Application: Adoption of Electronic Health Records-Rated A+

EHRs are an important focus of the HITECH Act. To comply with this legislation and to make the best use of their organization's resources, health care managers should develop a clear understanding of the nature of EHRs and of factors that promote or mitigate against their adoption.

Prepare for this Application Assignment as follows:

• Select a particular functional area within a health      care setting. This must be an area that makes use of the types of patient      data found in EHRs. Examples include: a hospital's admissions department,      emergency room, pharmacy, or nursing unit; or the billing department or      outpatient treatment department at a clinic or physicians' office.
• Review this week's Learning Resources and conduct a      literature search to determine factors that promote and hinder adoption of      an EHR system across this type of organization and within this area in      particular. Look not only for technological, but also human factors that      impact the adoption of EHRs.

Then write a 2- to -page paper that addresses the following:

• What are key problems related to the adoption of EHRs      in your selected functional area?
• What factors promote the adoption of EHRs in this      particular setting?
• Describe solutions that have been found to promoting      adoption of EHRs and to overcoming barriers. Include specific examples,      and be sure to address technological as well as human factors.
• What are specific steps management can take to      facilitate the adoption of EHRs?

Your written assignments must follow APA guidelines. Be sure to support your work with specific citations from this week’s Learning Resources and additional scholarly sources as appropriate. Refer to the Essential Guide to APA Style for Ashford Students to ensure your in-text citations and reference list are correct.