data and analysis is important for meeting MU standards, they are also useful for providing high quality patient care. While informatics professionals are not required to know the logistics of computers, they do know how the technology works on the the floor. Nurses are the experts when it comes to workflows and patient care, Maureen Scanlan, RN, MSN, director of nursing informatics and decision support at Montefiore Medical Center, explained to Nurse.com.

Clinical analysts also come up with ways to promote hospital goals, patient safety and software performance. Patient care is of the utmost importance when it comes to the medical industry, so functioning and efficient technology is needed. Approximately 60 percent of the HIMSS' informatics study's respondents reported that informatics nurses improved care quality. Their assistance is what eases the documentation and care process.

"In order to improve any performance, you have to start with collecting credible, actionable data and display it in a simple, meaningful way for the nursing staff or the healthcare team," Scanlan told Nurses.com. "At the very start of any of these efforts is nursing practice."

Informatics nurses can be beneficial to any hospital or medical office where technology is being implemented and accessed regularly. Through their knowledge of how the equipment aids patient care, clinical analysts can offer suggestions for improvement and usage.

Contact Viztek for more information.

Ronny Bachrach

Ronny Bachrach

Marketing Director at Viztek LLC
Responsible for all marketing activities including, press, advertising, trade show coordination, website management, dealer and customer communications.
Ronny Bachrach
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