DQ-M6-Reply

Please reply to Ruth – Please note minimum of 200 words. No sources citation needed.

Ruth posted Jul 12, 2022 7:13 AM

If there was a natural disaster and it destroyed electrical lines and internet servers, we would have to close to recuperate for a while and figure out how contact those with appointments and get them rescheduled somehow.  I believe we have a backup generator to help with these situations. Because the field of work I am in, there is no true emergency in getting to our patients.  I work in a Med spa, so while clients will be understandably upset about not being able to get their service, it really will not be anything too serios to worry about.

The recommendations I would make if the power went out is to have an emergency plan that all employees are trained on and aware of. If the disaster happens while employees are at work there should be an emergency kit with first aid supplies, water, flashlights, and other basic items (Fussell, 2019). The computer could be set up to frequently auto-save and perform server backups (Fussell, 2019). Cloud based systems such as Google Drive will save tasks that are already in progress. Backing up key data on a daily basis to a cloud-based system is essential for any business.

               I would recommend the use of a virtual receptionist to contact clients to reschedule appoints and answer any questions or concerns they may have. All employees should be trained on how to handle the concerns of clients and how to remain calm during difficult times.

               According to an article I read regarding hospitals losing power, they too should obviously have backup generators. Disaster recovery sites with generators and an uninterruptable power supply (UPS) battery backup can enable hospitals and or clinics to move data to another facility without interrupting services (Goedert, 2019).

               Natural disaster can happen anywhere at any time so being prepared is the best way to mitigate any losses in revenue, data, and most importantly the private and important information that is held in electronic health records. Also, with telehealth on the rise and may people utilizing this option, there needs to be a backup plan in place for those who rely on the tele visits for their health both mental and physical. With technology always changing and updating, a natural disaster should be something that could be handled by IT professionals to ensure that important information is kept safe. There should always be an emergency plan in place that all employees are aware of.

Goedert, J. (2019). Providers need contingencies if the power goes out https://www.healthdatamanagement.com/articles/providers-need-contingencies-if-the-power-goes-out

Fussell, J. (2019). What should your business do in a power outage https://yourvoicelink.com/what-should-your-business-do-in-a-power-outage/

Please reply to Renee – Please note minimum of 200 words. No sources citation needed.

Renee posted Jul 12, 2022 11:47 AM

     Natural disasters are a possibility when working in Healthcare over time.  Preparations must be made for many situations.  Ways to do that is to do practice drills so that in the event something happens, everyone knows exactly what to do and is not guessing.  If the disaster happened to destroy electrical lines and internet servers to where there would be no chance of using the hospital EMR for an extended period of time, provisions must be made to be able to continue patient care as normal.  My current hospital has a downtime plan.  This is the plan for scheduled downtimes, which can be for an hour or a few hours to handle system upgrades or for unplanned downtimes that can extend longer, like a week or more.  We have a Black Box called the “Downtime Box” that has pre-printed downtime forms.  If it is a known downtime, the Administrative Assistant pre-prints medication reconciliations for all the patients.  If it is unknown, there are blank ones in the box that can be filled out and confirmed by pharmacy.  The box also contains paper lab slips that can be tubed with specimen to the lab for any lab draws.  Paper assessments are also included for the nurse to complete the physical assessment each shift.  Nurses note pages are available for doctors and nurses to make notes on the patients and any events that occur.  If a pre-planned downtime is going to occur, the Administrative Assistant can print the list of all the patients on the floor and their diagnosis as a master. This is possible in a natural disaster if it is something weather related that is a known storm may be coming, med rec’s and patient master list can be printed ahead of time as a precaution if needed.  

     In order to improve the unexpected downtime process, some precautions can be taken to ensure safety.  Computer med rec’s and bar code scanning help to alleviate medication errors.  When medication interactions may occur, computer med rec’s can alert clinicians or administering personnel to the issue.  Without this ability when the system is down, it is important to be able to have another option to look for potential interactions.  To do this, a binder can be available that has medication that is commonly used that lists interactions and proper dosing recommendations.  Also, plan needs to be made once the system is up and running so that the documentation can be added from paper to the EHR system.  If the system has been down for a long period of time, it should be done by a non-clinical team to allow for the clinicians to continue to care for the patients (Four Coping Strategies for Unplanned EHR System Downtime, 2016). 

References

Four coping strategies for unplanned EHR system downtime . (2016, June 30).  www.ehrinpractice.com.  https://www.ehrinpractice.com/four-coping-strategies-for-unplanned-ehr-system-downtime-725.html?campaignid=aw376972938&adgroupid=28