Healthcare IT News - December 2008 - (Page 14)

14 Healthcare IT News December 2008 ■ HoSpItalS & IdNs www.HealthcareITNews.com JRMC – which is observing its 100th year of operation this year – initially deployed the electronic clinical documentation system to upgrade ICU outcomes by improving the ability to detect, predict and respond to crashing patients within the six- to eight-hour window when rapid intervention can save lives. An alert system ensures enhanced surveillance during the night shift and a dedicated ICU nurse to respond if patient is crashing. As a result, JRMC has seen fewer code blues, decreases in the length of patient stays ➔ tHE NEWS: Rural in ICU and hospital in Arkansas more stable leads on decision patient consupport. ditions as ➔ WHat It MEaNS: they transfer Better care for from medipatients, serves as model for others. cal/surgical units into ICU. Executive Vice President Tom Harbuck says although the system is “very critical care focused, that is only one slice of a multi-framed picture.” Moreover, the health facility has been working on automating its processes since 2001, so it has some genuine perspective on the benefits of electronic systems and has quantified some of the following benefits: a 22 percent increase in direct patient care time and 13 percent decrease in tasks not related to patient care. “By 2003 we had to decide how to begin a truly comprehensive solution that would impact the entire continuum of care,” Harbuck said. “We took that approach because JRMC is a community hospital John Roberson, MD, – we are it for a surgeon at JRMC, the southeast looks up data to help quadrant of the him make a decision. state and many patients come from outside the area. Much of their care is provided by us – one hospital, one medical staff. We are very integrated and very cohesive. Therefore, the need to address the continuum shows how we are aligned with our resources.” Patient lists, orders, results and clinical documentation comprise the bulk of the hospital’s communications, so the system first incorporated those functions, Harbuck said. To ease the transition from manual to electronic documentation, the hospital started with the nursing staff exclusively before bringing in physicians. “It wasn’t until the nurses were efficient and comfortable with the new model of documenting and knowledge-based charting that physicians were allowed to participate,” Harbuck said. “Many of the physicians got interested as they watched from the sidelines and they are now active participants. We even have a 70-year-old physician involved.” While deployment hasn’t been free of glitches and staff anxiety, it has gone as well as anyone could have anticipated, said Louise Hickman, RN, vice president of patient care services. Admittedly a “paper person,” Hickman said she had initial reservations about adopting electronic documentation, but says after using it she has become a devout convert. “Now it’s amazing the amount of communication at your fingertips,” she said. “What sold me was how quickly you can access information and make quick decisions about patient care.”■ More at HealthcareITNews.com e Connect: JrMC 1208 WASHINGTON - A recent internal sur- Employees give thumbs up to on-screen info vey conducted by George Washington University Hospital shows employee satisfaction with hospital communication is up by 33 percent, thanks in part to new methods of commmunicating. Those new methods are based on Netpresenter software and include a mix of interactive PC screensavers, digital signage and emergency alerts. The technology makes it possible for the hospital to inform and motivate staff, update visitors and patients and warn everyone of emergencies with a single system. Messages are now targeted to the audience or monitor location. The latest hospital and healthcare news is broadcast on all 1,200 personal computer workstations and on large monitors in the staff elevator bays. Targeted messages are also published on big screens in the visitor elevator bays, main lobby and physician lounges. JRMC Continued from page 12 More at HealthcareITNews.com e Connect: eMPLoyeeS 1208 l system. “JRMC is a regional referral center and has the second-busiest emergency department in the state. From a health information technology standpoint, they are one of the most aggressive and successful clients in the Eclipsys family. We are really proud of the fact that they are one of the very first clients to go live on the Eclipsys Knowledge Based Medication Administration system.” save on technology costs the same way you save on supplies VHA not only helps members lower supply costs but also provides access to world-class technology service suppliers — enabling organizations to reduce expenses while increasing the value of their purchased services spend Reduce your organization’s technology costs while improving patient and employee satisfaction by utilizing VHA’s comprehensive information technology and telecommunications portfolios. Our relationships with leading IT and telecom suppliers provide access to the expertise needed to share information, streamline operations and build stronger bonds with physicians and the communities they serve Address areas such as IT hardware and peripherals, application software, wireless solutions, networking and internet services Leverage VHA’s national and regional experience to develop and implement a solution that best ts your speci c needs Consider how much more your organization can save through VHA’s Purchased Services portfolios. Call us today at (800) 842-5146 or visit www.vha.com/contracting. - e l Connect: vHa 1208 © 2008. VHA Inc. All rights reserved. Connecting members. Delivering results. l http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=10529 http://www.vha.com/contracting http://www.vha.com/contracting http://www.HealthcareITNews.com http://www.healthcareitnews.com/story.cms?id=10526 http://www.healthcareitnews.com/eConnect.cms?id=10554

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Healthcare IT News - December 2008

Healthcare IT News - December 2008 Contents AHIC 2.0 Debuts See How It Works Monitored to Health Right Decisions Neurologist Needed HiMSS Insider: Four to the Board Heartened Generation Next Clinical Toolkit: Inpatient EMRs Management Solutions: Asset Tracking

Healthcare IT News - December 2008

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