MARS: electronic or paper?

I thought it was by 2015, bu some states are requiring it sooner. The facilities I have dealt with it is a combination of all paper, all computer, or both. I have dealt with Momentum (pretty good), Achieve Matrix (really liked it), Point Click Care (good).

Still 100% paper charting here. Computers are basically only for e-mail and some med re-ordering. Located in FL.

We have EMARS and ETARS. In 8 weeks we're going 100% electronic. I'll let you know how it's going.

I worked in a facility where it was all paper charting and it drove me crazy. Where I am now is a paper MAR system that has been in place 23 years! But we make progress notes on computer. It seems to me that a EMAR would greatly reduce errors in LTC and you could do the med pass faster and easier.

I agree with hope3456. I think an EMAR would also ease some transcriptions woes that also come with a paper MAR system. Also, perhaps medication re-ordering could become somewhat more automated?

I am a new nurse but I used paper MARs for about a month and then we switched to EMAR. EMAR is sooooo easy. Only hurdle is entering orders but it is easy to learn after a while. Can't believe there are facilities without plans to transition.

It is so frustrating to know the technology exists to make our job easier and safer for patients but facilities will not implement it. I have heard that the "older nurses" who are usually in management - are intimidated of using EHR.

On my regular job we use EMARS (which I love) and paper charting (which I hate). The best thing about the EMAR is the medication orders. I also work in a facility PRN that has paper MARS and computer charting. Of the two the EMAR is more liberating than the computer charting.

Heard the deadline was 2014.

I've done some research on this and only hospitals and clinics are required to switch to EHR - it doesn't apply to LTC. Which is disappointing.

Very disappointing. My facility is pretty responsible compared to the horror stories I've read about LTC here on AN, but a lot of our small issues when it comes to scripts, med changes, change of month MARs, etc. seem like they would all be much better or fixed altogether if an EMAR was in place... sigh

We currently do paper MARs/TARs (but are slooooowly in the process of transitioning), but not handwritten - all the pages are computer-generated. There's still a lot of room for human error if the new order isn't printed our, or if an order is d/c'd and not noted in the MAR (or someone yellows it out in the MAR but doesn't d/c it in the computer).

We've done computer charting as long as I've been there, and I'm ever so thankful for this. I type much faster than I write!