manual and eMPI system

The Electronic Master Patient Index (EMPI) importance in the United States healthcare cannot be underestimated. It has made administration and management in healthcare more effective through data management and enabled integration to implement interoperation in the healthcare sector. Data management is critical, especially in the US healthcare sector, which accounts for over 500 million patient records and billions of insurance-related information. Storage of this data alone costed the sector up to ten billion dollars annually about a decade ago (Kumar and Bauer, 2009), which has since been declining as healthcare facilities adopt EHR and related technologies. Hence, ProTech MPI System Project is critical and should be implemented as accounted in the following conversion strategy.

Implementation Strategy

An implementation strategy for ProTech MPI System can be passive or active. Active implementation refers to a situation whereby the ProTech MPI System will be a primary resource for scheduling and registration in a healthcare facility. Otherwise – passively, the ProTech MPI System will be used initially as a backup plan until it is set up and running seamlessly. Therefore, the transition from manual to MPI can be done procedurally as the only recording system or parallel to the traditional recording methods. Either implementation allows a transition that proceeds through three technological phases, which account for the technology’s deployment or overall transition process.

In phase one, the healthcare facility has not installed any EHR technology or is entirely paper-based. The facility has a working paper record system and has stored all records in a strategic store within the premises. In phase two, the facility has introduced an EHR technology and has begun using it on a small scale. The utility of the technology may be seen in several departments, especially those that are easy to automate, like the laboratories. Usually, the technology is not yet fully accepted; some components are yet to be procured, staff to be trained, and data is being transferred from paper. A facility leverages some benefits of the technology in a hybrid record system. In phase three, all departments are using electronic records, and there is no need for paper records. The technology has been legally adopted, and implementation is effective.

In phase two, a facility will particularly transfer data elements from paper to the ProTech MPI System. The transfer requires technical expertise, such that there is the correct identification of data or transfer of the data into the correct MPI essential. This transfer of data works only for patient data that had been previously collected. For instance, clinical data and demographic data should not be mixed but transferred corrected into the relevant elements of the MPI. Technicians may create definitions for such elements, which become the frame of algorithm match or quality control for data entry. The goal of the algorithm is to search and match a patient with their data, error-free. If any data is incorrectly transferred to the MPI, the error identification elements will notify, and the correct data from the paper will be reentered.

It is imperative to note that some data might be captured more than once during the transfer, necessitating an algorithm for duplicate identification. Such can be deterministic, based on rules, or using probabilities to weigh all data sets and identify duplicates. Double-entry must be avoided in MPI to improve data elements’ credibility and integrity in the electronic records (Charnock, 2019). Integrity concerns the accuracy, completeness, and consistency of data across the ProTech MPI System. It is imperative to note that lack of data integrity gives a leeway for erroneous data to apply in healthcare, which can be detrimental. For instance, it can lead to mis-assessment of illnesses, erroneous billing, or legal ramifications for a facility. As such, healthcare practitioners should understand the potential errors and establish a communication channel through which the errors can be communicated to relevant departments on notice. Therefore, duplicate identification algorithms are essential for the ProTech MPI System, as they avoid errors in the MPI and related repercussions.

Additionally, the transition process must account for data ownership and related maintenance issues. Data ownership brings security and privacy issues, subject to Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. It is critical that the facility address data ownership before rolling out the ProTech MPI System. Some issues in data ownership concern who can access particular data, who can change or edit it, and at what level of data storage (Linz, 2018). Notably, that can be within the facility or across the facility, as in the situation of corporate identifiers. When the data is used across an organization, all the relevant rules and laws must be followed to maintain the system’s integrity and credibility. Besides, highly trained personnel(s) should be provided with the necessary tool and resources to ensure the system is error-free. Such a practitioner is entrusted with the system and must address all the system’s maintenance needs. As such, a facility transits from manual to automated using an MPI such as the proposed ProTech MPI System.

Checklist

Once the facility has transitioned from a paper-based (manual) to the ProTech (MPI) system, the project team will conduct a project closure. This occurs in the third phase of technological transition, where the project team can reflect on the project’s success and failures. The project closure process may entail arranging a post mortem, completing the necessary legal works, releasing pending resources, and archiving important paper documents from the former manual record (Marchewka, 2016). The following checklist can help the project team to ensure the project has been closed out properly;

1. Proofread the project proposal and scope to ensure all the necessary items and essentials have been incorporated in the project.
2. Ensure all the essential tools, deliverables, and essentials are handed over to relevant stakeholders, who have signed for consent and satisfaction.
3. All project documents are signed by relevant project stakeholders, such as vendors and contractors.
4. All invoices are paid, and any contracts related to the transition process be closed. Relevant documents should be signed off.
5. Archive all the documents. All paperwork for the former manual records should be stored safely or disposed of as agreed by the stakeholders.
6. Collect project documents, and note important lessons and feedback from stakeholders. The lessons and feedback may help in improving future transition processes.
7. Assign a practitioner to aid the healthcare facility staff in effectively using the ProTech (MPI) system.
8. Release the resources such as project team members, and remove the various installation tools and equipment is from the site (facility).
9. Use a project management tool such as software to assess and monitor the project’s life cycle.
10. Celebrate the achievement of the project.

Project Evaluation

Once the project has been closed, it is an ideal time for project evaluation. The evaluation will concern individual performance reviews, postmortem reviews, and project audits. In individual performance reviews, the project manager reviews each member’s performance through the process and procedures acceptable by the project implementation organization. According to Marchewka (2016), individual performance review begins with members evaluating their performance. Project managers must be conscious not to compare employees but instead focus on particular behaviors and their contribution to the project’s success. The postmortem review of the project is done during the closure meeting before releasing the members. This evaluation stage focuses on the project’s status regarding the initial MOV, analysis of the project scope, objectives, and budget, review of the deliverables, and review of the project methodologies. Also, the team evaluates how it performed concerning team functionality. Lastly, the project auditor evaluates how well the project was executed. The auditor may be particularly interested in the processes and methodologies used in the transition from paper to MPI. Through the evaluation process, the project team and the facility get a chance to review the MOV. After several weeks, the MOV might become apparent, after which the stakeholders, especially the beneficiaries, state the agreed-upon verifiable elements that are valuable for the facility. As such, the MOV is measured by establishing the value of the project to the facility.

References

Charnock, V., 2019. Electronic healthcare records and data quality. Health Information & Libraries Journal, 36(1), pp.91-95.

Kumar, S. and Bauer, K., 2009. The business case for implementing electronic health records in primary care settings in the United States. Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, 10(2), pp.119-131.

Linz, J., 2018. A Qualitative Study of Master Patient Index (MPI) Record Challenges from Health Information Management Professionals’ Perspectives A Qualitative Study of Master Patient Index (MPI) Record Challenges from Health Information Management Professionals’ Perspectives. Perspectives in health information management,.

Marchewka, J., 2016. Information Technology Project Management: Providing Measurable Organizational Value, Fourth Edition. 5th ed. John Wiley & Sons.