Health and Wellness Informatics News
Serena Bumpus of Ascension and Stephanie Hoelscher of Texas Tech identify the help of EHR documentation. The burden was always the major issue.
EHR documentation burden popped up during the covid. The nurses and clinician went under a lot of pressure during the virus surge. Usability was always the major issue. The documentation of patient information became necessary.
Serena Bumpus and Hoelscher understood the need for documentation in a crisis. They dived into the hospitals to understand during the surges. They also came up with the idea to better handle crises in the future.
Texas pilot study holds the vision beyond covid-19. It took the “all-hazard approach” into consideration. It provides them with the opportunity to move to crisis documentation. The nurses and clinicians who are into EHR consideration will also be part of the study.
Bumpus stated, “When you think about hurricanes, tornadoes, any other type of disaster … We need to look at this as something in a bigger picture because this is much bigger than a global pandemic. And so that was what launched our study and the work we’re doing right now.” There will be disasters other than pandemics.
The EHR burden can’t cut down the regulatory need. The need for patient safety and medication adherence is the top priority. The hospitals processed the screening admission assessment. They focused on processing the discharge process.
The national study will continue the research work. It will focus on defining the surge. It will cover the state and the other areas. The study will also focus on understanding what is working for the majority. They aim to replicate the ideas and make necessary changes.
The changes in EHR documentation can create friction. During times of high stress, EHR may serve as less familiar documents. It depends on how you document. To cite an example, EHR is more like a grocery store. If you know what you are looking for, you can get the details.
The reduction in nursing documentation will also pave the way for other opportunities. The informatics makes it easy for the clinician.
