A Case for the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) in Long Term Care

The Need
Providers attain all of the functionality discussed above through CovetCare. More and more administrative responses to the cry are moving from their position of "perhaps" to "when".

Historically, long term care software programs have essentially served the business office and upper management; ordinarily in the form of providing statistical and financial information regarding operating outcomes. However, as governmental agencies, insurers, accrediting organizations and other outside entities that either pay, serve or monitor health care providers, increase their use and variety of computerized programs, the surging pace and amount of medical record data required to be recorded by a health caregiver, or requested by an authorized entity of the provider, are likewise spiraling.

Why?
Clearly, long term caregivers must have a level playing field on which to produce and secure timely, reliable and objective EMR data, upon request. This will cause the provider's clinicians to have the ability to keep pace with the rush of medical information desired or required, to have timely access and ability to respond to data requests, to produce internal analysis of outcome measures/trends and to prepare for (rather than react to) the implications emanating from automated data.

Moreover, having an EMR system that automatically populates the federal Minimum Data Set (MDS) file; thereby permitting integration of the resident's most current MDS data with other clinical and financial software systems that are driven by that same MDS file, is crucial. Such an automated process promotes opportunity for time efficiency, accuracy of data and optimal, rightful, reimbursement.

In addition to enhancing quality of care, through imbedded clinical logic, standards of practice, data integrity and quality control mechanisms within an electronic health record program, a solid EMR must, through design, be user friendly, control costs, better ensure reimbursement, improve resident safety, facilitate timeliness, enhance clarity and accuracy of documentation, promote objectivity, be easily retrievable and generate outcome reports. An EMR that can automatically compile and track resident-specific and resident-mix information, generate baseline measures from which to facilitate sound analysis and empirical reports of trends and outcomes; (be they current, over time and/or comparative), is essential to the provider.

The Triad of Challenge in Today's Long Term Care Setting
Because the triad of challenge over which all care givers and operators must be vigilant 24-hours/day, 7 days/week, i.e., reimbursement, survey and risk management, a well-designed EMR program must cause the overall daily business of caregiving, and the documentation there from, to be measurable evidence of the provider having met the day-to-day challenges.

Security and Disaster Preparedness
Finally, and under the Security Rule of the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which took effect on April 21, 2005, and which was established to protect the confidentiality of electronic healthcare information, a provider's EMR system must be one that keeps resident information protected and secure, and is designed to prevent against access breaches. With increasing movement toward electronic record keeping, potential for disclosure of confidential health information, likewise, increases. Therefore, providers must employ a variety of techniques to secure their EMR. Such techniques include password aging, regularly scheduled scanning of facility servers, a disaster plan for preventing loss of data (wherein EMR information is backed up daily and stored in a remote and secured "other" site).

The Solution
CovetCare gives providers all of the functionality discussed in the above commentary. It is a software program that is quietly, but affirmatively, being selected by high-performing facilities that want the best for their residents and clinical caregivers.

CovetCare is a simple, yet powerful, EMR system; operational now. It is not simply a promise for the future.