Vocada: Study Shows Communication Weaknesses in Clinical Information Systems; Fails to Fix Weak Link in Patient Care
A recent professional journal article shows that patient safety is poorly served when hospitals and clinicians rely on massive, complex clinical information systems to deliver critical test results (CTRs).
Writing in the July/August issue of Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, author Hardeep Singh MD, MPH, and his colleagues looked at the effectiveness of an electronic medical record (EMR) system for CTR notification at the VA medical center in Houston. Although the authors feel the automation of CTR reporting is desirable, the results of the study show the inadequacy of EMR systems for critical test result management (CTRM). Technology-based CTRM was first introduced by Vocada, Inc., and its Veriphy™ solution remains the industry leader, although other companies now have products in development. Dallas, TX (PRWEB) July 30, 2007 -- A recent professional journal article shows that patient safety is poorly served when hospitals and clinicians rely on massive, complex clinical information systems to deliver critical test results (CTRs), according to Vocada, Inc., which led the development of technology-based critical test result management (CTRM).
Writing in the July/August issue of Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, author Hardeep Singh MD, MPH, and his colleagues looked at the effectiveness of an electronic medical record (EMR) system for CTR notification at the VA medical center in Houston. Although the authors feel the automation of CTR reporting is desirable, the results of the study show the inadequacy of EMR systems for critical test result management (CTRM). The authors found: -- Providers failed to acknowledge receipt of over one-third (368 of 1,017) of transmitted alerts.
-- In 45 of these cases (4% of abnormal results), the imaging study was completely lost to follow-up four weeks after the date of study.
View a summary of the article at http://www.jamia.org/cgi/content/short/14/4/459
Technology-based CTRM was first introduced by Vocada, Inc., and its Veriphy™ solution remains the industry leader, although other companies now have products in development.
Hospitals and clinicians are increasingly relying on EMR systems, picture archiving and communication systems (PACS), radiological information systems (RIS), and Laboratory Information Systems (LIS) to improve efficiency in delivering patient care.
"As the adoption of comprehensive hospital information systems grows, there is a misconception that these IT "Swiss army knives" solve the problem of communicating critical test results (CTR) because the systems often include an electronic notification feature for CTRs," said Dr. Brian Gale, Director of Radiology at Kings County Hospital Center in New York City. "Unfortunately, this may provide a false sense of security, because these systems often don't include other key CTRM features such as a message escalation system to use when the primary ordering physician is unavailable."
The medical profession and hospital industry all recognize that failures and delays in communicating CTRs is a serious problem and a weak link in the delivery of patient care. For some physicians, such as radiologists, communication breakdowns are a major generator of medical malpractice claims.
Technology-based CTRM is being used by a growing number of hospitals across the country to ensure the timely communication of CTRs by reporting clinicians, such as radiologists and Clinical Labs, to ordering clinicians who are responsible for patient care decisions. Using CTRM, hospital administrators also are able to set standards for communication of CTRs and monitor performance in real time.
Dr. Gale, who also is director of radiology informatics for SUNY Downstate Medical Center, said, "Electronic notification is not the same as CTRM. The adverse results reported in this journal article are less likely to occur with an effective CTRM system."
As described in a new educational video produced by Joint Commission Resources, Inc., the educational affiliate of the Joint Commission, a genuine CTRM system has the following characteristics and capabilities:
1) User friendly
2) Works with all communications devices
3) Integrates easily with hospital's physician directory
4) Is customizable and flexible
5) Indicates the severity of the test result (e.g. Red-Orange-Yellow color code)
6) Verifies the receipt of the message
7) Escalates notifications based on pre-set rules
8) Automates and ensures correct verbal read-backs (for Clinical Labs)
9) Automatic tracking, documentation and compliance with legal and professional standards
10) Enables real-time management oversight of CTR communications Several medical information technology companies including AGFA, Nuance Dictaphone, and Commissure have integrated Vocada's Veriphy into their productivity and workflow systems in order to address the need for CTRM. Vocada, Inc.
Vocada's Veriphy™ critical test result management (CTRM) solution is the only enterprise solution for communicating critical test results from hospital diagnostic departments to ordering clinicians. Using a patented, hosted system, Veriphy automates and verifies communication of critical test results in a real-time, assured and trackable solution, simultaneously enhancing patient safety and boosting clinical staff productivity. Privately held, Dallas-based Vocada was founded by brothers Peter and Thomas White, who were previously involved with other innovative and successful technology ventures. The company introduced its first product, VoiceLink™, predecessor to Veriphy, in 2004. For more information, visit http://www.vocada.com . ###
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