What is the current economic situation for UCCO? What suggestions can Barbara make to help mitigate financial issues? Use the financial review provided in the UCCO case.
While the move to implementation of more Electronic Health System is necessary and also commendable since it would help to increase the level of efficiency, effectiveness, quality of care and also enhance the patient outcome, there are a lot of costs that are associated with its implementation. For example from the scenario, we are told that a situational analysis will be needed and therefore the organization will be required to invest a lot of resources in research to conduct a comprehensive review and also the purchase and maintenance also EHR systems also demand extra costs. The healthcare currently may not be in the economic position to meet what the UCCO want. This is because the whole process is expensive and the organization may not that much money in store to see this through from the beginning to the end.
To mitigate financial issues, there is a need for proper financial planning. Business planning, in this case, involves the identification and estimation of all costs that the healthcare is bound to suffer, budgeting and also seeking alternative sources of funding enable them to meet the various values. For example, they can find government funding.
Situational/SWOT Analysis
Table 1: Allscripts EHR
| Internal and External Influences
Strengths: Good electronic prescribing, one can run multiple ERA, offers versatility in features and good security and data protection. Weaknesses: It is slow, not intuitive and poor patient support. Opportunities: It can be made more automated. Threats: Competition from other systems which have proven more effective in some areas of disadvantage. |
Trends that can impact clinic performance, market and financial position
The software allows for data to be taken from multiple sources and put together in one source and this ensures that patients are able to access their medical data from different treatment centres (Glenn, 2013). It offers different forms of pricing and financial options that allow healthcare centres to be able to choose according to their financial position. Currently this is the software that has grabbed the biggest market share. |
| EHR System functions and capabilities
Despite having a lot of capabilities in terms of normalizing, analysing, access and storage of data that system has poor functionality since it crashes easily and needs high maintenance. |
EHR End-user requirements and ease of use
The software is not very user friends |
Table 2: eClinicalWorks EHR
| Internal and External Influences
Strengths: It does not mix data from different practices and hence making it highly organized, it is fast and has standout features. Weaknesses: Poor usability and lacks features such as charting. Opportunities: Increase ease to use Threats: High competition |
Trends that can impact clinic performance, market and financial position
The service has made storage of the bulky medical records more secure and more accessible and also transferable. It also offers very low and affordable pricing with low set up and maintenance cost thus lowering the cost for health facilities. |
| EHR System functions and capabilities
This is a very effective system since it offers features that enhance optimum use and access of data by physicians and patients. For example Healow the patient portal patients can input their wellness data and interact with physicians easily (Glenn, 2013). |
EHR End-user requirements and ease of use
There are too many clicks needed when using it and thus not easy to use but easier compared to Allscripts. |
What type of electronic record system should Barbara recommend for the company?
The EHR that she should be one that meets the optimum goal for EHR implementation that is making medical record keeping more efficient and also optimizing the use and access of data(Hodgkins, 2017).
What is her best option?
From the two choices analysed above, eClinicalWorks would be the best fit in fulfilling the general EHR objective.
What are the financial implications?
The cost of implementing this system as discussed in the analysis table is meagre starting from the start-up cost to the maintenance cost.
Explain the choice based on what the system can provide in comparison to the organizational challenges?
This system can be able to promote efficiency and patient outcome optimally. Other than secure storage of data and easy access of data, physicians can be able to track the medical condition of patients without physical visits, and patients can be able to arrange referrals and also request refills through the system. This helps to lower the cost of healthcare while improving quality. The organization is also able to save on value due to the low costing of the system.