Published Jan 28, 2004
10 members have participated
Shar-prn
1 Post
I am drowning in paperwork in the home health care setting. I want to know if the use of a laptop computer in the field is more efficient? We may be moving toward computers in the near future.
renerian, BSN, RN
5,693 Posts
I have never worked with a company that could afford to use them!
renerian
ksb13
39 Posts
our agency has been on computer since 1998. The core group was 4 nurses an the first 6 months were a disaster, but as we fine tuned the program, got more comfortable with it and began training the other nurses it got much easier. With the program we use, I can see the history of EVERY nursing visit, contact note, call to MD, order on any person in my computer for at least 1 cert period. If I see a patient that is new to me, I can go into the computer, access demographic info. travel directions, and read every visit. That makes it easier to know if a patient is usually confused, a wound is healing, or a bp is normal for that pt at 90/50. We can read all the notes for every discipline, and coordinate care in that way. I wouldn't go back to paper. BUT the first few months are definitely difficult until you learn the program. I can import and export pt charts from home, so if I have a patient added, I can have that chart on my computer before I leave my house. all in all, I think it is a plus.