Healthcare Informatics in Primary Care Pediatrics
| Unit 9 Assignment instructions
Title: Healthcare Informatics in Primary Care Pediatrics
The focus of this assignment is to increase your knowledge and understanding of how informatics, specifically the electronic medical record, improves the pediatric patient health outcomes. Caring for the pediatric patient has unique elements that are not applicable in the adult population. Examples are growth and development surveillance, vaccine records, transitional changes that affect “normal findings” by age group. For example, normal respiratory rate of a newborn is significantly different than a 10-year-old. Additionally, pediatric healthcare providers are expected to educate parents through the use of “anticipatory guidance” according to the age of the patient.
For this assignment, you are expected to analyze the utilization of the EMR that you are using in your clinical practicum and evaluate how this particular EMR system is improving health outcomes. For example, does the EMR that you are using have mechanisms in place that track growth and development, which has led to early identification of abnormally?
This assignment has three parts. The first part is identifying the recommended pediatric-specific functionalities of the EMR system you are using. The template will guide you through the first part of the assignment by addressing a sample of critical functionalities. Part Two addresses some basic functions that would be recommended in any non-specific EMR. Part Three asks you to discuss how your system is addressing certain outcomes such as safety, collaboration, and the prevention of medication errors. Part One Recommended pediatric-specific functionalities of the eClinicalWorksEMR system
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| Pediatric-Specific Functionalities of the EMR you are using. | Is this function available in your EMR? | Is a tracking function available such as vaccination history, history of referrals with final reports? | Are there built-in alerts to the provider, such as a missed vaccination? Allergies? Potential Medication interactions? | Is there an area to document and monitor special needs, circumstances, or unique qualities of the patient? |
| Vaccination record | Vaccination records are available in the EMR | The tracking function for the history of vaccination is present to help the caregiver avoid mistakes that could affect the safety of the patient. The possible errors that could be made include skipping or repeating the vaccinations | There are reminders or alerts that are built-in, in the records for immunization, which are essential in improving the rates of vaccination among certain populations. This is because the clinicians are able to get reminders of the due dates of vaccination as well as managing the populations that are exposed to the risks of poor outcomes of health if they fail to get the vaccinations(Whalen et al., 2018). | There is an area to document the circumstances, especially for the children in the communities that are disadvantaged, which increases their risk of poor health outcomes as they may miss vaccinations due to lack of accessibility. |
| Screening performed | The screening performed is included in the EMR to show the health history of the patient | A tracking function of referrals for the previous screenings performed isavailable to avoid wasting time and costs of more procedures on procedures that have already been conducted. | There are built-in reminders to the provider concerning potential interactions for the medications based on the results established from the performed screening. | There is an area for documenting the result of the screening performed to avoid repetition and confusion when patient data gets shared from one physician to the other documenting the |
| Routine health maintenance | This function is available in EMR. | The functions for tracking that are available entail the instruments for developmental screening including specificity, sensitivity and modality. | There are reminders that are built-in, to remind the clinicians of the pediatrics of the recommendations for screening and guidance that is anticipatory which helps in decision support for treatment and diagnosis that is appropriate during the acute care visits. | There is an area to monitor the various instruments or screening and document the outcomes of their effect on the quality of care in pediatric care settings. |
| Growth Charts | The function is available in EMR | A tracking function that exists is the record of the previous growth results presented in charts. Tracking of patients through the charts majorly promotes wellness (eClinicalWorks). | Alerts are present for the upper and lower limits of what normal growth is, entails in displays that are graphic and the calculations for the patterns for growth in comparison with change velocity that is normal in children that are developing (Rigby, Kühne, & Deshpande, 2019) | There is an area to document and monitor the changes in parameters for growth like change in weight in infants that are premature in which systems are able to store scales of data in demonstration of the said changes. |
| Medication information, dosage, and indications? | This function is available in my EMR to enhance the safety of patients as the medication data will be effectively managed. | A tracking function is available, and in this case, the health history of the patient, the currently prescribed medication, with proper instructions on dosage. | There are alerts that are built-in for the providers to remind them of the timeperiods and duration followed. Also, the provider is able to understand | There is documentation that is most crucial and essential to meet the developmental\ for this. The area for documentation and monitoring, in this case, entails having details of the clear indications of the circumstances and the right medication. |
| Medication dosage calculation by weight and age? | This function is available in EMR. | A tracking function is present to help maintain the right dosage and ensure patient safety. | There are alerts that are built into providers to help them remember when to administer medication, proper dosage and avoid errors related to prescriptions. | There is an area for documenting the dosage of medications when administered as the records help in instances where lawsuits arise against the providers as they get used as evidence. |
| Electronic prescribing? | This function is available in EMR, meant to ease the pediatric clinician’s demands and enhance safety(Whalen et al., 2018). | A function for tracking of the prescriptions is available to help care providers avoid errors associated with making wrong prescriptions. | There are alerts that are built in to enhance efficiency and improve outcomes of health as it reminds the providers of the right prescription to give the patient, avoiding forgetfulness and other errors. | There is an area for documenting the changes in the condition of the patient after the prescription has been made and the general outcomes of the treatment. |
| Monitoring of special concern such as a heart murmur? | This function is available in EMR for the enhancement of efficiency. | A function for tracking is available and in this case, history referrals to establish whether the patient has previously experienced the same condition and if so, the medication that was used and how the process of treatment can be improved. | There are alerts that are built-in to the provider that entail potential interactions of medication to help the provider decide on the most appropriate medication or change of medication to help achieve outcomes that are different and quality for the outcomes to achieve improved outcomes(Temple et al., 2019). | There is an area for recording and document the special needs of the patient, primarily due to the critical nature of the conditions affecting the heart. This helps the providers in decision making effectively and faster, especially when emergency situations. |
| Pediatric -specific norms by age category such as milestones? | This function is present in EMR to establish the patterns of growth based on age groups and what is expected. | A function for tracking is available for signs that are vital and normal ranges that are based on age. | Alerts to the provider on norms of growth are essential to keep track of the changes in the developmental patterns. | There is an area for documenting the changes in the norms that are specific. |
| Current and/or history of labs and any other diagnostics and results | This function is present in EMR. | A function for tracking is available, in this case tracking the treatment history of the patient to establish any other tests that may have been carried out formtheir results and diagnostic to enhance decision making as it establishes the safe direction to take when establishing the accuracy of previous testing (Temple et al., 2019). | The alerts to the provider are for the establishment of similarities in diagnostics, making it easier to come up with results, saving more time to enhance efficiency in the processes. | There is an area to document the similarities in the results for diagnostics to be used in comparison with the future diagnostic tests. |
| Health history or interim health history | This function is present in EMR, easing access to pediatric medical records | A function for tracking is available to monitor developments in a patient’s health, and the effect of certain medication on improving them (Temple et al., 2019). | The built-in alerts are there for the provider to deliver recommendations that are specific, to the pediatric clinicians about the condition of a patient based on their health history to enhance effectiveness. | There is an area to document and monitor the special needs and the qualities that are unique about a particular patient on the basis of their health history. |
| Medication history | This function is present | A function for tracking is available in keeping to track of the medication that the patient is on. | The alerts help the pediatric clinicians reduce testing that is unnecessary and reduce potential harm to the patient. | There is an area to monitor and document the response of the patient to certain medication, in comparison to their medical history, and comes up with better medication suggestions to improve outcomes. |
| Family: Composition Dynamics, Education needs Anticipatory guidance | This function is present in EMR. | A function for tracking is available to establish the reasons for specific outcomes. | The alerts that are inbuilt are there for the use by pediatric care providers in facilitating accuracy in the delivery of care and improve the health outcomes of patients. | There is an area to monitor ad document the circumstances that could have contributed to a particular |
Part two
Is there a mechanism for data sharing with members of the healthcare team? Describe
Data sharing Mechanism
The provision in the 2015 Health and Social (Safety and Quality) Act provides for a duty to information sharing in situations where the information will be able to contribute to the wellbeing of an individual within the care system. However, before the specific information gets shared, consent has to be obtained from the patient with who the information that is to be shared concerns. The patient has to be given an opportunity to agree with or object to the sharing of their medical data. The mechanism that gets used in this case is the eClinicalWorks which is a leader in healthcare information technology that is held privately, that provides solutions for practice management and Electronic Health Records that get used by many providers in more than 20 countries (eClinicalWorks). The electronic exchange of health information makes it possible for physicians, nurses, other healthcare providers and patients to effectively access and securely share data that is vital about the health of a patient by electronic means. This significantly enhances the cost, quality and safety of care provided to the patients.
Is this EMR user friendly? Describe
The eClinicalWorks EHR is friendly to users and provides technology that enhances the effective sharing and storage of the information about the health of patients by facilitating the effective use of technology through all the steps in the processes of delivering care to the patients in the healthcare organization. The effectiveness and efficiency of ClinicalWorks get facilitated by the fact that it is a health record that is integrated. The software is easy to use making it possible for the patients, including those in pediatric care to effectively communicate with their physicians, the information gets protected from access from unauthorized individuals ensuring that the privacy of the patients is protected, enhancing the outcomes of care. The fact that their documentation tools can be customized makes it easier for the patients and organizations as the tools can be modelled in a way that meets their individual needs.
Any improvements needed? Describe
There are several improvements that could be made to the eClinicalWorks software. The first improvement that is needed is to its software as there have been some complaints from some of its users concerning the software that is faulty and the options for the transfer of data that are still a problem in some instances. Enhancements should get made to the software to be able to accommodate a platform in the form of a portal where the patients can interact with their clinicians and physicians, facilitating the exchange of files.
Is data organized, easily accessed, easily entered? Describe
Organization of data using the EHR, eClinicalWorks software such that it can easily be keyed in an is organized in a way that makes it easily accessible by the personnel that are authorized as the software customizes it using encryption that blocks out access from unauthorized individuals.The practices of EHR meet the challenge of providing care that is value-based, and that is why it is used by many organizations to transform big data into data that is organized while at the same time improving the engagement and access of patients. The patients can have access to their information and communicate with their physicians through their computers at the comfort of their homes.
Part Three
Discuss in detail how this EMR system promotes the following (include references and citations if needed):
Safety
The eClinicalWorks EMR system promotes the safety of patients in a healthcare organization in various ways. Through the information regarding the medical history of a patient being easily accessible, the healthcare providers are able to easily track the records of the patient and focus on treating a patient faster (Whalen et al., 2018). This is because by having records of the medical history of the patient, the healthcare providers are able to avoid carrying out tests that are unnecessary on the patient which could have a significant effect on the safety of the patient.
Improved health outcomes
The eClinicalWorks improves the outcomes of health in such a way that the software is able to facilitate the care that is not, face to face to patients with multiple conditions that are chronic, with the module for the management of the chronic care conditions (Gatto, 2018). The calculation of the factor of risk assessment is made simpler and more effective with the use of the EMR. The outcomes of care get improved by the fact the software enhances the quality and continuity of care. Care provision has become more efficient and accessible to patients improving their health outcomes.
Collaboration
Collaboration has been significantly facilitated by the use of the eClinicalWorks EMR because the design of the system makes it possible for physicians to work collaboratively in enhancing the health outcomes of the patient, they do this through the electronic sharing of patient information whereby they are able to share an idea on the options available to treat patients with conditions that are complicated (Temple et al., 2019). By sharing the information, they are able to create a strategy, through their collaborative thinking, that establishes the best option for the treatment of the patient.
Early red flags or other concerns
The eClinicalWorks EMR plays a significant role in promoting the ease of addressing the early red flags and other concerns that may arise in the course of treatment. When issues arise with regard to the wellbeing of a patient while undergoing treatment, the EMR makes it possible for the care providers to access all the data regarding the health of the patient and identify what could have been done wrong as soon as possible. The patients are able to use the portal it provides in communicating their concerns to physicians (Szilagyi et al., 2020). Also, the concern can be shared with other physicians faster and have the problem solved simply by using a video conference even when the physician is too far.
Prevention of medication errors
The use of the above-discussed mechanism for EMR promotes the prevention of medical errors in that the healthcare providers are able to get information concerning prescriptions from the physicians more effectively using computers and the chances of forgetting are reduced (Gatto, 2018). The electronic systems of prescribing also contain accurate data about prescriptions and with the patient data in the system, the caregivers are able to quickly locate a patient’s prescription accurately even when they are dealing with a large number of patients.
Patient satisfaction
With the EMR, eClinicalWorks, the healthcare providers are able to provide timely, effective and quality care (Gatto, 2018). This amounts to positive outcomes as it solves the issues of return visits, overcrowding in the emergency room, the shortage of nurses in the healthcare organization, among other aspects that make the care provision process a challenge. The software makes the completion of tasks more manageable, and the service provided quality, and when the healthcare needs of the patients get met, then patient satisfaction gets achieved too.
Evidence-based guidelines
The eClinicalWorks EMR facilitates research through the technology that is cutting edge, which makes the provision of care in the organization based on evidence from research that establishes the effectiveness of specific care strategies. For this reason, the practice of care provision gets carried out in accordance with the guidelines for evidence-based practice, enhancing the efficiency of the organization and the achievement of positive outcomes of health in an organization.
References
eClinicalWorks.Providing comprehensive Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Practice Management (PM) solutions. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/company/eclinicalworks
eClinicalWorks. Using all eClinicalWorks Has to Offer. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/-E9hPVL6MXI
Gatto, J. (2018). Improving Patient Wait Times, Patient Satisfaction, Staff Satisfaction and Patient-Reported Review of Systems Completeness through Increased Use of eClinicalWorks Kiosk Technology in Pediatric Primary Care.
Rigby, M., Kühne, G., & Deshpande, S. (2019). e-Health is the Enabler of Primary Care for Children. Issues and Opportunities in Primary Health Care for Children in Europe. Emerald Publishing
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Szilagyi, P. G., Valderrama, R., Vangala, S., Albertin, C., Okikawa, D., Sloyan, M., …& Lerner, C. F. (2020). Pediatric patient portal use in one health system. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 27(3), 444-448.
Temple, M. W., Sisk, B., Krams, L. A., Schneider, J. H., Kirkendall, E. S., & Lehmann, C. U. (2019). Trends in use of electronic health records in pediatric office settings. The Journal of pediatrics, 206, 164-171.
Whalen, K., Lynch, E., Moawad, I., John, T., Lozowski, D., & Cummings, B. M. (2018). Transition to a new electronic health record and pediatric medication safety: lessons learned in pediatrics within a large academic health system. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 25(7), 848-854.