Introduction
Incorporating health informatics in anesthesiology is beneficial due to better patient data collection, storage, and circulation, which results in timely decision-making. Computer technologies embedded into anesthesia information management systems (AIMS) help Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNA) interpret patients’ physiological data and deliver appropriate care using the anesthesia workstation. Informatics applications collect data directly from the latter and transfer it to databases and documentation systems, improving other clinical functions and facilitating patient safety.
Main body
To incorporate the concept of patient health informatics, the Anesthesia Department should consider AIMS and its embedded tools. This system improves anesthesia displays due to better records, timely bedside documentation, and frequent bedside scanning and monitoring. As a result, health care professionals turn to less biased and erroneous intraoperative data during their work since the recorded data is more robust than the handwritten one. It also supplements the knowledge of anesthesiologists by enabling the “synthesis of large amounts of patient data, current literature, and clinical guidelines.” Clinical decision support (CDS) assists anesthetists in avoiding care omission by accurately displaying patient data. In addition, it provides prompts and reminders to them for timely intraoperative interventions. For instance, AIMS sends real-time visual reminders to health care professionals to remind them to administer antibiotics during surgeries. The system is also able to compare the performance of a particular provider to the facility’s standards. CDS was found to improve antibiotic administration and facilitate anesthesia billing. Implementation of CDS within AIMS addresses documentation and clinical weaknesses of anesthesia departments by enhancing practice changes that improve financial sustainability and quality of patient care.
Furthermore, computerized physician order entry (CPOE), a part of CDS, assists clinicians in writing proper care and medication orders for their patients. Mastrian and McGonigle argue that “CPOE solves the safety issues associated with poor handwriting and unclear or incomplete medication orders.” It avoids typical mistakes associated with verbal orders and paper-based systems. RFID technology often accompanies CPOE to monitor medication circulation within medical facilities setting a system of checks and balances. The system warns about possible drug allergies, interactions, or overdoses and enhances collaboration between physicians, CRNAs, and pharmacists. It is very challenging for practitioners to remember how to adjust all drugs in the case of a specific disease; thus, CPOE contributes massively to patient safety by providing dosing parameters.
Qualified Clinical Data Registry (QCDR) is a reporting mechanism that collects data regarding different aspects of anesthesia care. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) aims to analyze this medical and clinical data in order to improve the quality of health care. The PQRS was not suitable for specialists such as anesthesiologists; however, QCDR enables providers to set their own list of measures. This reporting is of high importance for the further improvement of patient care and safety.
Conclusion
To conclude, computer technologies continue to improve and expand their potential in helping specialists with their daily tasks. The Anesthesia Department should consider deploying AIMS that supports such tools as CPOE, CDS, and QCDR. All of them enhance monitoring of patient’s health, medication circulation, and timely drug administration. Consumer health informatics have a positive influence on intermediary health outcomes contributing to higher patient safety. Handwritten systems find facility and CRNAs at risk of making other data misinterpretations that lead to mistakes. Therefore, despite some disadvantages, presented technologies should be implemented within the department.
References
Peterson JJ, White KW, Westra BL, Monsen KA. Anesthesia information management systems: imperatives for nurse anesthetists. AANA Journal. 2014;82(5):346-351.
Mastrian, K, McGonigle D. Informatics for health professionals. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. c2017:254-266.