Patient Tracker

Nurses General Nursing

Published

There is a palm program called something like "patient tracker, or patient keeper". I was wondering if any of you out there that use PDAs on a regular basis have found this program usefull. I am thinking about downloading it, but I wasnt sure how practical it actually was.

So, if you use it, please let me know what you think, and what type of facility you work in, unit, etc. Lots of patient roll over, residential, etc. Thanks!

BrandyBSN

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I don't have a PDA (me and the guy from the Fed-Ex comercial). I have to drag my laptop every where I go. (I'm in Home Care).

If somebody wants to slap barcodes on their foreheads I'll gladly buy a scanner:)

-nancy

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Hi. I *Think* that the patient tracker program -- well, it could very well be something else entirely. But the one I've looked at is more like software for tracking practice patients, you know? More like for managing an office than for floor nursing.

The hospital where I work now is experimenting with PDAs and wireless technology on the floors. I'm totally and completely hooked on *my* PDA, but I don't do floor nursing any more. I kinda resent the hospital GIVING some people the PDA. For a while, I had a computer in one office and everything else I had towork on in a different office across campus with NO computer. I didn't have much choice but to carry my own, and I had to buy it myself. So then the hospital goes out and as an experiment in informatics, buys a bunch of them and GIVES them to some of the nurses!!! Okay, it was an experiment to informatics, but it was a benefit to THOSE nurses and not to me! Harrumppphh

But back to the point. I can definitely see how a PDA would be useful on the floor doing the stuff that my jot sheet used to do, plus! (not only the schedule but alarms!) BUT then you get into issues of patient confidentiality. And with the whole new ......... aaacccch, I've forgotten the initials, but it's going to be a mess, I guarantee you!

The thing with my PDA is that I'm not sure I'd actually use it for floor work. There are pros and cons. The small size works for and against it. It's pretty expensive, and I spent a bit of time in my day, searching for my set-aside jot sheet. If a nurse set down her PDA I'd predict that the chances of it staying put are effectively zero. And there you go with patient confidentiality, as well.

The screen is pretty little, and us nurses of "a certain age" have problems with that small type. Inputting stuff can be a chore unless you have a real keyboard to attach to it, so unless you 'beamed' report from one nurse to another, the actual report would take a lot longer is my guess.

And if the PDAs are going to be "floor" PDAs and so the report wouldn't have to be beamed from person to person, then every single nurse would be stuck using them, even if they really, REALLY don't want to. I know that technology is going to catch up with all floor nurses at some point and there will be nurses who don't want to go down the computer path, but I think that this is even more objectionable in its own way. Plus, I think we can all agree to disagree and chart however our institution wants us too, but I think our reminder systems are pretty individualistic... so we're back to data input again!

I wish I could remember that acronym for the new patient confidentiality protection thingie that I'm still searching my poor tired brain for. But I can't. From what I've read so far, the government hasn't come up with any guidelines, but just said, here are the regulations, YOU figure out how to follow them. It has some real "bite" too. Not only major fines, but prison time for people who make mistakes.

We live in interesting times.

Love

Dennie

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HIPAA are the letters you are looking for. And is it going to cause major headaches for anyone in healthcare. The ER staff is telling me that they won't be able to give a copy of the ER record to your attending physician without permission!! So, in other words if you seek treatment in the ER one evening for a let's say a sprained ankle, the ER is not allowed to give your "regular doctor" a copy of the ER report wihtout your permission. Staff at doctor's offices will not be allowed to call your name out when it is time for to see the doctor. No names on the outside of charts. I am all for protecting patients' privacy, but I think some of the regs are too strict. I guess time will tell. Hope this helps!! I think if you type in HIPAA, you could do a search on the web. I bet there is ton of information available on the internet. Good Luck!!!!

;) ;) ;)

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http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2001pres/01fsprivacy.html

http://www.benefitsnext.com/content/view.cfm?articles_id=2467&subs_id=6

These are two websites on the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability act. I think that few nurses actually know what it stands for and what it means for patient safety.

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Specializes in LTC,Hospice/palliative care,acute care.

Thanks for posting those links-they were very informative.As with any change in the regs the rumors have been flying and it was good to see it in black and white.Some parts of the act are just silly but it does redeem itself IMHO.I agree that pt. charts do not belong at the bedside-I do not like sign in sheets in any clinic or office setting. I did discover(amongst the annoying pop-ups) that it will still be permissible to call out a persons name in the waiting room.

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