|
Mitchell County Regional Health Center gets "Wired"
Just a few weeks ago, Mitchell County Regional Health Center (MCRHC) implemented an electronic health record to improve the quality of care it provides to the county. The system will replace the paper charts that had been used in the hospital.
Mitchell County Regional Health Center has spent several months planning and designing the electronic system it will use. Once that was completed, staff spent many hours training and practicing using the new system. Anne Wadle, Readiness Leader and Barb Williams, Clinical Liaison, headed up the project team in Mitchell County.
Two other hospitals, Franklin General Hospital in Hampton and Kossuth Regional Health Center in Algona, launched their electronic health records on the same day as Mitchell County Regional Health Center. Four other hospitals will launch their systems on September 6. Mitchell County Regional Health Center's health record will be integrated with Mercy Medical Center- North Iowa and the six other regional hospitals.
"We are excited about this opportunity to advance the health care services available in Mitchell County," said Sandy Leggett, CEO at MCRHC. "It has been challenging for our providers and staff to relearn the way they document their care of our patients but we all agree that it is well worth the effort."
According to Leggett, moving from paper to electronic charts will provide many benefits to Mitchell County residents.
* Implementing the electronic health record will keep the physicians current with the best treatments available. The computerized system will guide physicians to treat patients, depending on their diagnosis, according to "Evidence Based Medicine" - the best method for treating diseases based on the results of years of scientific research. This allows physicians to provide the latest, most effective treatments and medications to their patients.
* The electronic health record will also improve patient safety. When a medication is prescribed, the system will automatically check the medication against the patient's allergies and for interactions with other prescribed medications. The computer will immediately alert the physician if there is a possible conflict. Problems will be corrected before the medication is administered, preventing any harm to the patient. Additionally, barcoded medications will be scanned and compared to the information coded on the patient's identification bracelet to ensure that the right patient is receiving the prescribed medication.
* Physicians will be able to view medical information on the computers in their office, nurse's station, home or almost any other location. The information will be securely protected from access by anyone not involved in the patient's care. This will increase the speed that appropriate medical care is administered to patients in Mitchell County.
* Any provider in the Mercy Health Network - North Iowa will be able to view hospital medical records from all of the hospitals in the network. If someone is treated in the emergency room at Mitchell County Regional Health Center and is transferred to Mercy Medical Center - North Iowa, the physicians there will have immediate access to the records of the emergency room visit here. Likewise, physicians at MCRHC will have access to the medical records for that patient at Mercy. This will help reduce the duplication of lab and radiology tests taken at different facilities.
* Nurses will do their documenting on a computer at the patient's bedside. This will increase the interaction between the nurses and patients. Nurses can input health history into the computer with the patient right there to verify it. If a return visit is necessary, the patient can just look at the electronic chart to verify the information without having to answer all of the same questions again.
Mitchell County Regional Health Center will use the electronic heath record for documentation of all hospital patients from this date forward.
Historical records will continue to be kept in paper charts stored in the medical records room. Forms requiring the patient's signature will also be kept in a paper chart.
Story created Aug 12, 2008 - 10:41:37 CDT.
|
