Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care.

Informatics

Most healthcare organizations strive to improve their clinical practices and the quality of care provided to the patients. Informatics has a key role to play in achieving this organizational goal. In particular, informatics capture data, which inspires healthcare organizations to improve their quality of care and change the overall clinical practices. However, informatics’s role in gathering the required data is facilitated by electronic health records (EHR). This paper will discuss the process and considerations to implement a new EHR system in a practice setting.Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care.

ORDER  HERE A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

Information Needed to Facilitate Tracking Opportunities for Care Improvement

Information obtained from the database plays a key role in pointing out areas that required some improvement in a healthcare setting. First, information about the quality of care can be obtained from the database to assist in tracking care areas that require some improvements. Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care.Data across various quality domains are collected and analyzed in most healthcare organizations. Therefore, quality issues that require some improvements problems are self-evident and clear. Examples of indicators that indicate quality problems in a clinical facility include high HAIs, high rate of hospital readmission, and high mortality rate. Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care.The management of a healthcare organization, in turn, takes appropriate action to improve the identified weak area. Additionally, areas that require improvement in a healthcare organization is pointed out by examining processes and outcomes closely. The obtained data indicate that improvement is required if the actual processes and outcomes do not meet the set standards or the organization’s previous performance.Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care.

The Role of Informatics in Capturing Data

The informatics play a key role in capturing data required to indicate areas that need improvements in a healthcare organization. They document patient’s medical history into electronic health records and other systems to update and access those documents relatively easily. The electronic charting enables MSN student to access information efficiently and quickly. Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care.The MSN student uses the acquired information to enhance the daily workflow. Additionally, the electronically stored information can be easily accessed by various team members such as care providers and physicians, among other healthcare specialists. Additionally, electronically stored medical records enable clinicians to transfer patients’ care from one practitioner to another by handing over patients’ medical records. Therefore, informatics use information and technology, specifically EHRs, to manage patients’ vital information, facilitate communication among multidisciplinary team members, minimize preventable medical error, and support decision-making during healthcare services, thus supporting quality improvement in healthcare organizations (AHRQ, 2015).Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care.

Systems and Staff Members involved in the Design and Implementation Process of EHR

Decision support systems are the primary system that supports the design and implementation of EHR in a healthcare organization (Sutton et al., 2020). This system allows the care team to resolve issues that require particular decisions. It formulates the knowledge in the system, thus eliminating human knowledge at the point of care. Secondly, expert systems are required to support the process. Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care.These clinical decision support systems have some features that portray notes, facilitate critical treatment plans, provide diagnostic and decision support, and support various images’ identification and interpretation. Nonetheless, these systems cannot replace human expertise as stand-alone tools. Therefore, IT professionals should integrate expert systems with knowledge management, thus determining the best treatment plan.Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care.

In addition to systems, MSN students should involve staff members in the design and implementation process. Nurses are the first staff members who should be involved in the process. These practitioners spend the most time with the patients while taking care of them in inpatient and outpatient medical facilities, thus understanding patients’ needs more than other healthcare professionals (Kieft et al., 2014).Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care. Therefore, they should be involved in designing the new EHR system to guide in developing a system that will address patients’ care needs. Additionally, nurses should be involved during the system’s implementation since they are healthcare professionals who take the greatest part in the provision of care. Nurses will thus, incorporate the new system into their clinical practices to improve the efficiency and quality of patient care. Secondly, IT experts should be involved in the process. They will guide designing a system that can be installed in the healthcare organization easily using the available resources. Additionally, IT experts will provide nurses with any required technical support during the new system’s implementation.Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care.

The Incorporation of Professional, Ethical, and Regulatory Standards into the Design and implementation of the New EHR System

The three standards will guide design and implementation processes. Professional nursing standards require practitioners to maintain integrity and competence during care delivery (Poorchangizi et al., 2019). Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care.Thus, nurses will ensure that these aspects are considered during design and implementation processes. Secondly, the process will be guided by the ethical principle of privacy and patient information confidentiality, which requires healthcare professionals to protect patients’ personal details (Epstein & Turner, 2015). Therefore, MSN students should ensure that the design and implementation of the proposed EHR system maintain patients’ information privacy. Finally, the process will be guided by the local government’s regulatory standards to regulate clinical practices in the state. These measures will guide the process since failure to comply might lead to legal action against MSN students.Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care.

Ensuring that All Order Sets are included in the New Records

All order sets should be incorporated into the new records to facilitate workflow in a healthcare organization. According to Li et al. (2019), poor alignment of order sets compromises clinician workflow in a healthcare organization. Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care.Therefore, MSN students should use four steps to ensure all orders are integrated into the new clinical records. First, the student should get effective leadership to facilitate the entire process. Planning is also required before the commencement of the entire process. The required resources should also be secured before the process. Finally, the integration of all order sets into new clinical records requires ongoing maintenance and evaluation.Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care.

Strategies for Communicating Change

The success of change in a healthcare organization primarily depends on communication and a transition plan. Staffs are likely to reject the change if they are not informed about it and its benefits to staff members, patients, and the healthcare organization. The communication process involves four major steps. The first step entails sharing the organizational vision with staff members. Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care.The second step involves informing the team members how the change will enable them to achieve the set vision. Thirdly, the staff is portrayed as heroes who have contributed towards achieving the vision. Finally, the staff members are assured that resources, including finances, facilities, and knowledge and skills required to support the change, will be provided.Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care.

Measures and Steps for Evaluate the Success of the EHR Implementation: Staff, Setting, and Patient Perspective

The success of implementing EHR can be measured by assessing the expected outcomes from the three perspectives. First, the quality of patient care and patient outcomes were expected to improve following the proposed EHR implementation. Thus, improvement in the quality of care and clinical outcomes indicate success in the implementation process. Secondly, successful implementation of the process is portrayed by efficiency in care delivery. Finally, an increase in the number of clients seeking care services from the organization indicates success in the implementation process.Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care.

Leadership Skills and Theories

Leadership skills and theories would support effective collaboration among the members of the interprofessional team. Leadership plays a key role in enhancing good interaction among the staff members (Hao & Yazdanifard, 2015). Leaders act as a role model for other staff members, teaching them how they should interact during care delivery. Additionally, the situational leadership theory would support collaboration among team members. This theory states that leaders should be flexible to address the current issue in a healthcare organization. Similarly, team members should collaborate to resolve the current issue.Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care.

Overall, implementing a new EHR in a healthcare organization will enhance the efficiency of clinical practices and improve the quality of patient care. Informatics has a significant role in capturing data required to facilitate the new EHR system’s implementation. They facilitate gathering, analysis, and documentation of patients’ records.Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care. The design and implementation of the EHR system would incorporate professional, ethical, and regulatory standards. Systems, including decision support systems and expert systems and staff members especially nurses also influence the implementation process. Nurses are the best staff members to be involved in the design and implementation process since they spend most time with patients while taking care of them.Using Health Information Technology to Support Quality Improvement in Primary Care.