Evaluating the Effectiveness of Electronic Medical Records in a Long Term Care Facility Using Process Analysis

Cherry, Barbara; Carpenter, Ken

doi:https://doi.org/10.1260/2040-2295.2.1.75

Journal of Healthcare Engineering

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Research Article | Open Access

Volume 2 | Article ID 754619 | https://doi.org/10.1260/2040-2295.2.1.75

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Electronic Medical Records in a Long Term Care Facility Using Process Analysis

Barbara Cherry¹and Ken Carpenter²

Received01 Jul 2010

Accepted01 Nov 2010

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the effect of the electronic medical record (EMR) system on work process efficiencies in a long-term care facility. Apre-post intervention study design was used with process flow analysis conducted as part of the data collection methodology. Work processes were measured through direct observation and recording of steps taken as nurses completed their daily work. Observed work processes were documented in the form of process flow charts. Process flow charts detail every step in a process and provide a unique and accurate method of evaluating the impact that EMR systems have on work flow in the healthcare setting. The study demonstrated that the EMR can lead to a reduction in the number of steps required to complete several daily work processes, allowing nurses the opportunity to dedicate more time to direct care of the facility's residents and thus contribute to improved quality care.

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Copyright © 2011 Hindawi Publishing Corporation. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

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