computerized charting in the O.R.

CuttingEdgeRN · Aug 20, 2007

We use sales rep pens and peices of card board from gowns.....

sorry, couldnt resist :sofahider

Snowshooz · Aug 21, 2007

what brand of o.r. software do you circulators use? do you like it?

we use orsos ( mckesson) its a piece of crap...

very cumbersome program and definately not user friendly!

shodobe · Aug 21, 2007

Meditech for the past 6-7 years. No real problem except it is written in DOS and not the best to look at. It does exactally what we need it to do and so far over the years we have had no real problems. DOS programming is better than a Windows programming when it comes to a database program and I have written in DOS before years ago so I don't have a problem. There are others that like the friendly look of Windows. Anyway, not a real bad program.

brewerpaul · Aug 22, 2007

Our OR has Meditech too. I grew into computers in the DOS age, so I also don't have any problem with it. It's not fancy, and sometimes I forget that the cursor and mouse won't work with it :-) , but it does what it has to and doesn't crash TOO often (hint: SAVE OFTEN!).

With my gawdawful handwriting, ANY computer program is 'way better than hand written!

duggram · Sep 4, 2007

Great topic!!

In the 80's I was an OR nurse and in the early 90's I was an informatics nurse where I taught myself basic programming. In '96 I started a 6 career as a software engineer in the Seattle area. After the dot COM bust of 2001 I went back to OR nursing to keep my life going. In '03 I went to work in an HCA hospital and saw Meditech for the first time. Eventually I worked in IT as a systems analyst for a year. I quit in frustration.

The way I see it the software is totally wrong. But this is not the worst problem which is that programs are setup in hospitals with little to no experienced supervision. Then you get the people who have used the system for 8 years as it is and would give up their life before changing it.

As long as the profiteers and local uneducated experts control how hospital software is installed, setup, and used there will be no truly good OR software.

Eppstacy · Sep 4, 2007

At my hospital, we utilize Meditech.It's fast & easy, don't even need to use a mouse. I like it.

shodobe · Sep 4, 2007

Great topic!!
In the 80's I was an OR nurse and in the early 90's I was an informatics nurse where I taught myself basic programming. In '96 I started a 6 career as a software engineer in the Seattle area. After the dot COM bust of 2001 I went back to OR nursing to keep my life going. In '03 I went to work in an HCA hospital and saw Meditech for the first time. Eventually I worked in IT as a systems analyst for a year. I quit in frustration.
The way I see it the software is totally wrong. But this is not the worst problem which is that programs are setup in hospitals with little to no experienced supervision. Then you get the people who have used the system for 8 years as it is and would give up their life before changing it.
As long as the profiteers and local uneducated experts control how hospital software is installed, setup, and used there will be no truly good OR software.

So what is the point of your post? It is a decent program and does what it is supposed to do with little problems. I would rather have a Windows environment program because of the ease of use but that won't happen because of the large investment by the hospital. The IT department we have is very competent and helpful and well educated, so what I am seeing here is a little bitterness showing through because you really can't make the money you use to make because the IT industry is so saturated with out of work programmers the salaries have been driven down. I use to do some DOS programming way back in the early 80's and wanted to go into the computer field. I am so glad I made the right decision and went into nursing instead, far more profitable!

TracyB,RN, RN · Sep 4, 2007

Computers???

Hmmphh!

Well, I take that back. We have computers for entering our specimens & looking up lab results.

It's such a crappy system I don't even want to clutter my brain with the name of it.... IT's BAD!!! REALLY, REALLY BAD

BMW10 · Sep 15, 2007

Computers???
Hmmphh!
Well, I take that back. We have computers for entering our specimens & looking up lab results.
It's such a crappy system I don't even want to clutter my brain with the name of it.... IT's BAD!!! REALLY, REALLY BAD

I hear ya', Tracy. We, too, started with just entering specimens and looking up labs. But Pathology refused to come on board (still had to submit full documentation with each specimen) and the lab could send results only to the patient's floor so we had to call around anyway. G-u-r-r-r. When we finally initiated computerized charting it was cumbersome, time-consuming, and repetitive ad nauseum (from two pages to 16 or more, which had to be duplicated for both OR and Anesthesia). The program had been set up by the Sterile Services manager so was geared more to time charges and tracking of inventory than 'continuity of care' issues. We never felt like we were charting, just billing. All-in-all, major problem was never having a dedicated IS person with knowledge of the OR handy to troubleshoot. We 'elders' unfamiliar with anything "computer" had a tough time accepting the concept of computerized charting but I think it would have been less intimidating had only someone been willing to teach us old birds how to fly. After three decades in the OR my evals suddenly displayed "incompetent using modern technology" and "needs to learn how to type to speed up charting." Cisco finally did me in and I had to transfer out of my beloved OR. I retired at the first opportunity.

umakemesmile · Sep 16, 2007

We have been using Meditech for 6 years. I think the whole trick is in the training you get. We got very little training. Baptisim by fire as usual. It's a pretty good program, but also the only one I've used.

ebear, BSN, RN · Sep 21, 2007

I just resigned from the O.R. after 34 yrs. (CNOR). Praise God! We were using a Windows program that was 16 pages long and it sucked! Could not pay attention to the operative field due to this major "time" monster! It had a bad habit of crashing and we often had to resort to paper charting anyway.

ebear:angryfire