ase study 2

Electronic Health records

Name

Institution

Date

Introduction

Technological advancements have played a vital part in the revolutionary advancement in healthcare delivery. Not only is it easier to diagnose patients ailments and subsequently offer advanced treatments through the use of improved technological health appliances and machines, but advancements in technology has also enabled better monitoring and management of patients health conditions even when they are at home/work places.

One vital aspect in the advancement of health technology is the introduction of improved management in electronic health records (EHRs)( Information Resources Management Association,pg1002).It is interesting to point out that despite the numerous benefits associated with the maintenance of elaborate electronic health records, a significant number of bodies delivering health services have failed to see the need for its adoption.

Electronic health records not only allow instantaneous comprehensive access to a patient’s historical health information in all branches (thus improving coordination in health care) of a particular health sector but also allows for privacy as only certified health practitioners can access the information. Patients equally become fully aware of their health status through the view of their records and are better able to manage this information’s privacy as they get to see those who have been able to access it thus increasing their participation in maintaining their health. Electronic health records improve congruence as all a patient’s health history is found in one location. The advance system equally saves on cost and time, unlike the old manual filing system.

Current model

UMUC Family clinic is faced with numerous problems all stemming from their lack of use of elaborate health records. The clinic is characterized by inefficiencies that cost both the clinic and its clients a lot of vital time. Patience is for instance in most cases compelled to wait for between one to two hours before seeing doctor Dr.Martin. The two nurses assisting the doctor are too busy handling manual record of the patients. The inability of the clinic to timely address the needs of its clients is bound to cause desperation and displeasure among potential clients who may not consider visiting the clinic again due to their first negative experience with the clinic. The clinic thus loses out on revenue from potential customers who either become tired of waiting or are discouraged from visiting the clinic again

The clinics manual billing system frustrates clients who have to prepare their paper work and at the same time take care of the patients they have brought to the clinic each time they visit. The clinic lacks an elaborate way of checking in patients and for instance if a patient finds the nurse at the reception desk on the phone, he or she has to wait for the nurse to finish her call. Both the patient and the doctor is thus negatively affected as at that moment the doctor might be waiting for a patient.

The clinic is straggling to meet its expenses cost as it is stated in the case study that he can barely manage to pay his nurses at the moment as a result of poor operations stemming from the use of outdated record keeping systems. The doctor is therefore not in a position increase his number of staff or get additional rooms so as to expand his business considering the growing population in his dispensaries location The doctor is said to adhere to the use of paper-based record systems which is evidently disorganized and result to the unnecessary use of extra space for shelves which can be easily discarded if the clinic were to graduate to electronic health record keeping system.

The low number of staff (two nurses) can barely meet the demand of the numerous clients who are constantly frequenting the clinic and the inability of the nurses and the doctor to meet their clients demand is worsened by their inefficient record keeping techniques. In is 9important to point out that in instances where one of the nurses has to be absent then the clinics operations becomes greatly affected as a result of the numerous duties the nurse would be required to address. All these limitations reduce the efficiency of service delivery at the clinic which consequently limits its profitability and thus it ability to solve its problems like say hiring additional staff.

New model

UMUF Family clinic can significantly benefit if it were to migrate to electronic health record keeping. The clinics nurses will save a lot of time as by having electronic records of patients who have appointments on a particular day; no time will be spent sorting manual files. Patients would be promptly cleared to see the doctor as their details will be accessed by the nurse at the reception desk instantaneously. Patients will not have to go through the hurtle of annoying paperwork each time they visit the clinic as the online billing systems that would be linked to their electronic register would be efficient in meeting their billing needs. The adoption of an elaborate health record system but the clinic would not only save on unnecessary costs thus providing extra profits that can be used by the doctor in expanding the hi business. The clinic will also be in a position to handle ca higher number of clients each day. Patients who visit the clinic when it adopts this new model will be impressed by efficiencies in its service delivery and thus consider to visit it next time.

The clinic nurses, for instance, had to identify previously clinic members by checking names on sign-in sheets against the names existing medical records that filled the clinics cabinets. Not only was this time consuming but it was equally frustrating for both the patient and the nurse. The modification of patient record system now allows for quick identification of patients electronically (only a few minutes0 before they are scheduled to meet the doctor. Patients who were previously frustrated by the way the clinic conducted its operations and went as far as complaining to the doctor would now be pleased by the new system it has adopted thus increasing their confidence in the clinics service delivery.

The inclusion of all historical health information of a given patient into his or her electronic health portal would significantly increase the efficiency with which the doctor cam make medical decisions concerning a particular patient. The patient will also be in a position to better comprehend his or her state of health and thus act in the interest of the doctor in maintaining his or her health.

Reference

Information Resources Management Association,. (2016). E-health and telemedicine: Concepts, methodologies, tools, and applications.

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