a community-based non-profit agency
Pathways Hospice Working Hard To Implement Electronic
Medical Records
work after regular business hours and
on the weekend will have immediate
access to patient information at the
location where care is being provided.
Improvements in quick and accurate
information sharing, and reduced
time spent with clerical activities will
all play a part in providing the highest quality care to our patients and
families in a way that is attentive
and personal.
Pathways Hospice staff receives training in electronic medical records
Electronic medical records are more
and more becoming a standard of
practice in health care. In order to
help fulfill the mission of our organization to provide the highest quality
end-of-life care and bereavement
support to our community, Pathways
Hospice will be implementing a comprehensive Electronic Medical Records
(EMR) system in January of 2012.
Since February of 2011, Pathways
Hospice has been working with
consultants to personalize the EMR
system to accurately reflect the service we provide to our patients. An
important part of system development
is smoothly incorporating computerized tools into the compassionate
and gentle care being given every
day. Since June, clinical staff has
been spending many hours to ensure
that when they begin to use the
system in the field, they will do so
with as much ease and confidence as
possible. It is exciting to know that
adapting this new technology will
benefit both Pathways Hospice and
the patients and families we serve.
One of the major benefits of implementing electronic medical records
is improved quality of care to our
patients. The use of EMR will reduce
the time spent on charting by allowing many documentation processes to
become automated. As the amount
of time spent on clerical and administrative duties is decreased, more time
is available for clinical staff to spend
at the bedside with patients and their
families.
Current information essential to the
care of the patient will be more easily and accurately accessible to the
interdisciplinary team providing care
for the patient. Staff members who
Another key benefit of the EMR
system is improved communication with other healthcare providers. The system Pathways Hospice is
implementing is one of the leading
systems in homecare and hospice.
It is compatible with systems being
used by McKee Medical Center, Poudre
Valley Hospital, Medical Center of
the Rockies, physician practices in
both Larimer and Weld Counties, and
skilled nursing homes in our community. As always, medical records
are HIPPA protected and will only be
available to those who need access to
provide care.
Since 1978 Pathways Hospice has
cared for more than 12,000 terminally ill residents of Larimer and Weld
counties and their families. We are
proud to be a nationally recognized,
community-based hospice and continue to look for ways to enhance and
expand our services. The implementation of the comprehensive EMR
system will help Pathways Hospice
better meet our community’s need
for compassionate, excellent care for
those with a life-limiting illness.
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