Description and Analysis of the Healthcare Facility
Healthcare Setting
The selected healthcare facility for this exercise is Craig Hospital. This facility is located in Denver, CO. It is an “acute rehabilitation hospital for traumatic and spinal cord injuries” (Karpur, 2013, p. 4). The non-for-profit facility serves individuals above the age of 16. The targeted patients include the ones with different spinal cord or traumatic brain injuries. The facility has 88 beds.
Services Offered
The major services offered to the targeted patients include outpatient and inpatient rehabilitation. Physical, recreational, speech, and occupational therapies are also offered in this healthcare facility. The institution also delivers various community, driving, and integration programs. Neuropsychological support is also offered to different patients. The “exemplary services availed in the healthcare facility explains why it has a Magnet status” (Craig Hospital Receives 2012 Magnet Prize, 2014, para. 4). It is also JACHO certified thus making it one of the leading providers of acute rehabilitation services in the United States.
Primary Users of Health Information and their Needs
Craig Hospital is a leading user of modern information systems. This practice is embraced to ensure more patients receive quality health services. The institution uses a powerful health information system known as MEDITECH. Several stakeholders use this system to deliver quality services to every targeted patient. To begin with, physicians use the system to review various medical conditions and diagnostic tests (NaviCare Nurse Call, 2015). They are also encouraged to review nursing documentation and enter appropriate progress notes. They can also monitor the outcomes and conditions of many patients using the system.
The role of nurses is to offer the best patient support and care (Traumatic Brain Injury and Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation, 2015). Nurses, therefore, use the system to document every type of data. Nurses are encouraged to record patients’ symptoms and signs. They should also monitor and include various wound care practices. This should be done depending on the health needs of the targeted patient. As well, nurses should record every treatment process and medication availed to the targeted patient. The patient’s response to medication and treatment should also be recorded using this system (Craig Hospital Receives 2012 Magnet Prize, 2014). Such measures have been undertaken to ensure every patient gets the most appropriate care.
Healthcare Administrators (HAs) can also use the information system to review and analyze the treatment practices embraced by different caregivers. They should also monitor the progress of different patients. The system makes it easier for the HAs to monitor the quality and process of documentation. These leaders eventually make appropriate recommendations that can improve the quality of care availed to different patients (Traumatic Brain Injury and Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation, 2015).
Many stakeholders in the facility use the health information system to acquire new ideas that can result in improved patient care. The concept of evidence-based practice has emerged thus supporting the quality of patient care. The information system has played a major role in making Craig Hospital a revered provider of quality medical services (NaviCare Nurse Call, 2015). The system, therefore, supports the career needs of every stakeholder in the facility.
How the Users’ Needs are Met
To begin with, Craig Hospital has both electronic and paper records. Such records make it easier for more patients to get the best health support. It is also notable that paper records are usually kept at the nurses’ station. This station serves many patients. The information recorded on paper is later scanned and converted into an electronic chart. The newly-created electronic data is then included in the hospital database. This database supports the facility’s health information system. The electronic information is made available to different HAs, nurses, physicians, and caregivers (NaviCare Nurse Call, 2015). Such practitioners can access this information to make accurate medical decisions.
The users can access the above digital charts and information from the facility’s database. However, the individuals should have a user ID and a password. Such IDs and passwords are usually assigned to different practitioners by the Information Technology (IT) department. Newly-recruited employees are given their user IDs and passwords to access the electronic database (NaviCare Nurse Call, 2015). This approach makes it easier for the hospital to support the needs of different users of the health information system.
Description of a Specific Information System and its Key Components
One of the information systems (ISs) used in this facility is known as Navicare Nurse Call. This powerful information system is provided by Hill-Rom. This “IS technology can be identified as a nurse call system” (NaviCare Nurse Call, 2015, par. 1). The Navigate Nurse Call can be classified as a clinical system. This system plays a major role in this facility. For instance, the system makes it easier for nurses and caregivers to communicate with their patients. Patients can use the IS to contact the facility’s Unit Secretary. This approach makes it easier for the patients to get the required assistance. The role of the Unit Secretary is to inform the nurses about the problems facing different patients. Every nurse is informed to undertake the necessary actions. The Unit Secretary also ensures the targeted nurse is aware of the patient’s location.
The system is also equipped with powerful devices such as Pulse Ox and ventilators. Such equipment can inform the Unit Secretary whenever the condition of the patient worsens. The effectiveness of this clinical system has made it easier for the facility to provide evidence-based and quality medical support to different patients (NaviCare Nurse Call, 2015).
The other important observation is that the Navicare Nurse Call system is linked to the main EMR system. MEDITECH sends the room number and name of the patient to Hill-Rom. This move makes it easier for Hill-Rom to register the information. Hill-Rom is also updated whenever a patient is transferred to another room or discharged from the facility. MEDITECH detects this new information and shares it with Hill-Rom (NaviCare Nurse Call, 2015). Members of staff are also assigned to various patients to make the system more effective. This approach makes it easier for the Unit Secretary to identify the patient’s primary caregiver or nurse. The system also portrays the location of the patient. The secretary then informs the nurse to undertake the necessary measures.
Strengths and Weaknesses of the Facility’s Health Information System
This system has presented numerous benefits to this facility. For instance, the system is easy to use thus supporting the needs of different stakeholders. As well, the use of touch screens and simple navigation make the system more effective (NaviCare Nurse Call, 2015). The internal system is also secure. The system is embedded on a private network thus making it secure from malicious intrusions and malware. The system is also upgraded frequently thus making it more secure and effective. The system has also made it easier for Craig Hospital to address the changing health needs of many patients (Abate, Berryman, Hosack, & Ikard, 2013). The Unit Secretary also informs more nurses about the changing conditions of their patients thus promoting the quality of medical support.
However, some weaknesses have been associated with this system. For instance, the Unit Secretary might fail to get a response from the targeted nurse. This occurrence will affect the health outcomes of the patient (Abate et al., 2013). The Hill-Rom speakers also share the same settings thus affecting the quality of communication. Any attempt to change the volume of one of the speakers will affect the entire hospital. This weakness explains why Hill-Rom should change this functionality.
Recommendations for Improvement
Hill-Rom has advised the facility to downsize its equipment to simplify every operation. A simplified version of the system will make it easier for the IT department to support it. Floor plans can also be changed to ensure the equipment used to support the system is fitted properly. The new arrangement will ensure more nurses can support their patients. The Outpatient Clinic’s workflow can also be simplified to improve the functionality and effectiveness of the system (Craig Hospital Improves Clinical Workflow and Patient Experience with PatientTouch Communications and Mobile Alerts from PatientSafe Solutions, 2015). Different experts should also be allowed to present new recommendations that can eventually make the system more effective. Such changes will ensure the system supports the changing needs of many patients.
Reference List
Abate, M., Berryman, A., Hosack, K., & Ikard, A. (2013). The Brain Injury Rehabilitation Program at Craig Hospital. Rehab Management, 1(1), 1-8.
Craig Hospital Improves Clinical Workflow and Patient Experience with PatientTouch Communications and Mobile Alerts from PatientSafe Solutions. (2015). Web.
Craig Hospital Receives 2012 Magnet Prize. (2014). Web.
Karpur, A. (2013). A Guide to the Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Database. Web.
NaviCare Nurse Call: Automating the Clinical Environment. (2015). Web.
Traumatic Brain Injury and Acute Inpatient Rehabilitation. (2015). Web.