Understanding the Patient Intake Process Introduction: This is an essay about Understanding the Patient Intake Process. The steps needed to run a smooth physician’s office or any provider can benefit from these steps that are needed to increase profitability, and the ease of each appointment. Understanding the Patient Intake Process There are several steps to use for the checking in of a patient. They are scheduling, preregistration, their medical history, patient information must be collected and documented, the filling out of the patient health survey, medical history form, gathering their insurance information and copying their insurance card, or cards if they have multiple carriers, some practices may require that a patient must present an identification card. Assignment of benefits must be signed from the patient giving them the responsibility of paying the bill, or it is also used for the purpose of billing the insurance carrier.
Electronic Health Records; Pros and Cons Desiree Steinbach Rasmussen Online Author Note This assignment is being submitted to Dr. Carol Patton’s NUR3508 Section 01 Quality and Safety in Nursing Practice - Summer 2012 Electronic Health Records; Pros and Cons Electronic Health Records (E.H.R.) first came into existence in 1967 at the University of Vermont and Utah’s Latter Day Saints Hospital. A physician named Lawrence Weed “described a system to automate and reorganize patient medical records to enhance their utilization and thereby lead to improved patient care” (Pinkerton, 2005, p.1). The E.H.R. has progressively been implemented into many aspects of the healthcare systems such as family practice, ambulatory surgery centers, pediatrics, urgent cares, and hospitals.
There are many great benefits of EMR and Meaningful Use will exploit all of those benefits and provides the guidelines around which EMR technology will be used and developed. The biggest benefit of EMR is complete and accurate information. “With electronic health records, providers have the information they need to provide the best possible care. Providers will know more about their patients and their health history before they walk into the examination room.” (Meaningful Use, 2013) The next major benefit is the way that health information is accessed and how fast it can be exchanged between health care and insurance providers, patients and other parties. “Electronic health records facilitate greater access to the information providers need to diagnose health problems earlier and improve the health outcomes of their patients.
These resources could be conference lines, conference rooms, people or equipment. Organizing resources could mean the difference between having enough staff to take more patients or having to defer patients to another facility. Managers also lead their staff in the direction of the organization mission, providing guidance to their direct reports, as well as valuable input to their peers with regard to their respective expertise. Managers control to ensure that resources that will best fit the need are placed appropriately and continue to operate correctly and efficiently. “On a daily basis, health care managers must recognize performance problems, and opportunities, make good decisions, and take appropriate action” (Lombardi & Schermerhorn, 2007. p. 16).
The positive side of using EHRs is that it will benefit the patient by giving them convenience, portability, and efficiency. Patients can go to what healthcare facility they choose and not have to worry about their records becoming lost or missing important information. Their privacy remains intact due to several security measures put in place to prevent unwanted users to gain access (National Library of Medicine. 1996). For doctors and hospitals, the pros of using EHRs are that they reduce clerical errors and gives them computerized decision support (Hoffmann, 2009).
Successful communication is vital in the health care field to guarantee efficient patient care. The exchange of ideas and approach is not only restricted to verbal communication; however nonverbal communication is frequently more significant and more momentous than audible phrases. For that reason, communication is such an intricate practice with unlimited opportunities for distributing or receiving erroneous communication. Frequently, flaw communication can result in misperceptions and misunderstandings (Northouse & Northouse, 1998). There are various key factors and focuses incorporating the characterizations of health care communication; one such focus is the relevancy of valuable personal health care communication with other professionals, consumers, and patients.
With hospital stays getting shorter, it is important to have a set plan in place quickly so that the patient receives all of the care and education needed to be successful at home after discharge. An important part of the plan of care includes implementation. This basically maps out exactly how the health care team can work together to either prevent or help eliminate the patient’s current health care problem. The RN should be an excellent communicator and a good delegator. The RN is able to delegate certain tasks to other team members in order to provide all the care necessary to the patient.
It is not a place to die but instead a place that promises and delivers renewal and improved health for many diseases. Due to the success of modern healthcare and advanced technology, patients have high hopes of what hospitals can accomplish. Therefore, hospitals and medical staff should honestly present the burdens and benefits of care at end of life. With this information patients and their surrogate decision makers can make meaningful personal choices”. Communication regarding end of life often occurs late in the process or disease progression.
Challenges and benefits on EMR implementation has been and continues to be the focus in the health care industry. Many researchers have already studied this issue. Combining the results of studies already conducted will improve the accuracy of my research. Research measured and method used I would measure the level of satisfaction amongst stakeholders involved with EMR implementation and the perceived view of the benefits and challenges with using an EMR. This can be more easily achieved using an interview method with semi structured questions.
Having a doctor on staff will make it easier for the patients because they will be able to see the doctor whenever it is necessary. The nurses will not be as over worked and the homes will run smoother. Long-term care in this country is extremely important because times have changed, and it now takes both parents to work. This means less people home to take care of the elderly members of the family so there has to be other alternatives and that is where long-term care takes over for people that cannot do it all on their own. The insurance that all people will have in the new healthcare system is the publicly funded healthcare insurance.