| It's not uncommon for patients to wait for hours | | | | any deviations in service levels, allowing the IT |
| to be treated by busy emergency room staff. In | | | | team to isolate problems." |
| keeping it's emergency departments promise(s) | | | | While it appears safe to say many healthcare |
| to patients depends on it running smoothly. | | | | professionals support the "EMR" system(s), one |
| In the past, certain system problems could take | | | | large metropolitan medical center has shown its |
| hours or days to pinpoint and resolve, according | | | | support with the utilization of "EMR" software to |
| to Mr. LeRoy, as reported in the article "Pulse of | | | | monitor performance across 300 clinical |
| E-Records." The CIO continues to explain the | | | | applications, 600 servers, and other IT |
| difficulties of professionals like radiologists and their | | | | infrastructure, as stated by Mr. LeRoy. He also |
| inefficient abilities to view digitized images. The | | | | says, "In the old days, it was reactive. I'd wait for |
| system issues and problems of the past are | | | | the call from users reporting problems. Now we |
| typically addressed within an hour or minutes, | | | | have tools to stay two steps ahead." |
| says Mr. LeRoy. | | | | Another large medical center runs simulated |
| This report can be a concurrence and continuing | | | | applications transactions to monitor how clinical |
| comment as recorded in "The EMR and YOU", - | | | | systems are running, according to McGee. Mr. |
| (Electronic Medical Records) 4.15.9. An Integrated | | | | LeRoy makes it clear that automatic alerts, |
| Healthcare System that operates (within Hospitals | | | | including emails and (update-memos) pages are |
| and Medical Centers) Hospital Systems | | | | received by IT Support Staff on watch over the |
| Management Tools (HSMT's) give the IT team "a | | | | system(s), whenever a problem is detected. |
| fine level of granularity" or being the best that it | | | | Medical Centers throughout the U.S. have begun |
| can be or perfected, says the Chief Technical | | | | to utilize, support, and promote "EMR" software |
| Officer (CTO), Steve Flemmini, as reported by M. | | | | and hardware technology. A few years ago, one |
| K. McGee. The CTO extends his comment to cite | | | | such medical center began an initiative to promote |
| what matters because the service requirements | | | | 25-minute emergency department services, says |
| of primary care Physicians and Nurses are | | | | Marianne Kolbasuk McGee. |
| different from those of researchers and office | | | | Would it not be a pleasure or less inconvenient to |
| staff. | | | | be able to be accommodated in the reception |
| The existence of Major Healthcare Software | | | | medical services (especially the E.R.) at the |
| Tools (MHST's) can detect "Hot Spots" before | | | | nearest hospital - any hospital in the world? |
| users experience software glitches. The | | | | Imagine being able to walk up to the |
| Integrated Application Management Performance | | | | service-reception counter of an emergency room |
| Utilities (IAMPU) functions as a business service | | | | (doctors office / medical center) and just say |
| management and end-user monitoring tool. These | | | | your name or utilize some other identifying |
| software tools serve as indicators of the | | | | feature and receive instant service? |
| occurrence of performance problems and/or if | | | | Could "Big Brother" be more than we could live |
| the problem source is with one or more of the | | | | with? Is he too invasive? Does he know too |
| many systems servers or the software | | | | much about you (i.e., "Colossus, The Forbin |
| programming. This tool is a significant aid to the | | | | Project", "I Robot", "1984", etc.)? Is he watching |
| system technicians. | | | | over you or after you? What would life be like |
| Software SLA's (Service Level Agreement) in | | | | without "Big Brother?" I don't know... but the one |
| areas such as system availability and | | | | thing that I do know is...I don't know! |
| responsiveness for drug orders, patient data | | | | I'd like to have him (it) real close when it comes |
| access, and the practice scheduling software used | | | | to my health and the "EMR" tools needed to |
| by physicians, according to Flammini. Mr. Flammini | | | | analyze and possibly prevent ailments and/or |
| goes on to say; "monitoring clinical system | | | | illness. |
| performance has been particularly helpful when | | | | How about you...too? |
| programmers roll out new software releases or | | | | Til next time. |
| functionality upgrades. IT staff can quickly identify | | | | |