3 6 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E A P R I L 2 0 1 7
T
hree years ago, when the St. John Macomb-Oakland Hospital in
Warren, Mich., went live with its new EMR system, the nurses
nearly revolted. "We all protested," says
Pamela Borello-Barnett,
BS, RN, CNOR, CSSM, LNC, CNM, the hospital's clinical
nurse
manager of perioperative services and sterile processing.
"We
thought, How can this possibly be easier than paper?"
Their concerns were understandable. EMR technology has been plagued
by complaints about less-than-intuitive interfaces and too-rigid design con-
figurations. In some cases, the technology has developed a rap for interfer-
ing with — rather than enabling — quality care. But design configurations
have gotten less rigid and user interfaces have become more intuitive. In
fact, many recent EMR users say going paperless has improved their work-
Have You Checked Out
EMRs Lately?
Today's systems are more useful — and more user-friendly —
than ever.
Diane Stopyra | Contributing Editor
• DULY NOTED Customizable interfaces
improve the efficiency and accuracy of
charting cases on a variety of screens.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN