Hospital Electronic Media Records Implementation

Completeness and Relevance for Learning Assessment

Apparently, the main objective of the integration of technological applications to solve user needs, such as handling institutional records through the application of information systems, is improvement of efficiency, accuracy and precision (Chaudhry, Wang and Wu, 2006). An EMR within the hospital setting touches on the actual integrity of the medical profession in terms of how health procedures dependent on patient data proceed. It is expected that the information system proposed by the proposed EMR model must pass the fundamental criteria of efficiency, accuracy and precision improvement when compared to the manual system. Alternatively, the implementation plan must fit in the expected standard that takes care of smooth technological integration, institutional organizational compatibility, transition management, flexibility, knowledge, and software solution.

Assessing the status of the application of the EMR at Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital for its relevance in terms of learning outcomes, there are several missing items for a standard model. On one hand, the time used to put together the EMR design is just six months which could implicate the rest of the system implementation. On the other hand, internal expertise was entirely applied in the completion which poses questions on the competitiveness of the final product. It could have taken a better direction if an assessment was conducted to reveal cost benefit analysis position interrogating outsourcing alternatives. In this respect, only EMR software is reported to have involved a vendor from outside the hospital, with unclear role and connection o the set team. Internal design issues however may have prompted the use of internal resources and expertise to the advantage of the institution. Relevance and completeness can therefore be assessed on the generation of resources and competence applied amid successes elsewhere in the generation of the best possible product.

Implementation Weaknesses

Apparently, the most talked about constraint in any information system such as EMR involves financial inadequacy by the implementing institution. Once the funding obstacle is overcome at some level however, the most potent challenge is usually the integration into the existing system as well as the acceptability with which the human resource adopts the new system (Blumenthal and Glaser, 2007). At Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital, the system challenge of implementation and possible resistance of the sudden change is not highlighted. Whereas approval or rejection may not necessarily be a measure of openly aired views as sought by the institution during discussion forums, evidence of a deeper approach to facilitate actual delivery of expected response is not availed. Alternatively, a systematic rolling out of the implementation is usually required in such systems which are apparently not present in the detail of actual implementation.

Generally, phases of implementation assist the management to cater for system failures during the transition and such cautionary element is lacking in the approach taken at Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital. The access of the information on the established EMR potentially seemed risky in terms of unauthorized access where it was alleged that unauthorized access could compromise the privacy of the patients on the database. However, the improvement of the site can be approached from the security of the system, which would dispel any fears of intrusion. The safety of the system is paramount to the performance of the entire EMR adopted and available technologies deal with the issue of intrusion pretty well. It therefore follows that if the final product which the team came up with was not able to cater for the security of private information, it needed an overhaul that would raise the confidence levels.

Inhibition of Assessment

In terms of assessment of the product after the implementation phase was kicked off, there are specific and inherent challenges that Betsy Johnson Regional Hospital must have anticipated. The initial challenge expected in the assessment of the EMR progress touches on the determination of the success of integration during the transition period from the old to the new system that embraces information system. During the interim period, success may not be guaranteed and system failures are generally supposed to be expected. Whereas failure should not be a positive aspect in any project, the anticipation and the responses launched thereon may determine the success of assessment for the entire implementation of the new system (Cusack, McGowan and Poon, 2008). The authors recommend formative assessment which may not necessarily reflect positive results in the interim, rather the process effectiveness.

Inhibition of such a smooth transition in the implementation is largely expected to be in form of the attitude and preparedness that all employees cultivate in case of failures. It is usually advisable to facilitate a program that takes care of such failure such as gradual introduction of the system through phased implementation. Contingency allowance in such a system is equally important in the impleme.............