Electronic health record software is an integral aspect of the continuum of care, allowing doctors and patients to better communicate about clinical updates. With bedside access, individuals are able to review pertinent information associated with their hospital stays, such as medication lists.
New program aims to improve communication
According to FierceEMR, doctors in the intensive care unit and oncology department at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts, provided patients with bedside EHR access through a pilot program that was launched back in July 2014. It was aided by a $2 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
The funds were used to distribute handheld tablets to hospital beds around the facility. The devices' functionalities were limited to EHR access while connected to the hospital's IP address to prevent any instances of data breaches. In addition, Brigham and Women's implemented unique log-ins for patients and their families to increase security.
"The care team owning the medical record – those days are over," said Patricia Dykes, program director for the Center for Patient Safety Research and Practice, quoted by FierceEMR. "The patient knows it's their information, they want access, and we believe if patients have access in a way they understand, that they can partner with us for better outcomes."
Data protection a top priority in 2015
The Brigham and Women's pilot program demonstrates a positive step toward patient engagement, meeting one of the major requirements of Stage 2 of Meaningful Use. Individuals are able to review their own clinical information and help clinicians make informed decisions on various treatment strategies.
However, EHRs and other digital products are subject to data breaches that leak pertinent and sensitive information to the general public. These leaks can lead to significant fines under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and negatively impact a care center's cash flow.
EHR Intelligence reported that data integrity is one of the top worries on the ECRI Institute's Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2015. In addition to security breaches, the report indicated that incorrect or missing data can directly impact the quality of care decisions made by patients and their physicians.
"What makes this problem so troubling is that the integrity of the data in health IT systems can be compromised in a number of ways, and once errors are introduced, they can be difficult to spot and correct," read the report, quoted by the news source.
The biggest concern about data integrity is its direct correlation to patient safety risks, including:
- Mismatched data on different EHRs
- Missing or delayed delivery of data due to network limitations
- Fields being populated with the wrong patient information
- Data inconsistencies between paper records and EHRs
- Outdated information being included in new EHRs.
Prior to implementing updated EHR software, health care providers should test out the system to prevent workflow interruptions and identify any issues with the platform. Open communication with vendors can help correct problems before they impact patient safety and put lives in danger.
Contact Viztek for more information.
Ronny Bachrach
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