As a result of federal legislation, electronic health records (EHRs) are becoming an integral part of nurses’ daily practice. Now, a large study has determined the multiple benefits of implementing EHRs in the medical setting.
A study published in the Journal of Nursing Administration involved more than 16,000 nurses working at 316 hospitals in 4 states. Researchers found more improvements to nursing care and better health outcomes for patients when EHRs were in use.
According to lead author Ann Kutney-Lee, PhD, RN, a health outcomes researcher at Penn Nursing, “implementation of an EHR may result in improved and more efficient nursing care, better care coordination, and patient safety.” In hospitals with fully implemented basic EHRs, nurses were significantly less likely to report harmful patient safety issues, recurrent medication errors, and poor quality of care.
According to recent statistics, basic EHR systems are present in only 12% of US hospitals. However, with the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, that number may change. Under HITECH, beginning in 2011, Medicare and Medicaid began offering federal incentive payments to those healthcare providers and hospitals choosing to use EHR technologies.
“With the passage of the HITECH Act,” said Dr Kutney-Lee, “EHRs are rapidly becoming part of the daily practice of the bedside nurse. Nursing administrators should be fully engaged in the process of EHR adoption and implementation to ensure effective use and success in creating seamless transitions for patients throughout the healthcare continuum. The degree of support from nurse leaders for the EHR will affect the success of this technology’s implementation and, as a result, patient care.”
Source: University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing.
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