UTHSC Groups E and D

utnursejdm2014 · Apr 18, 2014

[COLOR=#003366]cwoodru5, I like when you referenced Bouhaddau. Bouhaddau stated, other reasons for using standards in interoperability are efficiency, cost saving, and risk avoidance. I can totally agreed with this, because I see this everyday in the hospital. I see that is the systems are efficient ,because they deliver information with the click of the bottom. This make it more convenient than having to fax or email healthcare information back and forth between doctors and practitioners. Using these systems offer more protection limiting who can access people information. The system can also be cost of effective, because with documented accurate information these would decrease possible medical errors. Errors that can involve medication administration, information regarding surgery procedures, and physician orders can all be minimized because all healthcare member can see a clear picture of what going on with the patient and what is need to be done. GREAT JOB!

ldye2 · Apr 18, 2014

This discussion is much like the debate to streamline standards and expectations in education. The Common Core legislation seeks to make standards national so that if a student moves from one state to the next, he or she will be in the same curriculum and held to the same standards as they were in their previous state. This is done so that no student will suffer and be left behind because of a standards shift from state to state. Now, let's take that same platform and apply it to healthcare. It is true that it is the patient's responsibility to be aware of the information contained in their medical record. After all, it is their personal health that is at stake. However, it is the ultimate responsibility of the healthcare provider and network to be aware of what is contained in a patient's record. It is with this knowledge that providers are adequately equipped to provide the best possible care. Imagine a patient who is unable to communicate the information about his or her own health. Take it a step further and imagine the patient changing providers, ultimately ending with a provider who knows nothing beyond what they've assessed. Being able to access a record with common abbreviations and terminology, as well as a common organization and format will go quite a ways in providing patient care in this and any other case similar.

UTDGC · Apr 18, 2014

In order to further break down the topic at hand lets first imagine a hospital were interoperable EMRs had no standards. This would be a hospital were communicating multi-disciplines shared private and personal information without set rules for confidentiality (including financial and personal information) and no constitution for editing (such as a medical assistant having the same access as a doctor for editing an EMR). While these guidelines (confidentiality and hierarchy) for interoperability are crucial in order for EMRs to be practical, I do not see a set of "standards" being implemented across all forms of healthcare using EMRs. I do believe that most hospitals will implement their own well defined guidelines the govern interoperable EMRs, however, I do not believe that interoperability(the communication of multiple disciplines) is ineffective without a universal set standard.

BigRed15 · Apr 18, 2014

Laurinemory,

I also like your point about patients with comorbid conditions having multiple physicians. Even with standardization in hospitals located in Memphis, I still see a lack of communication between doctors. I had a renal patient, with many other comorbidites. I saw lack of communication between doctors within the same hospital, even though they had access to the same EHR. If that patient had gone else where, the difficulty of communication may have even been worse, especially if it were another hospital whose EHR was not interoperable.

tkilpat1 · Apr 19, 2014

UTD-TK

I agree with UTDGC in that interoperability is still functional without standardizing things across the spectrum in regards to communication. This is a hypothetical solution attempting to take something that is good and make it better. Even in today's communication, there are set standards that are not followed. Standards of interoperability are important; however, not everything has to be regulated for a machine with many cogs and wheels to work. An EMR is not the end all be all of medical communication, as the care provider can always verbally communicate with another discipline to clear up an issue. Even with standards that are strict, there will still be questions that need to be asked and those who do not understand all of the in-s and out-s of the EMR. Human error will always be a factor in communication, but how we can reduce that as a healthcare community remains to be seen.

sawells · Apr 19, 2014

Laurin, I agree that quick access to health data has become so important, especially with globalization and people traveling all over the world. This is what makes the need for EHR interoperability so crucial, and why President Bush established a National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. According to Sewell & Thede (2013), the 2008-2012 strategic plan was established to help achieve a nationwide infrastructure that will allow exchange of patient information among providers regardless of their location. In other words a neurologist in California should be able to consult with a cardiologist in Tennessee by pulling up the patient's EHR directly instead of waiting for information to be sent piecemeal to him. Without standards for data formatting, this type of interoperability is not possible.

UTG1-SW

Sewell, J., & Thede, L.Q. (2013) Informatics and nursing: Opportunities and

challenges.(4th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott.

sawells · Apr 19, 2014

utnursejdm2014, accurate communication is indeed vital when it comes to patient care. Before the widespread use of EHRs, communication among caregivers was handwritten. There were handwritten nurse's notes, and handwritten physician's orders and prescriptions. This way of communicating vitally important information left room for the possibility of making fatal errors in interpretation and implementation. Now, with the advent of the EHR many of those interpretation errors have been eliminated. Requiring standards when documenting patient information helps improve interoperability, and thereby improves quality and accuracy of patient care.

cpayne28 · Apr 20, 2014

Interoperability is only successful if standards of use are followed. The standards provide detailed information and guidelines in order to ensure proper entry, structure, and interpretation of health information, in order to provide quality patient care in a timely manner."Appropriate, timely sharing of vital patient information can better inform decision making at the point of care and all providers to avoid readmissions, avoid medication errors, improve diagnoses, and decrease duplicate testing"(Health Information Exchange, n.d.).

Without standards in place, many individuals would likely use different terms or abbreviations, that may be interpreted by another health care provider as something completely different. This is particularly important regarding medication administration. The issue of misinterpreting a medication order due to the inability to read a provider's handwriting, or misunderstanding an abbreviation, is one of the major benefits of EHR. If there is not a unified understanding nationwide of the correct meaning of specific information, it will not be interpreted correctly and will hinder patient care.

In addition to playing a major role in communication between providers, standards also facilitate an understanding of the specific locations certain information should be documented. This is key in being able to effectively use Electronic Health Records. The purpose of implementing the EHR is being able to access a full, accurate source of all health information in a timely manner in order to provide quality care. If health care providers are not able to locate pertinent records in a timely manner due to a lack of organized information, it is simply pointless.

United States, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. (n.d.). Health Information Exchange. Retrieved April 19, 2014, from http://www.healthit.gov/HIE

Christen (Tori) Payne

Lmcdon · Apr 21, 2014

Aedwar18 makes a great point pertaining to standardization throughout the healthcare system. I particularly like the example of medical abbreviations. Without a set standard used across the healthcare system, professionals would not be able to communicate efficiently. Communication should be the last problem among healthcare professionals. This ultimately has a negative impact on care from an otherwise competent healthcare team. Interoperability is an essential component of healthcare that helps ensure that communication is clear (Sewell, 2013). This promotes cohesiveness in the healthcare system and increases the quality of care.

Sewell, J. P., & Thede, L. Q. (2013). Informatics and nursing: Opportunities and challenges (4th ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health_Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

Lmcdon · Apr 21, 2014

Utnursejdm2014 does an excellent job explaining the importance of interoperability in a real-life scenario. Because of the large number of members in the healthcare team, it is essential to have standardization in order for the highest quality of care to be given. This reminds me of a machine with several moving parts. Although different parts may function properly, the machine as a whole may not work. This exemplifies the phrase, "The whole is greater than the sum of its parts." Interoperability is definitely a beneficial aspect to the healthcare system as a whole, but only if it is standardized and utilized correctly.

Lmcdon · Apr 21, 2014

Interoperability is an essential component of healthcare informatics. However, standardization is required in order for it to perform efficiently. Interoperability allows information to be received and exchanged through multiple systems (Sewell, 2013). Because there are so many members of the healthcare team, communication is vital. In the Electronic Health Record specifically, standardization is needed to ensure adequate quality and quantity of information. Healthcare professionals must have mutual expectations on what type and how much information is entered into an EHR. Standardization helps maintain expectations and prevent confusion. Although interoperability is extremely beneficial, it is only made useful with standardization.

Sewell, J. P., & Thede, L. Q. (2013).Informatics and nursing: Opportunities and challenges (4th ed.). Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.

cwoodru5 · Apr 21, 2014

Forgot to sign. UTGE2-CW