Healthcare IT News - January 2008 - (Page 7) www.HealthcareITNews.com industry news January 2008 ■ Healthcare IT News Nurses say It security puts crimp in their productivity By rICHarD PIzzI, Associate Editor meNLo PaRK, Ca – Nurses are concerned that stringent IT security policies designed to protect patient health information may be impeding productivity at the point of care, according to a recent survey of IT adoption among U.S. nurses. Nurses interviewed in the nationwide survey by market research firm Spyglass Consulting Group reported logging in and out of healthcare IT systems upwards of 80 times per day, significantly slowing clinical workflow. The survey, Healthcare Without Bounds: Point of Care Computing for Nursing, involved more than 100 in-depth telephone interviews with nurses working in acute care and ambulatory environments. Spyglass conducted the survey to determine how point of care computing can be used to enhance patient safety, reduce the risk of medical errors and streamline nursing productivity. The nurses interviewed were representative of a broad range of specialties and institution sizes. In addition to concerns about the effects of IT security on productivity, nurses surveyed also revealed that patient information is often not accessible across the NUrses see page 8 Nurses in a recent survey say It sometimes gets in the way of getting their work done. they also revealed they are using clinical information systems, but not necessarily in real-time or at the point of care. IDeNTIfIer Continued from page 5 organization has been focusing on the issue of patient identification for three years, and has held forums, reviewed research and gathered input from a range of experts. “Outside of carefully controlled pilots, accuracy for the current process is roughly 90 percent, based on our collective experience and industry estimates,” said Tom Doyle, vice president and chief architect for HCA and a member of the Alliance’s Technology Leadership Committee. “That margin of error will only widen as it is applied to ever-larger populations,” Doyle added. The alliance claims that a system of unique identifiers would make medical information much more complete, accurate, private and secure. The organization says an identifier’s single-use status, protected in a closed loop among participating providers and patients, reveals nothing about the person and therefore has no “street value.” Alliance officials point out that such a system stands in stark contrast to the existing “processof-elimination” formula, which becomes more accurate as more types of information about a person are added but simultaneously increases the risk of identity theft. “We believe it is in the best interests of consumers to be able to collect, track and manage their personal information,” said Michael Kappel, senior vice president, government strategy and relations for McKesson Provider Technologies, and chairman of the alliance’s Policy Committee. “Unique identifiers can help make this effort more comprehensive and reliable while allowing people to decide who else has access to their health records without worrying about incomplete information or identification mix-ups.” As part of the consensusbuilding process, the alliance is soliciting input and comments on unique patient identifiers on its Web site. ■ More at HealthcareITNews.com e Connect: IDeNtIFIer 0108 You’re dedicated to improving your hospital’s level of patient care. We make sure your technology is too. New technology can improve patient care, enhance patient safety and help with compliance. But deciding what solutions to buy, and where, can be a challenge. Fortunately, CDW can help. We give you a personal account manager who knows the healthcare industry, as well as technology specialists who can design best-in-class solutions perfect for your facility. It’s no wonder we’ve worked with over 10,000 healthcare organizations, including more than half of all U.S. hospitals. For a trusted source to help solve your healthcare technology challenges, we’re here for you. CDWHealthcare.com 888.419.7377 ©2008 CDW Corporation ● e ● Connect: cDW 0108 http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=8407 http://CDWHealthcare.com http://CDWHealthcare.com http://HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/eConnect.cms?id=8458 http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=8404
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.