Samaritan goes electronic

Physicians to gain faster access to medical records

MOSES LAKE — Samaritan Healthcare is anticipating a challenging transition as it switches to a paper-free records system.

The hospital commission voted unanimously to endorse the new system on Monday.

Physicians can access patient records from a Palm Pilot instead of printing them on paper. The system allows the hospital to put matching barcodes on the patient, their medication and their record to ensure accuracy.

"This actually saves people from giving wrong medications," Chief Nursing Officer Andrew Bair said.

The system is color-coded to show when a patient needs medication and when it's overdue.

The special-care unit is already using the new computer system, Clinical Informatics Analyst Jadie Hamm said. Starting Dec. 12, physicians in the hospital's largest unit, the medical-surgical unit, are going to join the system. In March the rest of the hospital records become available through the new system.

Hamm said at the meeting a temporary dip in service might occur during the transition period as physicians start using the new system.

"As long as that dip in care doesn't involve anyone dying, we can all live with that," Chief of staff Edgar Hoover said.

He said he believes patient safety won't be an issue because of the attention going into the transition period.

Hamm said the hospital is providing information sessions to physicians and conducting individual training sessions to help prepare physicians for the change.

The new system allows doctors to obtain real-time patient information, since nurses can update patient information from the bedside, she said. They can also get their information faster. The bedside verification system is going to reduce medication errors because computers don't make the same mistakes as humans, she said.

The system is backed up with multiple servers, so if the information is lost at Samaritan, it is still available elsewhere.

Only those authorized to can access patient information, Hamm said. Palm Pilots require a protective number access code and the wireless only works for hospital employees.