The “Ebb and Flow” of Documentation: Does the Transition Between Two Electronic Medical Records Systems Affect Emergency Department Efficiency?

Authors

Michelle Angeline MD, West Virginia UniversityFollow
Erica B. Shaver MD, West Virginia UniversityFollow
Christopher Kiefer MD, West Virginia UniversityFollow
Kimberly D. Quedado PhDFollow
Melinda Sharon, Marshall University
Stephen Davis PhD, West Virginia UniversityFollow
Kyle Hurst MD, West Virginia UniversityFollow
Christopher S. Goode MD, West Virginia UniversityFollow
Thomas C. Marshall MD, West Virginia UniversityFollow

Author ORCID Identifier

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https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7789-2276

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4512-8828

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Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-21-2021

College/Unit

School of Medicine

Department/Program/Center

Emergency Medicine

Abstract

Background: Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems are electronic databases for compiling patient records. As healthcare networks expand, it is critical for providers to have access to patient data more broadly. As a result individual healthcare facilities must adjust to enterprise wide EMRs.

Objective: This study examined the operational effects of transitioning from an Emergency Department (ED) specific EMR to an enterprise wide EMR by evaluating throughput metrics in a community ED.

Methods: During a 6-month transition period (July-December 2017) in a community-based, academic ED located in North Central West Virginia, length of stay (LOS) and the following operational metrics were analyzed: door-to-provider times, door to disposition time, average LOS, left without treatment (LWOT) rates, and total ED volumes. These metrics were compared with the prior year’s same 6-month period to account for seasonal variability in patient pathology or ED volumes.

Results: Overall, there was a statistically significant increase in the LOS measures, including door-to-provider time (p=0.0003), door to disposition time (p

Conclusion: An ED-specific EMR to enterprise wide EMR transition in a community ED had a negative effect on the overall efficiency of the emergency department.

Digital Commons Citation

Angeline, Michelle MD; Shaver, Erica B. MD; Kiefer, Christopher MD; Quedado, Kimberly D. PhD; Sharon, Melinda; Davis, Stephen PhD; Hurst, Kyle MD; Goode, Christopher S. MD; and Marshall, Thomas C. MD, "The “Ebb and Flow” of Documentation: Does the Transition Between Two Electronic Medical Records Systems Affect Emergency Department Efficiency?" (2021). Faculty & Staff Scholarship. 3068.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/faculty_publications/3068

Comments

https://www.doi.org/10.33915/fac.3068