Health Services Administration Commons^™

Necessity Of Analytics In Today’S Healthcare Revenue Cycle, Kristen N. Thomas

Applied Research Projects

Because of the recently growing pressures to improve quality and reduce costs, healthcare organizations are rapidly adopting IT in order to improve their operations and clinical care. As a result, an accumulation of vast amounts of data are becoming available for use. It is important for healthcare to use this data. Strome (2010) states that healthcare analytics is the application of statistical tools and techniques to healthcare-related data in order to study past situations (i.e., operational performance or clinical outcomes) to improve the quality and efficiency of clinical and business processes and performance. With the introduction of healthcare analytical tools, …

Hipaa Violations On Social Media, Tamesha Helen Parris

Applied Research Projects

With the rise of social media networks such as Facebook and Twitter, healthcare professionals and students pursing healthcare careers communicate, collaborate, and network on an array of websites and apps. With the use of social media, the users can reach a large audience in a matter of seconds, with this ease; users can transmit information and has presented challenges in the form of unauthorized disclosure of patient’s health information on social media sites. The purpose of this study is to see if the number of HIPAA violations increased due to the use of social media and what steps are healthcare …

Video Visits: A Closer Look At Patient Satisfaction And Quality Of Virtual Medical Care, Saddia Cheema

Applied Research Projects

Electronic medical services via video visits has revolutionized the delivery of medical care by Physicians and medical staff alike. Its steady evolution and progression towards the future of healthcare has provided insight on how to better serve patients and community members seeking care. This study will explore patient satisfaction and the quality of virtual medical care services provided by Physicians thru video visits as well as the impact of minimizing the spread of communicable diseases. Statistical data was gathered from a major U.S. healthcare company evaluating survey responses as well as feedback provided by member experience who visited with their …

Health Literacy Improves Health Care Quality, Rebecca Cook

Applied Research Projects

A lack of knowledge about health literacy is a cause for quality healthcare concern as the world advances in health information technology. Many patients struggle to understand and navigate their health and well-being as a result of lack of understanding of the treatment plan due to low literacy skills. Several federal policy initiatives promote health literacy as the responsibility of the healthcare organization. Improving health outcomes through health literacy should be a commitment of healthcare organization through providing clear communication, simplified forms, assistance, and even follow-up calls. Three major initiatives will combat health literacy to include the Affordable Care Act; …

Maintaining The Master Patient Index: The Impact Of Patient Registration Processes On Data Integrity, Matthew Biddle

Applied Research Projects

The master patient index is one of the most important components within a healthcare system. It ensures that an individual patient is given a unique identifier that is used across the various separate clinical, financial and administrative systems and ensures that all information about that patient is organized and complete. Ensuring the MPI is accurate is critical since errors can have significant costs- both financially and in terms of patient outcomes. Patient registrars are the first line of defense when it comes to correctly identifying incoming patients and is where many errors in the MPI occur. Errors can be simple …

Research Proposal: Emrs Changing Patient Medication Errors, Kerry Moore

Applied Research Projects

In 2009 the federal government initiated the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) in efforts to improve timely and quality health care. This new initiative promised to provide great incentives to health care providers who took advantage of the program by implementing electronic medical records (EMRs) within their facilities, clinics, and practices. Coupled with tight deadlines and the incentive of reimbursement, the health care world has been witness to an influx of EMRs being developed by vendors and implemented at health care facilities. The rate at which these EMRs have been implemented has been astounding. So fast, the health care …

The Impact Of Ehr Usability Issues On The Perceived Efficiency Of Non-Clinical Hospital-Based Ehr Users, Natasha Ocean

Applied Research Projects

A survey-based study of the impact of the EHR systems usability issues on the perceived efficiency of work among non-clinical users in the hospital settings was performed June 20th to July 24th 2015. There were 160 valid responses. The results were processed in SPSS (IBM statistical application) and I determined the usability dimensions with the greatest impact on efficiency, for all EHRs and for the major EHRs (Meditech, Epic and Cerner). Helpfulness was the most frequent problem for users of all EHRs.

The survey is experimental and cross-sectional. The format was 20 Likert-type questions, along with screening and demographic questions. …

Evaluation Of Patient To Provider Oriented Telemedicine In Hospitals And Physician Practices, Macklin G. Gaynor

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

This project explores barriers to telemedicine adoption and meaningful integration with contemporary healthcare delivery systems.

Conception To Implementation: Quality Improvement In Behavioral Health Home Organizations, Elizabeth A. Miller

Muskie School Capstones and Dissertations

This capstone project developed quality improvement tools to be used by community mental health agencies participating in the Maine Behavioral Health Homes Initiative. Providing technical assistance, analysis of feedback, and developing recommendations were the foundation of this project with a central tenet to enhance the existing Quality Improvement Project Template created by MaineCare, Maine’s Medicaid Office. These recommendations suggest the Quality Improvement Project Template may be improved by providing an additional fillable quality improvement process outline, providing a list of example projects and focus areas for quality improvement projects, and providing tools to assist in implementation of quality improvement projects. …

Health Information Technology: A Key Ingredient Of The Patient Experience, Matthew Werder

Patient Experience Journal

In this exploration to understand the linkages of health information technology (HIT) and patient experience, a comprehensive literature search was conducted using the key words, “information technology, HIT, patient experience, patient satisfaction, and technology”, on the MEDLINE, PubMed, and EMBASE databases resulting in over 1,000 citations. Eventually, 35 of the most relevant articles were reviewed and 11 identified as key references to include in beginning to explore the question, as the transformation of healthcare continues, how can technology enable a positive return on investment to a patients’ perception of their care in an organization and how can technology impact the …

The Detrimental Pitfalls Of Provider Documentation, Rosalind Crook-Duckett

Applied Research Projects

Electronic Health Records hold many benefits and clearly is a cut above maintain-ing paper records. Although, over the years we have learned that there are potential drawbacks that come with having an electronic health record. This review on EHR’s, is what could be, considered detrimental pitfalls of provider documentation (copying and pasting) and how this may affect the safety and quality of the physician documentation and patient care.

Evaluating The Effectiveness Of Current Types Of Patient Portal Education Efforts, Jennifer L. Cooper

Applied Research Projects

Hospitals and providers participating in Meaningful Use are required to show 5% enrollment rate in their patient portals in order to receive incentive payments. The challenge with this is determining how to effectively market the portal in order to educate patients that the portal exists that also results in patients enrolling in the portal. A survey of patients was conducted at Hunt Regional Medical Center in Greenville Texas to identify how they are hearing about the patient portal and if they are signing-up as a result. While the response rate was low, the survey results did indicate what form of …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In Primary Care, Priti Patel

Occupational Therapy Doctorate Capstone Projects

The Capstone Project is focused on communicating, influencing and educating other health care professionals regarding the role of occupational therapy in the future model of primary care delivery initiated by the adoption of the Affordable Care Act and the Triple Aim Initiative. Currently, primary care, the largest health care platform in United States, is not inclusive of occupational therapy services. Occupational therapists have the scope, knowledge and understanding to be part of the redesigned team model of primary care. Educating those currently working in primary care about adding occupational therapy services can have a significant impact on the profession of …

The Impact Of Patient Portals On Release Of Information Requests, April Insco

Applied Research Projects

Patient portals are no longer a thing of the past. The government has issued a mandate that all covered entities who are reimbursed under Medicare payments must implement patient portals as a part of the Meaningful Use initiative or suffer penalties. The objective of this study is to review the data to see if there is a decrease in the number of release of information (ROI) requests at facilities that have implemented patient portals. A survey was conducted to determine if there was any change in the number of ROI requests that facilities received prior to implementation of patient portal …

Managing Copy And Paste Functionality In The Electronic Health Record, Tricia Urquhart-Jones

Applied Research Projects

The increased adoption of Electronic Health Records (EHR) has identified a significant need to develop tools to help providers maximize time spent documenting in the EHR. Copy and paste functionality, also known as carrying forward, cut and paste, and cloning, is one of many tools that can help providers save time and has been around longer than computers. A survey of thirteen Health Information Management (HIM) professionals responsible for HIMS functions within an acute care hospital in North Carolina was conducted. The survey response rate was 53%. The data gathered in this research study will add to HIM body of …

Health Information Exchanges And Patient Portals In Behavioral Health, Christine Peterson

Applied Research Projects

We live in an electronic world. Technology is everywhere, including in our healthcare system. With the advent on the electronic health record and the push to meet Meaningful Use, many healthcare organizations have already started using patient portals and sharing information among providers via health information exchanges. There have been roadblocks to successful implantation of patient portals and health information exchanges, one of which is how to handle behavioral health information and would these new technologies be accepted by patients with mental health diagnoses

The Challenges Of Establishing Partners In Health Information Exchange (Hie), Torian Tate

Applied Research Projects

Health information exchange (HIE) has become a focus of the health care industry. The ability to share information electronically between multiple health care providers is thought to be a key ingredient in the creation of a more efficient global health care system. VA Hospital Memphis has significant challenges in regard to HIE. The Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER) coordinator at the facility has been charged with establishing an HIE system. This requires the coordinator to identify partners to share health information with electronically, obtain buy-in from patients and providers through education, and to promote/market the VLER program facility-wide. The VA …

Quality Of Cancer Registry Data, Alicia Noel Richardson

Applied Research Projects

Cancer registry is a growing field and with data being collected year round the data needs to be of good quality standing. Quality of cancer care is measurable per standards when met within the time frame allotted per care regimen. Cancer programs are evaluating and implementing new process to make their data valid and complete through information technology and connection among hospital-based and community-based practices. The aim of this study is to review the available validity, barriers and utilization related to quality of cancer care data. The studies were consistent among each other in that a concurrent review of data, …

Electronic Health Record Documentation: Is It An Accurate Indicator Of Quality Of Care For Mechanically Ventilated Patients?, Joetta Powell

Applied Research Projects

Background: Ventilator associated pneumonia is one of the leading hospital acquired infections associated with increased mortality and lengths of stay in mechanically ventilated patients.

Hypothesis: It is hypothesized that the introduction of chlorhexidine gluconate will show reduction in the incidences of ventilator associated pneumonia and a greater reduction with tooth brushing vs oral swabbing. It is also hypothesized that the electronic health record will provide more evidence of quality of care than an external EHR sources.

Methods: The non-randomized, non-sampled population included 98 patient records that met the inclusion criteria. The external tool, Automated Vent Bundle tool provided information as …

Telehealth: Into The Mainstream?, Lisa Sprague

National Health Policy Forum

Teleheath, and its subset telemedicine, extend across a range of technologies allowing patients to seek diagnosis, treatment, and other services from clinicians by electronic means. Telephone, videoconferencing, iPads, and apps are all employed. In its most established form, hospitals and medical centers use telehealth to reach patients in underserved rural areas. Proponents of telehealth suggest it can relieve medical workforce shortages; save patients time, money, and travel; reduce unnecessary hospital visits; improve the management of chronic conditions; and improve continuing medical education. But telehealth also faces ongoing challenges. States require physicians to be licensed in each state where they treat …

The Impact Of The Electronic Medical Record On Health Information Management Staff In Two Southeastern States, Betsy W. Bradley

Applied Research Projects

Health information management (HIM) staffs in health care facilities have a long history of managing medical records in a paper format. Since 2009, with the passage of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH), health care facilities have been rapidly changing from a paper medical record system to an electronic system. The adoption of electronic record systems has reduced or eliminated paper medical record forms which consequently changed many HIM staff’s jobs. A survey of HIM professionals was conducted in two southeastern states to determine any increase or decrease in HIM staff numbers and to identify …

Adoption Of Health Information Technology In Nursing Homes, Robert Smiley

Applied Research Projects

Background: Comprehensive knowledge about the level of Health Information Technology (HIT) adoption in Nursing Homes remains subpar to 21st century healthcare standards.

Objective: This study is to determine the factors that will aid in the adoption of HIT in Nursing Homes in the New York metropolitan area.

Methods: A pilot survey was issued to employees at three Nursing Homes to collect data that would aid in the adoption of HIT in Nursing Homes in the New York metropolitan area.

Study Design: A 16 question survey was administered to twenty-one employees at three separate Nursing Homes in the New York metropolitan …

Meaningful Use: Electronic Clinical Quality Measure Reporting, Rhonda K. Denzel

Applied Research Projects

The adoption of health information technology and the meaningful use of electronic health records is a byproduct of the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). One measure of ARRA is the Health Information and Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act which authorizes the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to provide monetary incentives to hospitals and providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health records (EHRs).

The electronic reporting of clinical quality measures is but one requirement for demonstrating meaningful use. Reporting of clinical quality measures has been around for 25 plus years as a …

Meaningful Use – Is It Worth It?, Karen Perry Callahan

Applied Research Projects

The world of medicine has long been an ever changing environment. The advancements and progress in both knowledge and techniques has made patient care and treatment an increasingly successful endeavor. Physicians are often eager to embrace any new technology in the medical field that allows them to better care for their patients. The problem with new medical technology is that unless this technology can be shared or related to others, it is somewhat useless.

The medical profession has been somewhat reluctant to come to terms with the use of computer technology and its many benefits. Generally embedded in the use …

Levels Of Adoption Of Electronic Health Records And Patient Safety: Effectiveness And Efficiency, Scott Neishi, Yili Gan, Christopher R. Cochran, Jay J. Shen

Interdisciplinary Research Scholarship Day

• Patient safety, including hospital acquired infections has become one of the major concerns in healthcare delivery in recent years
• Electronic health records are becoming an integral aspect of the health care delivery
• Health policies have been looking to improve quality / patient safety and efficiency of healthcare through the adoption of electronic health record (EHR) systems
• Can EHR adoption improve patient safety?
• Can EHR adoption reduce cost?
• H1: Patients treated at hospitals with a higher level of EHR adoption are less likely to incur poorer patient safety indicators
• H2: Patients treated at hospitals with a higher level of EHR adoption …

Rfid Technology Selection And Economic Justification For Healthcare Asset Tracking, Tyler Robert Peabody, Tali Freed

Master's Theses

Although Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Real-Time Location System (RTLS) technologies for inventory tracking have been growing in popularity, the healthcare industry has been reluctant to adopt these technologies. One of the primary reasons for this lack of enthusiasm has been the risk associated with electromagnetic interference between RFID/RTLS systems and medical equipment functionality. The other reason has been the substantial cost and complexity of implementing RFID/RTLS in healthcare organizations. In this study, we show that there are several ways to safely install RFID/RTLS systems to improve the inventory management processes of hospitals and clinics. We then analyze the inventory …

Electronic Health Record Incentive Program Demonstrates Adoption Association With Improved Care, Keith Rosenbaum

Applied Research Projects

This study used Meaningful Use (MU) payment information as a proxy for electronic health record (EHR) adoption linked to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) data indicating quality to demonstrate the association of EHR adoption with improved care. The CMS quality indicators used were comprised of data from the value-based purchasing (VBP) program, readmission reduction program, and hospital compare mortality data. Results showed a positive association of EHR adoption with the VBP data, which most closely aligns the MU achievement period with the quality measure period. Readmission and mortality data showed negative and neutral associations, respectively, with a less aligned …

Legal Issues With The Electronic Health Record, Hannah Jackson

Applied Research Projects

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to make readers aware of the legal issues in the electronic health record (EHR) and the risks involved so they can be prepared. It is also to help provide solution to those who are already dealing with the risks. The goal of this Project is to reach out to health care facilities who are about to embark on a new chapter in health care that we call, the EHR. Everyone should know the risks of a product before purchasing and that is what my research will show.

Method

I used The Journal of …

Closing The Meaningful Use Gap Between Small And Large Practices, Crystal L. Jones

Applied Research Projects

The Lack of Meaningful Use Awareness in small practices is very prevalent. One may ask why there is such a gap in MU Awareness amongst small and large practices. The answer is quite the same across the board for small practices, “Cost”. This misfortune has resulted in many small practice physicians and staff being objective to the adoption of an electronic health record system. They are indifferent about the penalties that will be enforced soon, if they do not follow suite with the guidelines mandated by the ARRA. Essentially, this thesis will provide statistical data on the adoption rate of …

Correctional Telemedicine And Its Benefits For Female Inmates, Chelsea Oliver

Applied Research Projects

The purpose of this study is to identify health issues that are specific to the female population of correctional institutions and how telemedicine would be beneficial in providing healthcare to same. A questionnaire was developed using information from literature on the topics obtained from a variety of places. Once the questionnaire was completed, a randomly selected group of telemedicine providers received the questionnaire, along with an introduction and information on the study that was being conducted.

The barriers of this study came from telemedicine providers either not responding to the questionnaire entirely or the providers only being able to answer …