Today, the most significant concern across healthcare organizations is the impact of technological innovations on the quality of care. There is growing support for adopting information technology to improve clinical outcomes and promote patient experience. In most hospitals, the storage of healthcare records has posed a severe problem. Mutshatshi et al., (2018) found that poor record-keeping undermines patient care, which arises from communication breakdown among healthcare providers and increased medico-legal risks that hinder clinical care goals. Relying on paper-based records limits accessibility of health records and decreases clinical workflow. Unlike electronic health records with cloud backup and storage, paper-based records lack backup and have limited security leading to increased healthcare information loss. As a result, integrating information technology in healthcare is necessary to improve health outcomes and reduce medical errors. Recent healthcare reform creates opportunities for digitalizing health records to reduce medical errors and improve patient care. Transitioning from paper-based records to electronic health records can significantly improve clinical efficiency and productivity. This implies that emerging technologies can transform care to improve patient outcomes.
Context and Impact of change
Worldwide healthcare systems face significant changes in the demand for quality care with the rapid
growth of computerized systems. There is a broad consensus that identifying effective change is a
critical area of action for tackling challenges in the dynamic healthcare environment. Health care
organizations are constantly evolving as a result of technological innovations to enhance safe and
reliable care. Electronic health information exchange has become increasingly essential to ensure
quick access to patient records for more coordinated and efficient care. According to Balestra
(2017), computerized health information systems are increasingly being implemented in clinical
settings to improve care quality. For instance, electronic health records will have a significant
impact on the patient, physicians, and healthcare organization. From a broader perspective,
digitalization of medical records will allow patients to make informed clinical care decisions. With
information technology, the is increased interconnectivity between patients and medical
professionals by sharing health records for effective coordinated care.
Literature Review
Electronic health records are widely associated with higher quality and safer care for patients,
particularly in clinical settings. The significance of EHRs in improving healthcare quality and
efficiency is well-established; a systematic literature review by Kruse et al., (2018) concluded
that proper adoption of computerized system is linked with increased efficiency and positive patient
outcomes. With the dynamic healthcare environment utilizing and incorporating EHRs in surveillance
and care interventions can promote population health. EHR documentation has become increasingly
necessary for improved diagnosis and integrated care provision in light of the changing healthcare
systems. Taylor (2017) theorizes that effective EHR utilization can protect the practitioner’s
legal liability, improve clinical documentation, and enhance reimbursement. Empirical evidence shows
that EHR systems have become an essential part of clinical workflow in documenting diagnostic
investigations and preventing medical errors (Schopf et al., 2019). Across these studies, there is
consistent evidence that EHRs can reduce medication errors and create a value-based care process to
improve health outcomes.
Action Plan
| Goal | Action plan | Measurable Outcomes |
| To decrease medical errors regarding drug prescription and treatment. | Use computerized systems to write patient prescriptions, diagnostic tests and laboratory results. | In 3months, there will be a 50% reduction of medical errors. |
| To improve the quality of patient care with advanced EHR systems. | Use the EHR’s tracking systems to monitor patient treatment processes and ensure that healthcare providers have access to accurate patient data. | Within 3 months of EHR adoption, there will be a 50% increase in patient outcomes. |
| To reduce patient waiting time and improve appointment scheduling. | Use EHRs integrated scheduling systems and patient portals to update demographic data and insurance information. | Within 2months, there will 70% increase in patient satisfaction rates due to reduction in waiting time |
Measuring and evaluating the EHR systems’ success is an essential indicator for achieving the project goals. Setting measurable outcomes is necessary for assessing the success of computerized systems in clinical settings. By calculating the percentage of medical error reduction and improved patient outcomes, healthcare providers can determine the project’s success with a given time frame.
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References Balestra, M. L. (2017). Electronic health records: Patient care and ethical and legal implications for nurse practitioners. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 13(2), 105-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nurpra.2016.09.010 Kruse, C. S., Stein, A., Thomas, H., & Kaur, H. (2018). The use of electronic health records to support population health: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Medical Systems, 42(11). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10916-018-1075-6 Mutshatshi, T. E., Mothiba, T. M., Mamogobo, P. M., & Mbombi, M. O. (2018). Record-keeping: Challenges experienced by nurses in selected public hospitals. Curationis, 41(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/curationis.v41i1.1931 Schopf, T. R., Nedrebø, B., Hufthammer, K. O., Daphu, I. K., & Lærum, H. (2019). How well is the electronic health record supporting the clinical tasks of hospital physicians? A survey of physicians at three Norwegian hospitals. BMC Health Services Research, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4763-0 Taylor, D. N. (2017). A literature review of electronic health records in chiropractic practice: Common challenges and solutions. Journal of Chiropractic Humanities, 24(1), 31-40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.echu.2016.12.001