Electronic health records (EHR) have revolutionized the healthcare industry, providing healthcare professionals quicker and easier access to patient data. However, with all technological advances come technological risks – what happens when the EHR system goes down? Many hospitals still use manual paper-based procedures when their EHR system experiences downtime. These paper-based procedures increase the chance of error and lose the benefits of electronic records. That’s why hospital IT departments need an effective downtime solution such as dbtech’s.
The Necessity of an EHR Downtime Solution for Hospital IT Services
The hectic nature of a downtime event creates the need to rely heavily on paper and photocopies. But who is responsible for scanning these notes back into the EHR? If only some of the paper notes and scans make it into the system, your denial rate will undoubtedly be increased. Therefore, it becomes essential to have an electronic system in place.
Here are some key considerations for hospital IT departments regarding EHR downtime solutions:
1. Continuity of Operations
A downtime solution ensures continuity of operations and reduces disruptions that may occur due to system breakdown. This means hospital systems can continue functioning during an EHR system interruption.
2. Access to Patient Data
A downtime solution ensures that healthcare professionals can access patient data even when the EHR system is down. This eliminates the need to rely on paper-based notes, reducing the risk of errors and improving patient safety.
3. Reduced Risk of Errors
Paper-based notes increase the chance of errors and waste precious time healthcare professionals could spend treating their patients. Healthcare professionals spend less time on paperwork and more time on patient care with a downtime solution.
4. Speedy Recovery
A downtime solution ensures speedy recovery—the downtime information gets synced with the EHR via HL7. This decreases the risk of human error and improves patient data access, ultimately resulting in better patient outcomes.
How EHR Downtime Solutions Save Resources & Ensure Care Continuity
Hospital IT departments are often hesitant about new projects. So, you must convey the benefits of a comprehensive downtime solution. This means explaining that the organization doesn’t have a downtime solution in place; instead, they have a paper-based downtime procedure. Below are two examples of our downtime solution’s impact on operational outcomes:
St Joseph’s Hospital
St. Joseph’s uses dbtech’s downtime solution in its Patient Access and Bed Management departments for its automation and recovery capabilities. The hospital resources that would have gone towards recovery efforts following downtime could be freed up for other tasks. This streamlined process saved the hospital both time and money.
dbtech: Offering Proven EHR Downtime Solutions for Hospital IT Departments
It is essential to have an EHR downtime solution in place at your organization to ensure continuity of patient care, reduce paper-based procedures, reduce the risk of errors, and eliminate tedious manual processing. As such, hospital IT departments must collaborate with vendors who offer downtime solutions and implement a downtime policy and procedure in collaboration with other departments. When organizations employ a downtime solution, they effectively reduce the risk of errors while saving the hospital time and resources, thereby improving patient outcomes.
Contact dbtech for more information about our downtime solutions today.