EHRs prime clinicians to provide progressive care to older adults
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| University of Missouri researchers are developing EHR technology to meet increasing healthcare demands and standard health assessments. Image source: ChartZoom.com |
New technologies using sensors to passively monitor older adults at home are being developed and are commercially available. However, the study authors wrote that integrating the clinical information systems with passive monitoring data so that clinical decision making is enhanced and patient records are complete is challenging.
The MU researchers are reportedly developing an EHR system that encompasses standard health assessments and those obtained through new technologies. The goal is to increase efficiency and accuracy, improve patient outcomes and reduce costs for long-term care, according to the authors.
"As the use of emerging technologies increases along with the older population, maintaining complete and accurate patient information can be overwhelming," said Marilyn Rantz, a professor in the MU Sinclair School of Nursing. "A comprehensive system that encompasses all measures, old and new, is the key to … efficient clinical decision making."
The EHR is being tested at TigerPlace, an independent senior-living facility that helps residents age in place. According to the researchers, initial findings indicate that the use of the EHR system can enhance nursing care coordination and advance technology use and clinical research.
"New technologies to passively monitor older adults' health are being developed and are increasingly commercially available," Rantz said. "The challenge remains to integrate clinical information systems with passive monitoring data, especially in long-term care and home health settings, in order to improve clinical decision making and ensure patient records are complete."
Effective EHR systems display data in ways that are meaningful and quickly assessable for clinicians, Rantz said. With access to comprehensive data, clinicians can make more informed clinical decisions, better perform risk assessments and provide risk-reducing interventions.
The research, published in January’s issue of the Journal of Gerontological Nursing, was supported by the U.S. Administration on Aging and the National Science Foundation. Project collaborators included researchers from the MU Sinclair School of Nursing, University Hospital, School of Medicine and the College of Engineering.