MARS: electronic or paper?

Specialties Geriatric

Published

With healthcare reform - aren't paper MARS supposed to be banished and all health care facilities will have to start using electronic MARs and charting? This is what I have heard - does anyone know details? I know some LTCs are using computers but it sounds like a lot of them are still using paper. What system does your facility use and what do you think of it?

Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

http://www.healthlawyers.org/Events/Programs/Materials/Documents/LTC10/harris.pdf

According to this document LTCs are not required to use EHR but are encouraged to.

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Specializes in LTC.

Sounds like LTC is exempt. Darn it!

We use paper MAR/TAR and charts. We do incident reports online though.

I wish we did more online. I can type much faster than print!

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Specializes in Physician office, Hosp, Nursing Home.

I also work in a LTC facility, we have been told we are going to computer charting for at least two years. Gee I hope so. If I give a prn I have to chart in 5 different locations!! It's so redundant. Also hand written mars for new admits are a disaster waiting to happen. Not everyone has good handwriting. Now we have to do our own re-caps at the end of the month because the medical records person doesn't have the time. So now it's dumped on midnites, cuz we're not busy, or so they say. We have 2 nurses and 2-4 CNA's for the building, its 2 floors with 84 res. I have no time for patient care, Just like most LTC we are continuously understaffed, have frequent call offs, and a high turn over rate and I work in a supposedly 5 star facility. Also 5-6 mandatory meetings a month at between 1-3 p.m.. I'm still in bed. Anyway I'm drowning in paper work. Computer charting has got to be better. Thanks for letting me vent.

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Specializes in ICU, CM, Geriatrics, Management.
... LTC facility... told we are going to computer charting for at least two years... We have 2 nurses and 2-4 CNA's for the building, its 2 floors with 84 res. I have no time for patient care, Just like most LTC we are continuously understaffed, have frequent call offs, and a high turn over rate... I'm drowning in paper work...

Computers in nursing facilities are a huge expense.

Isn't it amazing how terrible working conditions are generally across healthcare when we have such significant, even life-or-death responsibilities???

And additional tasks and duties are imposed on staff on an ongoing basis.

Makes one wonder what has to happen for there to be real and substantial changes in this industry???

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.

I hear you Polly! Unfortunately I haven't seen a lot of redundant charting go away since we switched to EMARS. The beast that is LTC paperwork still makes me chart the same darn VS in at least 2 places, even in the EMAR. Example: resident is q shift VS so chart them with that order, also has BP needed for a med so chart it again with that order, and a pulse for a different med order, and O2 sats for neb orders and O2 orders in at least 2 places...it would be nice if the program we use would just port that info over to all the places I need it, but it doesn't. Also for any falls, change of condition paperwork, MD rounds etc. we still have the paperwork, so yet another place to chart the same darn VS! At least there is no end of month changeover to new MARS.

I also work nights and agree with the meeting times being horribly inconvenient. Maybe talk to your DON, mine lets nights skip the meetings unless it is a truly important one.

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Specializes in LTC, Psych, M/S.

There are many different EMAR programs - or software for such. The one my facility used was designed by a lady who had no idea what she was doing and it didn't work out - we went back to paper. IMO the technology has to be implemented correctly and it would make nursing homes so much safer. But who wants to listen to the nurses suggestions, lol

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Specializes in Gerontology, Med surg, Home Health.

I've used many different systems and my facility is just about to plug head first into total EHR. Personally, I can't wait!!! Instead of writing an order, putting it in the emar, adding it to the care plan, and the CNA care card, one click with the mouse will automatically send it to all those places. Getting there will be hell but once we're there it's going to be fabulous!

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Dialysis.
I've used many different systems and my facility is just about to plug head first into total EHR. Personally, I can't wait!!! Instead of writing an order, putting it in the emar, adding it to the care plan, and the CNA care card, one click with the mouse will automatically send it to all those places. Getting there will be hell but once we're there it's going to be fabulous!

Gosh that sounds great! Way better than the program we use. As I mentioned in an earlier post it can't even populate the vs in all the places I need them much less update care plans and CNA care cards. Please update us as it rolls out and let us all know gow it is working.

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