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JRMC HONORED FOR ECLIPSYS USE

By Anita Reding/OF THE COMMERCIAL STAFF
Sunday, March 18, 2007 10:48 PM CDT

Jefferson Regional Medical Center has been honored for its use of an electronic documentation program, and personnel from other hospitals are traveling to Pine Bluff to observe the system.

The Eclipsys program creates electronic medical records for patients at the hospital and will eventually eliminate paper processes.

The system has improved efficiency in accessing information, according to Michelle Powell, clinical nurse manager. Hospital personnel are just a “click away” from access to the records of patients.

Instead of making notations on paper, health professionals can take COWS (Computers on Wheels) to patients’ bedsides and input information. That information is then available to all other health professionals at JRMC. Since the information is stored electronically, it can also be accessed by physicians at their offices.

JRMC is also using PACs (Picture Archiving and Communication System), which allows health care professionals to see radiographic images immediately on computer, Powell explained.

Physicians who are in their offices can pull up information on computer, explained Louise Hickman, vice president of patient care services. They have instant access to patients’ records, including recent lab tests results, and some of the physicians also can generate orders electronically. “It’s much more efficient to be able to communicate in that manner,” she said.

JRMC staff decided to focus on the nursing aspect first when it began using the program, while other hospitals have focused on Physician Order Entry. “Our approach was simple and unique,” Hickman said. “We wanted to focus on nurses first, get them involved.” And the nursing staff has provided input as the hospital “tweaked” the system. The electronic documentation program was customized to best meet the needs of the local hospital.

JRMC has received a national award for its successful use of the electronic documentation program.

The local hospital recently received a VIP (Very Impressive Performer) Award for Innovation for its originality in the use of health information technology from Eclipsys, the company that designed the program. The hospital’s creativity is evidenced by the way personnel have taken advantage of the flexibility of the programs to personalize documentation, according to Eclipsys.

And personnel in hospitals in other states and also in Canada are noticing JRMC’s successful use of the program, and local staff members are often asked to provide demonstrations of the system.

Making the switch from paper to electronic records has been a challenge, according to hospital personnel.

Change is not always easy, and many of the nurses and other health professionals who were originally trained using paper documentation have been “sometimes hesitant to give up some of the things they are comfortable with,” said Hickman.

“It was a struggle to get used to it, but we love it,” Powell said. “It’s made our lives ten times easier.”

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