Research Paper Example on Electronic Health Record System

A well-structured electronic health record system should be simple enough to allow the physicians and other medical users to operate them with minimal pressure and resistance to technology to utilize the program effectively. Therefore, for the adapter to be in a position to master the new technology, it is important for the physicians since they are the key users of these systems, to be active in offering responses to the vendor about the software in use. The practicing physicians should be at the forefront of convincing the other users on the simplicity of using these systems and the electronic health records in discharging health services to patients. Moreover, the doctors should also convince their patients about the experience of applying the system to them, establishing the type of information patients requires, accessing and the manner in which these systems are operated. To the vendors, it is essential to provide timely feedback to the complaints and views made to them by the physicians and patients to encourage the usability and improve the simplicity of using these systems (Blobel, 2004). Besides, for simplicity to be embraced, it is important for the patients to maintain an active participation in their electronic information making sure that they access the data in the same format with that of the physician.

Trialability

As observed by Rogers, E. M. (2002), through experimenting the entire parts of the system in its implementation before proceeding to the final step, reduces the adopters risk and anxiety when embracing the electronic health record system. These systems are implemented in various stages more so in healthcare institutions particularly in hospitals and particularly in the ambulatory section where there was a tendency of performing electronic trial before full computerization (Rogers, 2002). Therefore, the most preferred process of trialability for the electronic health records system is the free trials rendered by few vendors. The developers, therefore, need to do the following to meet the trialability aspect of the implementation process; there is a need to come up with consistent controls situated on the top left and bottom left of the page. Besides, the Ok, Cancel, and Apply buttons should be situated at the bottom right since that is the location where a majority of personal computer users consistently look for them. The control buttons should possess similar placement from one page to the other where users can quickly locate them. The burden of creating a user-friendly electronic health records systems depends on the suppliers although the physicians and patients must all play an active role in keeping the vendors informed.

Observability

The implementation of these systems is more likely to be adopted in upstate New York City if its results can be traced by others and have been successfully adopted by other healthcare organizations within the city. Despite the efforts initiated by the ambulatory care institution to standardize the utilization of electronic health records system, some practices make these systems to work differently from one another. Moreover, a qualitative research was conducted with a semi-structured interview with all the nurses, medical assistants, physicians and practice managers from each practice. Practice-level electronic health records were outlined and analyzed as the process in which a method utilizes the files as a collective or as a group inclusive of the level of future application and degree of the system-enabled communication. As a result, the use of electronic health records system was diverse with analysis revealing that practices that had acquired standardized systems led to high levels of respectful interactions. Moreover, it is mostly agreed that the United States healthcare institutions require proper reforms in in a significant number of areas to modernize the infrastructure of the healthcare through embracing the use of electronic health records systems (Tang, 2003). Institutions such as the Veterans Health Administration and Kaiser Permanente encompasses the robust use of these systems that generate enough information that can change the whole practice of medicine.

References

Blobel, B. (2004). Authorisation and access control for electronic health record systems. International journal of medical informatics, 73(3), 251-257.

Hillestad, R., Bigelow, J., Bower, A., Girosi, F., Meili, R., Scoville, R., & Taylor, R. (2005). Can electronic medical record systems transform health care? Potential health benefits, savings, and costs. Health affairs, 24(5), 1103-1117.

Rogers, E. M. (2002). Diffusion of preventive innovations. Addictive behaviors, 27(6), 989-993.

Tang, P. C. (2003). Key capabilities of an electronic health record system. Washington, DC, Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.