Introduction Of Electronic Medical Record Research Articles

Impact of electronic medical records and COVID-19 on adult Goals-of-Care document completion and revision in hospitalised general medicine patients.

ABSTRACTBackgroundConversion from paper‐based to electronic medical records (EMR) may affect the quality and timeliness of the completion of Goals‐of‐Care (GOC) documents during hospital admissions and this may have been further impacted by the COVID‐19 pandemic.AimsTo determine the impact of EMR and COVID‐19 on the proper completion of GOC forms and the factors associated with inpatient changes in GOC.MethodsWe conducted a cross‐sectional study of adult general medicine admissions (August 2018–September 2020) at Dandenong Hospital (Victoria, Australia). We used interrupted time series to model the changes in the rates of proper GOC completion (adequate documented discussion, completed ≤2 days) after the introduction of EMR and the arrival of COVID‐19.ResultsWe included a total of 5147 patients. The pre‐EMR GOC proper completion rate was 27.7% (overall completion, 86.5%). There was a decrease in the proper completion rate by 2.21% per month (95% confidence interval (CI): −2.83 to −1.58) after EMR implementation despite an increase in overall completion rates (91.2%). The main reason for the negative trend was a decline in adequate documentation despite improvements in timeliness. COVID‐19 arrival saw a reversal of this negative trend, with proper completion rates increasing by 2.25% per month (95% CI: 1.35 to 3.15) compared with the EMR period, but also resulted in a higher proportion of GOC changes within 2 days of admission.ConclusionsEMR improved the timeliness and overall completion rates of GOC at the cost of a lower quality of documented discussion. COVID‐19 reversed the negative trend in proper GOC completion but increased the number of early revisions.

A longitudinal time and motion study quantifying how implementation of an electronic medical record influences hospital nurses’ care delivery

Aim backgroundMany health care services are implementing or planning to undergo digital transformation to keep pace with increasing Electronic Medical Record (EMR) functionality. The aim of this study was to objectively measure nursing care delivery before and following introduction of an EMR. Design and methodsAn extensive program of work to expand an EMR across our health service using a ‘big bang’ methodology was undertaken. The program incorporated digital care delivery workflows including physiological observations, clinical notes and closed loop medication management. The validated Work Observation Method by Activity Timing (WOMBAT) method was applied to undertake a direct observational time and motion study of nurses’ work in a major Australian hospital immediately prior to and six months following the introduction of a full clinical EMR. ResultsTime and motion results were from observing approximately one week of nursing time pre (paper) to six months post (EMR) implementation. A non-significant 6.4% increase in the proportion of time spent on direct care was observed when using the EMR with a statistically significant increase in mean time per direct care task (2.5 min vs 3.9 min, p = 0.001). The proportion of time spent on medication-related activities did not significantly change although the average time per task rose from 2.0 to 2.9 min (p = 0.008). A significant reduction in proportion of time spent in transit and indirect care tasks when using the electronic workflows was reported. No statistically significant changes to the proportions of time spent on professional communication, direct care or documentation were observed. ConclusionsSuccessful EMR implementation is possible without adversely affecting allocation of nursing time. Our findings from deploying a large scale EMR across all healthcare craft groups and workflows have described for nurses that an EMR enables them to spend longer with patients per direct care episode and use their time on other activities more effectively.

Nursing undergraduates’ perception of preparedness using patient electronic medical records in clinical practice

Objective: To investigate third-year undergraduate nursing students’ perceptions and views on being prepared for using patient electronic medical records (EMR) in clinical placement after using only paper-based documentation during their education program; and their opinion on the introduction of EMR in the university simulated learning environments to be work ready. Background: Contemporaneous clinical practice in many countries now requires nurses to competently use patient EMR including electronic observation and medication charts. However, Australia has been slow in introducing this learning into undergraduate nursing programs. For this reason, there is a knowledge gap examining nursing students’ viewpoints on learning EMR in their undergraduate program in preparation for the clinical environment and future registered nurses in Australia. Methods: All third-year students enrolled in the undergraduate nursing program at one regional metropolitan university in New South Wales (including three campuses) were invited to complete an electronic questionnaire. This survey included questions on the students’ perceptions on their confidence and preparedness using EMR in clinical practice based on their current paper-based learning in the university simulation laboratories; and their opinions on the benefits of integrating EMR learning into the undergraduate nursing curriculum. Results: Seventy third-year nursing students completed the questionnaire, a response rate of 13.2%. Most respondents (71.1%) did not feel prepared to use EMR in the clinical setting after only learning paper-based documentation and 81.7% did not feel confident accessing patients EMR the first time. Nearly all students (98.5%) believed they would be more confident using EMR initially in their clinical placements if there had been opportunity to practice using EMR in the university simulation laboratories. There was a significant difference with female participants perceived improved confidence accessing patients EMR, if EMR was integrated into the university simulated laboratories compared to the male participants (p=0.007). Conclusion: In this study, third year nursing students believed that learning to use an EMR program in the university simulated environment will increase their confidence and preparedness when on clinical placement and be work ready as registered nurses. Implications for research, policy and practice: This study showcases the importance of preparing nursing students for entering the workforce as confident and competent new graduate registered nurses and integrating health informatics and digital health technologies universities in undergraduate nursing programs in Australia. Future studies on Australian student’s experience with the introduction of an academic EMR program is recommended. What is already known about the topic? Using patient electronic medical records (EMR) is included in the nurse’s scope of practice in healthcare services worldwide. This scope of practice requires that nursing students learn the skills to use EMR in a safe environment. What this paper adds: Third year nursing students are not being prepared to use EMR in the clinical setting based on paper-based learning Majority of students identified the need to learn to use EMR in university simulation labs prior to clinical placement Effective integration of EMR into nursing undergraduate curriculum in Australia is essential

Providing Inclusive Care for Transgender Patients: Capturing Sex and Gender in the Electronic Medical Record

Providing a positive patient experience for transgender individuals includes making the best care decisions and providing an inclusive care environment in which individuals are welcomed and respected. Over the past decades, introduction of electronic medical record (EMR) systems into healthcare has improved quality of care and patient outcomes through improved communications among care providers and patients and reduced medical errors. Promoting the highest standards of care for the transgender populations requires collecting and documenting detailed information about patient identity, including sex and gender information in both the EMR and laboratory information system (LIS). As EMR systems are beginning to incorporate sex and gender information to accommodate transgender and gender nonconforming patients, it is important for clinical laboratories to understand the importance and complexity of this endeavor. In this review, we highlight the current progress and gaps in EMR/LIS to capture relevant sex and gender information. Many EMR and LIS systems have the capability to capture sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI). Fully integrating SOGI into medical records can be challenging, but is very much needed to provide inclusive care for transgender individuals.

Factors affecting the utilisation of electronic medical records system in Malawian central hospitals.

In Malawi, paper-based medical record-keeping has been observed to exacerbate challenges related to accessing patient records and patient tracking. Despite the introduction of electronic medical record (EMR) systems in 2001, paper-based records continue to be in use. Some health workers prefer paper-based records to EMRs. This study assessed factors that affect the use of EMRs in Malawi, particularly at Queen Elizabeth and Kamuzu Central Hospitals. It further investigated the reasons why paper-based records are still in use despite the numerous associated disadvantages. The extent to which EMRs contribute to patient care was also analysed. In this cross-sectional study, 111 randomly selected health workers were interviewed, using a semistructured questionnaire, at the 2 largest central hospitals in Malawi, where EMRs were first introduced in the country. Focus group discussions were conducted to gather further information on factors identified during the individual interviews. Differences in age, gender, and previous computer experience were not associated with differences in EMR usage. However, education and employment levels has a positive association with EMR usage. Hardware and connectivity problems, as well as lack of training and managerial support negatively affected the use of EMRs. EMRs were found to improve data quality and efficiency in patient management.

Application of Queueing Theory to the Analysis of Changes in Outpatients' Waiting Times in Hospitals Introducing EMR.

ObjectivesThis research used queueing theory to analyze changes in outpatients' waiting times before and after the introduction of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems.MethodsWe focused on the exact drawing of two fundamental parameters for queueing analysis, arrival rate (λ) and service rate (µ), from digital data to apply queueing theory to the analysis of outpatients' waiting times. We used outpatients' reception times and consultation finish times to calculate the arrival and service rates, respectively.ResultsUsing queueing theory, we could calculate waiting time excluding distorted values from the digital data and distortion factors, such as arrival before the hospital open time, which occurs frequently in the initial stage of a queueing system. We analyzed changes in outpatients' waiting times before and after the introduction of EMR using the methodology proposed in this paper, and found that the outpatients' waiting time decreases after the introduction of EMR. More specifically, the outpatients' waiting times in the target public hospitals have decreased by rates in the range between 44% and 78%.ConclusionsIt is possible to analyze waiting times while minimizing input errors and limitations influencing consultation procedures if we use digital data and apply the queueing theory. Our results verify that the introduction of EMR contributes to the improvement of patient services by decreasing outpatients' waiting time, or by increasing efficiency. It is also expected that our methodology or its expansion could contribute to the improvement of hospital service by assisting the identification and resolution of bottlenecks in the outpatient consultation process.

Usability and Safety in Electronic Medical Records Interface Design: A Review of Recent Literature and Guideline Formulation.

The objectives of this study were to (a) review electronic medical record (EMR) and related electronic health record (EHR) interface usability issues, (b) review how EMRs have been evaluated with safety analysis techniques along with any hazard recognition, and (c) formulate design guidelines and a concept for enhanced EMR interfaces with a focus on diagnosis and documentation processes. A major impact of information technology in health care has been the introduction of EMRs. Although numerous studies indicate use of EMRs to increase health care quality, there remain concerns with usability issues and safety. A literature search was conducted using Compendex, PubMed, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases to find EMR research published since 2000. Inclusion criteria included relevant English-language papers with subsets of keywords and any studies (manually) identified with a focus on EMR usability. Fifty studies met the inclusion criteria. Results revealed EMR and EHR usability problems to include violations of natural dialog, control consistency, effective use of language, effective information presentation, and customization principles as well as a lack of error prevention, minimization of cognitive load, and feedback. Studies focusing on EMR system safety made no objective assessments and applied only inductive reasoning methods for hazard recognition. On the basis of the identified usability problems and structure of safety analysis techniques, we provide EMR design guidelines and a design concept focused on the diagnosis process and documentation. The design guidelines and new interface concept can be used for prototyping and testing enhanced EMRs.

Transitioning to the Electronic Medical Record: Its Impact on Nursing Care in Interventional Radiology

Electronic medical records (EMRs) are being integrated into the health care industry. It is widely believed that EMRs will improve the overall quality of patient care through the promotion of both patient safety and satisfaction. The introduction of EMRs at Boston Children's Hospital created a multitude of challenges for the nurses in the hospital's interventional radiology (IR) department. Despite the difficulties the new EMR presented, the IR nurses were able to safely transition their documentation to the electronic format.

A Study of the Difference in Volume of Information in Chief Complaint and Present Illness between Electronic and Paper Medical Records

The introduction of an electronic medical record (EMR) has been rapidly accelerating in South Korea. The EMR was expected to improve quality of care, readability, availability, and the quality of data. However, the reluctance of healthcare providers to use the EMR may have caused a reduction of information recorded in EMRs. The purpose of this study was to identify whether there was any loss of information following the introduction of a narrative text-based EMR in the recording of chief complaint and present illness in inpatient medical records. Inpatient medical records of a university hospital were retrospectively evaluated for one month before and one month after the introduction of the EMR in June 2006. The volume of information for chief complaint and present illness was measured by number of words in Korean and normalised bytes. Change in volume of information was measured by two-way ANOVA and multiple regression analyses, controlling for doctors' gender, age, and grade/year of residents, patients' readmission status, reasons for admission and service department to assess any effect of the introduction of an EMR. Total numbers of paper-based medical records (PMRs) and EMRs for analysis were 1,159 and 1,122, respectively. Forty-three doctors participated in the study. Thirty-one (72%) doctors were less than 30 years of age. Number of words proved a better outcome measure (R²=22 for CC, R²=36 for PI) than normalised bytes (R²=18 for CC, R²=35 for PI) for measuring volume of information. Results showed that the volume of information in the chief complaint and present illness was not decreased after the introduction of the EMR, except when the dependent variable was measured by number of words in the present illness. The study showed that the introduction of the EMR did not reduce the volume of information documented for chief complaint and present illness in inpatient medical records. However, further studies are needed to identify how to control the probable loss of information as showed in present illness measured by number of words.

Use of Digital Patient Photographs and Electronic Medical Record Data as Diagnostic Tools in Japan

An electronic medical record (EMR) system was introduced to the University of Miyazaki Hospital, in Japan, in 2006. This hospital is the only one in Japan to store digital photographs of patients within EMRs. In this paper, we report on the utility of these digital photographs for disease diagnosis. Digital photographs of patients were taken at the time of hospitalization, and have been used for patient identification by medical staff. More than 20,000 digital photographs have been saved, along with examination data and medical history classified by disease, since the introduction of EMR. In the first part of the present study, we analyzed the facial cheek color of patients using photographs taken at the time of hospitalization in relation to diagnoses in six disease categories that were considered to lead to characteristic facial skin characteristics. We verified the presence or absence of a characteristic color for each disease category. Next, we focused on four diseases, Analysis of the facial skin color of 1268 patients found the same patterns of characteristic color. Overall, we found significant differences in complexion according to disease type, based on the analysis of color from digital photos and other EMR information. We propose that color analysis data should become an additional item of information stored in EMRs.

Caring for individual patients and beyond: Enhancing care through secondary use of data in a general practice setting

It is argued that with the introduction of electronic medical record (EMR) systems into the primary care sector, data collected can be used for secondary purposes which extend beyond individual patient care (e.g., for chronic disease management, prevention and clinical performance evaluation). However, EMR systems are primarily designed to support clinical tasks, and data entry practices of clinicians focus on the treatment of individual patients. Hence data collected through EMRs is not always useful in meeting these ends. PurposeIn this paper we follow a community health centre (CHC), and document the changes in work practices of the personnel that were necessary in order to make EMR data useful for secondary purposes. MethodsThis project followed an action research approach, in which ethnographic data were collected mainly by participant observations, by a researcher who also acted as an IT support person for the clinic's secondary usage of EMR data. Additionally, interviews were carried out with the clinical and administrative personnel of the CHC. ResultsThe case study demonstrates that meaningful use of secondary data occurs only after a long process, aimed at creating the pre-conditions for meaningful use of secondary data, has taken place. PreconditionsSpecific areas of focus have to be chosen for secondary data use, and initiatives have to be continuously evaluated and adapted to the workflow through a team approach. Collaboration between IT support and physicians is necessary to tailor the software to allow for the collection of clinically relevant data. Data entry procedures may have to be changed to encourage the usage of an agreed-upon coding scheme, required for meaningful use of secondary data. And finally resources in terms of additional personnel or dedicated time are necessary to keep up with data collection and other tasks required as a pre-condition to secondary use of data, communication of the results to the clinic, and eventual re-evaluation. ConsequencesChanges in the work practices observed in this case which were required to support secondary data use from the EMR included completion of additional tasks by clinical and administrative personnel related to the organization of follow-up tasks. Among physicians increased awareness of specific initiatives and guideline compliance in terms of chronic disease management and prevention was noticed. Finally, the clinic was able to evaluate their own practice and present the results to varied stakeholders. ConclusionsThe case describes the secondary usage of data by a clinic aimed at improving management of the clinic's patients. It illustrates that creating the pre-conditions for secondary use of data from EMRs is a complex process which can be seen as a shift in paradigms from a focus on individual patient care to chronic disease management and performance measurement. More research is needed about how to best support clinics in the process of change management necessitated by emerging clinical management goals.

Securing access to healthcare

Information technology has taken centre stage in the global healthcare market, as the introduction of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) has demanded new levels of IT security. An increased focus on access management and re-authentication has been driven by the requirement to protect these new volumes of sensitive digitised data.

Computerizing medical records in Japan

Purpose The present study reports the current status of computerizing medical records in Japan. In 2001, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare formulated the Grand Design for the Development of Information Systems in the Healthcare and Medical Fields. The Grand Design stated a numerical target for “spreading the use of electronic medical records (EMR) in at least 60% of Japan's hospitals with 400 or more beds by 2006.” The objective of this study was to examine the extent to which EMR and order entry systems (OES) have been adopted as of February 2007 and to evaluate the Japanese government's policy regarding the computerization of medical records. Methods We conducted a postal survey targeting medical institutions throughout Japan. In February 2007, we mailed self-administered questionnaires to all 1574 hospitals with 300 or more beds, and to a random selection of 1000 hospitals with less than 300 beds in addition to 4000 clinics. Responses were received from 812 (51.6%), 504 (50.5%), and 1769 (44.8%), respectively. We asked questions concerning: (i) the extent to which EMR and OES had been introduced; (ii) the reasons why certain institutions had not introduced EMR and (iii) the subjective evaluation of the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of EMR. Results The percentage of institutions that had introduced EMR as of February 2007 was 10.0% for hospitals and 10.1% for clinics. Even the percentage for hospitals with 400 or more beds was just 31.2%, illustrating that the government's target had not been reached. The most common reason given for not introducing EMR was: “The cost is high” which was observed in 82.0% of hospitals. It was considered that the introduction of EMR could improve ‘inter-hospital networks’, and ‘time efficiency for physicians’ by around 45% and 25% of hospitals, respectively. Conclusion Healthcare information computerization in Japan is behind schedule because the introductory costs are high. For the computerization of healthcare information to be further promoted, prices of EMR systems should be lowered to a level which individual hospitals can afford. Furthermore, the communication between EMR systems should be further standardized to secure functional and semantic interoperability in Japan.

Clinical trial eligibility determination using an oncology electronic medical record system interfaced to a caBIG-certified trial database

6626 Background: One reason for the low numbers of patients entered on cancer clinical trials is the difficulty and inconvenience encountered in determining whether patients are eligible. The introduction of electronic medical record (EMR) systems in cancer facilities provides a means by which clinical parameters may be electronically collected and compared against clinical trial eligibility criteria, with the potential to facilitate eligibility determination. We hereby describe a widely utilized EMR system interfaced to a caBIG-certified searchable clinical trials database which facilitates eligibility determination. Materials and Methods: MOSAIQ is a widely utilized oncology- specific EMR system that is operational in radiation and medical oncology facilities world-wide. During the routine course of patient care, clinical trial eligibility parameters such as diagnosis, stage, age, and performance status are entered into defined data fields within the EMR. Trialcheck is an independently maintained caBIG bronze level certified database that lists thousands of clinical trials from Cooperative Groups, NCI/PDQ, the pharmaceutical industry and trials being conducted exclusively at particular oncology facilities. TrialCheck registrants can screen trials for patient eligibility as well as filter and track the status of trials that have been activated at their facility. In addition, a real-time, secure Internet interface between MOSAIQ and TrialCheck extracts eligibility parameters from a patient record, sends that information to TrialCheck, and returns a listing of matched clinical trials. Results: In a test screen of 4 MOSAIQ EMR patients against 257 TrialCheck clinical trials, the system matched a patient with Stage IV breast cancer to 7 available trials in less 2 seconds, a patient with Stage IIIB colon cancer to 3 trials in 5 seconds, a Stage IV prostate cancer to 5 trials in 4.4 seconds, and a patient with stage II esophageal cancer to 2 trials in 3.7 seconds. Conclusion: This product demonstrates a novel and innovative solution to one of the problems inherent in the clinical trial registration process in an efficient, reliable and secure manner. No significant financial relationships to disclose.