Question

Health Informatic

The lab does thousands of workups in a week there is a very real potential for confusing so many labs with the wrong chart/patient. What kind of technology or clinical interventions would you recommend if you were working with the lab to decrease this type of problem?

Why did the Occupational Therapist (OT) say she needed to have her own unique charting system/interface?

What did she recommend for all specialties concerning their charting? Why was this significant and in the real world is this always possible? What would you do as the hospitals informaticist in order to address this need?

Answer 1

Yes there are more possibilities for mixing up patients samples or the result... it is out most need to be carefully regarding this issue because depending upon the results treatment is issued for the patient and wrong treatment will become legal issue too. If I was working with the lab as clinical aspect i will advice as follows. a) to have colour coding for the wards ..... b) separate patient lab I'd number so that the specification will be seen. C) wards must allotted for lab technicians so that they perform investigations to specific wards hence chance of confusion will be reduced.

As a technical aspect I would suggest to enter the timing, patient lab I'd in patient profile as they start the investigation so that once the result have arrived then it will easy for them to update the result..

Yes ofcourse occupational therapist needs a separate charting.. it will serve for dual purpose.. one is for legal documentation purpose , and the other is evaluate the participation and prognosis of the patient. It is essential to have occupational therapist chart to be filed in the patients case sheet...as the hospitals informatics I would recommend the nurses to prepare coloum or chart for every patient for occupation therapy... this chart or the column must be signed by the therapist after the therapy is done and also must write review about the patient improvement...