Friday, November 05, 2010

Nurse Practitioner Getting Ready for Meaningful Use and EHR

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Hello once again from The Nurse Practitioner's Place! I have been on a long hiatus due to an injury from a car accident last year. Boy has it been a bumpy ride! I have been playing catch up at the office while trying to decipher my own handwriting which has gotten really bad.

Paperwork is slowly torturing me to death and I am anxiously awaiting the EHR (NextGen) that is coming by June of next year. Let the template building begin! I am just now really starting to pay real attention to "meaningful use" and am not really sure why it matters in the first place. I can see if you got the entire system for free from somewhere and had to show how well you used it in order to prove it's worth. I don't know exactly but I am sure that it's all about government tracking of health care and how well we are taking care of our patients.

Don't get me wrong! Taking care of patients is very important but they are now worrying that we will be "taking care of the computer" instead of them. This will slow us down and speed us up at the same time. Entering all of the relevant data will be a nuisance for a while but once it's in... Look out clarity of information! I was on the Super User committee at the hospital when we first transferred to electronic records and the older nurses really had a hard time getting used to it. Charting by exception is a wonderful thing. I had never understood the reason for writing No this or No that on every visit when you can assume that it's negative except for the things that you do write. I also realize that "not documented, not done" but we all know that there is so much more involved in a patient visit that isn't all spelled out in black and white but in the nuances of the health care provider relationship with their patient. The only way to totally get every detail would be to videotape the visit each time. I couldn't stand having that done because we all would worry more about how we looked than how we took take of our patients.

So.. how many of you have used NextGen? Leave me some comments so I know what I am getting into! 

12 comments:

  1. The peds office I previously worked at went to EHR while I was there... you are right that it slows you down & speeds you up at same time... was about a year of getting basics of all patient's records in... vaccines, allergies, major med Hx, etc... that is time consuming and painful ... but once it is up & running it is SOOOO nice not to always be hunting for/ pulling/ re-filing paper charts! Good luck :)

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  2. Never used NextGen, but have used a variety of EMR in my years as an NP. My current job it is all paper charting and let me tell you that it is very inefficient. The EMR is a critical step to improve the quality of health care.

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  3. We have been thinking about using Practice Fusion, it is a free software. It is pretty scary to go to an EMR software.

    I am a NP as well, in Tempe, AZ. I also do have a blog. Love looking to see what else is out there!

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  4. I am so glad to see a Nurse Practitioner that is thinking and blogging about this. The Ocean22 Group is currently about to expand our NP EHR product. We currently offer Allscripts MyWay EHR (A Flexible Template Free Solution), financing if necessary and an NP specific Patient Portal. Take a look at our website and feel free to contact us even if it is just to find out more information about EHRs. As a nurse, and EHR database developer I think it is high time we are counted in!

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  5. Thanks for the information Allison. I will check out your site.

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  6. Fast and Easy, stopped by and checked out your site. Very nice!

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  7. Beth, I popped over to your blog and loved the content and color scheme! Great article regarding vaginal discharge and what's normal.

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  8. Thanks for taking a look at the website. The entire revamp will take place over this weekend. Our goal for the roll out is Dec. 1, 2010. Please fill out the quick contact form for a Sneak Peek. We are setting up an NP Hotline number over the weekend as well...our lines are down this weekend as we setup multiple Hotlines. Don't forget to join our Physician Led Demo on Dec. 2...it is NP friendly!

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  9. first of all i wish that you recover soon and live a normal life once again.
    and yes softwares are there to speed up process so its good to have them.
    CNA Training

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  10. Great post! I've got an idea in this informative post. Anyway, thanks for sharing. Looking forward for your next post.

    -mel-

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  11. Anonymous11:29 AM

    Hi,
    I am an NP for many years. Working on DNP.
    Research is on "NP knowledge of meaningful use of EHRs". I would love to have as much data as possible for my study. It is simple survey. Will start this summer. Would love to hear from any NP or CNMW who work in rural areas or in Federally Funded Health Clinics that deliver care to MEDICAID patients. my e- mail address is pkoyl@cox.net. Please contact me. We really need to watch this issue. Stage 2 has already been delayed by HHS.

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  12. Hi All,
    Great blog! I invite you to consider Medical Messenger, a doctor owned and constructed, single database EMR/PM System. The system is very user friendly, and there are no long term commitments. I invite all readers to view our no-cost or obligation demo of the software--call us at 800-965-9959, or email us at sgolbe@emrmessenger.com

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