Administrative burden in healthcare facilities is a significant challenge that impacts the efficiency and quality of patient care. Administrative burden includes documentation requirements, compliance with regulations, insurance coordination, and inter-provider communication. The time spent on administrative tasks can detract healthcare professionals from direct patient care. This not only affects the patient experience but also leads to staff burnout and dissatisfaction. Healthcare is complicated. New rules and the need to keep perfect records make it even harder, leaving healthcare workers feeling swamped by paperwork instead of patient care.
One of the most significant benefits of electronic medication administration record (eMAR) is its ability to reduce the administrative burden on healthcare providers. It does so in different ways. Here, we share how eMAR leads to a significant reduction in administrative tasks across healthcare facilities.
- Documentation
- Traditional method:
Manual entry: Nurses and other healthcare staff manually record medication administration details in paper charts or non-integrated electronic systems.
Time-consuming: This process is time-intensive and prone to human error, requiring double-checking and frequent corrections.
- eMAR impact:
Real-time updates: eMAR systems automatically update patient records in real-time as medications are administered.
Accuracy and efficiency: This automation reduces the time spent on documentation and minimises errors, which ensure accurate records without the need for redundant checks.
- Workflow
- Traditional method:
Fragmented processes: Medication administration involves multiple steps, from checking patient records and medication orders to documenting the administration. These steps are often in separate systems or paper forms. This fragmentation can lead to delays and increased workload for staff.
- eMAR impact:
Integrated systems: eMAR integrates all steps into a cohesive workflow, which helps healthcare providers to access medication orders, administer medications, and update records in one streamlined process.
Reduced delays: This integration reduces delays and simplifies the workflow, which helps staff to focus more on patient care.
- Redundancy
- Traditional method:
Duplicate data entry: Staff may need to enter the same data multiple times in different systems or forms. This can lead to redundancy and inefficiency.
Error: Duplicate entries increase the risk of inconsistencies and errors in patient records.
- eMAR impact:
Single entry point: eMAR provides a single point of entry for medication data, which eliminates the need for duplicate entries.
Consistency: This consistency reduces the administrative burden and the risk of errors propagating through multiple systems.
- Communication and coordination
- Traditional method:
Manual coordination: Coordination between different departments, such as pharmacy, nursing and others often relies on manual communication methods, including phone calls or paper notes.
Information gaps: These methods can lead to information gaps and miscommunication.
- eMAR impact:
Real-time communication: eMAR systems help with real-time communication and coordination between departments.
Seamless information flow: This seamless flow of information ensures that all relevant parties have access to up-to-date medication records. This reduces the need for manual follow-ups and clarifications.
- Compliance and reporting
- Traditional method:
Labor-intensive reporting: Generating compliance reports and audits involves manually compiling data from various sources, which is time-consuming and prone to errors.
- eMAR impact:
Automated reporting: eMAR systems can automatically generate compliance reports and audit trails, ensuring that all data is accurately captured and easily accessible. This automation simplifies the process of meeting regulatory requirements, reducing the administrative burden associated with compliance.
To know more on how eMAR can help reduce documentation stress for nursing staff, check this useful read.