What can healthcare learn from other organizations?
This video offers insightful suggestions or facts on the importance of Information technology in health care and other industries, and that if it is used in the right way can actually increase productivity. The facility where I work has implemented computer charting and medication mars, but is still behind in other areas. We still do a lot of printing out of information when patients are transferred to other hospitals. This provides more opportunity for accidental sharing of patient information, and HIPPA violation. I know that the electronic mar and barcode scan has greatly reduced medication errors at the hospital where I work.
On the other hand there seems to be a lot of redundant charting or repeat charting. The whole purpose of the electronic charting system was to reduce errors, save time, safety, access etc., and not to add to charting time. When we had paper charting you had to wait until the physician, or charge nurse, case management etc. was done with the chart to have access. Nurses also spent around 3 hours each night printing out new medication mars, checking charts for accuracy, and new orders, and filling out forms for next day use. Now it seems that with changing regulations and other issues more electronic charting is required. When you have six to seven patients it takes a while to chart especially with constant interruptions.
Keeping up with the ever changing technology is a challenge, and is one area where our hospital is lacking. It is suggested in the article by Khatri and Gupta (2006) that most health information technology (HIT) is "poorly designed for the kind of team-based, proactive, patient-centered care" that is needed in U.S. hospitals (para 2). This article also state that HITs have the potential to transform health care but need to be designed to support areas of care that will lead to improvement to that care. I think that health care organizations should take a look at how other organizations are using technology to improve work productivity and improving the service that they provide.
What can helathcare learn from other organizational use of technolgy?
Khatri, N., & Gupta, G., (2016). Effective implementation of health information technologies in U.S. hospitals. Health Care Management Review. 41(1). p. 11-21.