In an article published in Perspectives in Health Information Management, Sue Bowman — senior director of coding policy and compliance at the American Health Information Management Association — argues that the usability of electronic health record systems must be improved, Healthcare IT News reports.
According to Bowman, the “current approach to EHR standardization and certification does not address system implementation, usability by clinicians (including integration with workflows), or information integrity” (Sullivan, Healthcare IT News, 10/3).
She writes that when “[d]esigned and used inappropriately, EHRs add a layer of complexity to the already complex delivery of health care, leading to unintended adverse consequences” (Bowman, Perspectives in Health Information Management, Fall 2013).
Bowman recommends six tactics for improving usability:
- Considering usability in the EHR certification process;
- Defining in certification requirements what an EHR product must do and what it cannot do;
- Developing and implementing policies for the appropriate use of EHRs;
- Ensuring that EHR users receive adequate training;
- Adopting quality and safety procedures that are consistent with the risks associated with such applications; and
- Creating an internal reporting system to identify EHR-related problems (Healthcare IT News, 10/3).
The piece also suggests improving other EHR features, such as:
- Documentation capture processes; and
- Clinical decision support systems.
Bowman concludes that action is necessary to prevent “new types of patient safety hazards” associated with EHRs, including:
- Adoption of design and usability standards by EHR vendors;
- Federal regulation and oversight of EHR development, implementation and enforcement of national comprehensive standards; and
- Policies and procedures to address proper EHR training and use among providers (Perspectives in Health Information Management, Fall 2013).source
