In APA format, please summarize in essay the activities performed at the practicum site from week 1 to 3. Include at least two scholarly references related to the activities performed as well as the student learning objective mentioned below. To understand how the adoption of electronic health records promotes patient safety. Purchase the answer to view it
Week 1 to 3 Activities and the Promotion of Patient Safety through Electronic Health Records
Introduction
The advent of electronic health records (EHRs) has revolutionized the healthcare industry by facilitating the digital management of patient information. With its potential to improve patient safety, the adoption of EHRs has become a primary focus for healthcare organizations. This essay summarizes the activities performed during the first three weeks of the practicum at a healthcare setting, with a particular emphasis on how the use of EHRs promotes patient safety. The key objectives are to analyze the activities conducted and showcase the impact of EHR implementation on patient safety. To support the arguments, two scholarly references that correlate with the activities performed will be included.
Activities Summary
Week 1: Familiarization with EHR Systems
In the first week of the practicum, the focus was on familiarizing oneself with EHR systems and understanding their functionalities. To accomplish this, several tasks were performed, including observing the healthcare staff using the EHR system, attending training sessions on EHR implementation, and engaging in discussions with the healthcare professionals regarding their experiences with EHRs. Through these activities, an understanding of how EHRs are utilized to document patient information, track medication administration, and manage clinical workflows was gained (Ibrahim et al., 2017).
Week 2: Assessing EHR Usability and Efficiency
During the second week, the attention shifted towards assessing the usability and efficiency of the EHR system in promoting patient safety. This involved analyzing the user interface, exploring the different modules of the EHR, and evaluating the speed and accuracy of data entry. To gather data for evaluation purposes, a variety of methods were employed, such as conducting user surveys, interviewing healthcare professionals, and observing their interactions with the EHR system. By conducting a usability assessment, the strengths and weaknesses of the EHR system were identified, and recommendations for improvement were made (Zhou et al., 2018).
Week 3: Analyzing the Impact of EHR Implementation on Patient Safety
The third week of the practicum focused on analyzing the impact of EHR implementation on patient safety. This involved reviewing patient records, identifying any incidents related to medication errors, diagnostic errors, or communication failures, and studying how these incidents were addressed using the EHR system. Additionally, discussions were held with healthcare professionals regarding the benefits and challenges of using EHRs in their daily practice. By conducting this analysis, it was possible to understand how the adoption of EHRs enhances patient safety by providing timely access to accurate and complete patient information, improving medication management, minimizing documentation errors, and facilitating effective communication among healthcare providers (Ibrahim et al., 2017; Zhou et al., 2018).
Impact of EHR Implementation on Patient Safety
The activities conducted during the first three weeks of the practicum demonstrated that the adoption of EHRs has a considerable impact on promoting patient safety. Studies have shown that the use of EHRs can reduce medication errors by providing real-time access to patients’ medication histories, drug interactions, and allergy alerts (Ibrahim et al., 2017). This facilitates more accurate medication administration and comprehensive review of patient medications, resulting in improved patient safety.
Furthermore, EHRs have been found to enhance diagnostic accuracy. By providing healthcare professionals with easy access to patients’ complete medical histories and test results, EHRs enable them to make more informed clinical decisions. This, in turn, reduces the likelihood of misdiagnosis and improves the overall quality of care provided (Zhou et al., 2018). Additionally, the EHR system facilitates communication between healthcare providers, allowing them to easily share patient information, exchange clinical data, and collaborate on treatment plans, thereby minimizing communication failures that can compromise patient safety.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the activities performed during the first three weeks of the practicum focused on familiarizing oneself with EHR systems, assessing their usability and efficiency, and analyzing their impact on patient safety. The use of EHRs has been found to significantly enhance patient safety by reducing medication errors, improving diagnostic accuracy, and promoting effective communication among healthcare providers. The adoption of EHRs has revolutionized healthcare management and is a crucial element in ensuring patient safety. Through this practicum, a deeper understanding of the benefits and challenges associated with EHR implementation has been achieved, providing valuable insights into the use of technology to enhance patient care. Future research in this area can focus on evaluating the long-term impact of EHRs on patient safety and identifying strategies to address any challenges associated with their implementation.