Casey Montoya Row 2 11-2-23

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Ivy Tech Community College, Indianapolis *

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MA110

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Mechanical Engineering

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Dec 6, 2023

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Casey Montoya Stacy Worden MA110 Keyboarding 11/02/2023 Computer Downtime Plan Electronic health records are vital to both hospitals and physicians’ practices. EHR’s are a secure, electronic version of a patient’s medical and healthcare history and they often include sensitive and personal information. The electronic health record automates access to information and streamlines the provider’s workflow, which is why when it crashes it can be catastrophic and detrimental to business operations. There is a significant risk of liability exposure if the clinical staff’s ability to access records is suddenly suspended and the clinician continues with treatment without access to relevant data. When the EHR system crashes the IT team should immediately notify the administrative and clinical staff that the systems are down, and patients should also be informed upon arrival. Providers are highly dependent on the EHR system, and losing access to all of the patient information adds to the complexity of the healthcare system. When providers or clinicians don’t have access to the crucial information providers have to get their information needed the “old- fashioned way.” Any employer should make sure that their providers are efficient in asking patients about their relevant medical history and recording the information before making any
type of treatment decision. Include any crucial questions that must be asked at the beginning of each process. EHR systems most often include checklists for the doctors and nurses and without those lists they must depend on their training and experience to think through the treatment process. Make sure that the doctors and nurses are adaptable and not overly dependent on technology. Administrative staff should always have access to pre-approved paper forms in case the EHR system crashes. Intake staff may not have the opportunity to print out the daily appointment schedules before the outage occurs, in which case a paper sign-in form should be used to keep track of patient arrival. Blank encounter forms and charge slips should also be available, and new patients should be assigned a temporary medical record number until their official record number can be created [ CITATION Bri \l 1033 ]. When IT has notified that the system is back up and running a designated staff member should complete all check-in procedures for the patients seen during the outage. The procedure will review all the encounter forms, billing information, patient summaries, and other documentation and is sent to clear the backlog[ CITATION Bri \l 1033 ] . Physicians must be familiar with paper charts that are used during emergencies and what documentation is necessary to create a complete electronic health record. All clinicians should ask patients about allergies, medications past and current, and recent procedures if that information is unavailable. Lab tests and pharmacy orders will need to be called in, faxed, or hand-delivered, meaning the physicians must decide which tests can be delayed until the EHR is back up and running correctly.
When the EHR system is back online and it has been confirmed to be stable, a staff member should enter all clinical information into the proper charts by hand. This process can be time-consuming, so providers should designate a specific data entry person. Providers should invest time and energy in performing routine downtime drills, so it is always fresh in the employees' minds. Develop a training packet for staff to study, which includes essential questions for staff about their roles during an EHR outage. These questions should entail details about the procedure they will need to carry out by hand without a computer system’s aid. Follow up and conduct routine tests to keep information fresh in the staff’s minds. Practice makes perfect and planning for an emergency is only helpful if everyone knows their role in the drill[ CITATION sel16 \l 1033 ][ CITATION Bri \l 1033 ] . Communication should be sent to all physicians, providers, and staff, as well as senior leadership management, and IT. If it’s possible, one mass communication may be sent to everyone. Senior leadership and IT may have more notice as determined by the situation. Updates are recommended at defined intervals. The frequency of the updates will be determined by the practice and the situation [ CITATION sel16 \l 1033 ] In the event an EHR crashes all staff need to be notified in a timely manner, so they can get the correct forms out so they’re ready to use. The facility should also run EHR crash drills to ensure that all staff know their roles in the event as it can be chaotic. The facility should also make EHR downtime packets for the employees to study. References
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Computer Network Privacy and Security. (n.d.). In B. Niedzwiecki, Kinns' Medical Assisting Fundamentals (pp. 465-467). self assessment for organizational responsibilities . (2016, november). Retrieved from healthit.ogv.