Impact of EMR and CPOE Implementation on Physician Efficiency - Essay Example

"Impact of EMR and CPOE Implementation on Physician Efficiency" is an excellent example of a paper on the health system.
Safe and effective implementation of information technology computer systems is a critical area of medical fields. The embracing of Electronic Medical Records and Computerized Provider Order Entry by health care institutions elicits both praise and criticism. However, as Amusan et al. find out in the study, the benefits of CPOE use are numerous (Amusan, et al. 2008). When enforced effectively, the system improves the quality of care offered by physicians through reduction of prescription errors, elimination of lost orders, and provision of decision-support information, reducing motion and turnaround time, as well as reduction of obscurities such as illegible handwriting.

The study reveals a reduction in rounding time of physicians since the introduction of CPOE, which has statistical significance in improving their efficiency. The study indicates a downward trend of time spent on rounding b physicians with an overall record of the p-value of 0.081 in pre-implementation to a final p-value of 0.0034 in post-implementation (Amusan, et al. 2008). A decrease in motion rounding time is beneficial and enhances physician’s efficiency as well as patient safety. As revealed in the study, CPOE has a substantial positive impact on task switching and workflow patterns (Amusan, et al. 2008), particularly in the post-implementation stages. With the use of CPOE and EMR task fragmentation decreases, allowing the physicians to focus on particular tasks. Such a decrease is ideal as it is correlated with reduced cognitive load and subsequent reduction in errors.

The low adoption rate of the systems calls for strategies’ development to facilitate increased use. One of the strategies is the provision of adequate technical support to the physicians during and after implementation. Proper training is critical to ensure physicians are competent in both technology and health domains to increase the chances of successful planning, implementation, and evaluation (Ford, McAlearney, Phillips, Menachemi & Rudolph, 2008). Organizations should also aim at providing adequate resources, both financial and human, throughout the implementation process.

The implementation of EMR and CPOE have indeed enhanced efficiency in the provision of care. However, over time, it has proved evident that implementation and use of systems face multiple challenges. The full benefits of the systems can only be realized by learning lessons and mitigating ways to work through the challenges for effective and efficient health care provision.