SCCM Resource Library-What the VIRUS COVID-19 Registry Can Teach About the Future of EHRs

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The document discusses the challenges and potential improvements concerning Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and highlights the ongoing efforts led by Smith Heavner and the VIRUS COVID-19 Registry. In 2019, usability of EHRs was rated poorly, with a score of 45% by healthcare professionals, compared to higher scores given to technology like Google and Microsoft Excel. Heavner notes that EHRs were intended to enhance efficiency by providing comprehensive patient data access but have faced significant implementation challenges.<br /><br />Heavner's involvement with the VIRUS registry, initiated by the Society of Critical Care Medicine, aims to create a global database tracking ICU care patterns and safety of COVID-19 practices. However, challenges arise from varying data formats and EHR systems across institutions, complicating data extraction and compilation efforts. To combat this, Heavner's team developed Practical EHR Export Pathways to facilitate automated data extraction. While some institutions adapted the provided code efficiently, others struggled due to data format incompatibilities.<br /><br />Heavner suggests that institutions should aim to gather as much data as possible, leverage employees interested in data work, and engage with the VIRUS team for support. The hope for future EHR systems lies in more standardized data models or advanced technologies like machine learning and natural language processing to improve data consistency and usability.<br /><br />The document also promotes the Society of Critical Care Medicine's online courses designed for varied healthcare professionals to enhance critical care skills, including disaster management and pediatric care. It emphasizes the importance of such training, especially in times of potential ICU staffing shortages.

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Administration, Crisis Management, 2021, 00:03:18

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This article was first published in the Winter 2021 issue of Critical Connections.

Chaos—That is the word that comes to mind when Smith Heavner, BSN, MS, RN, PCCN, thinks about electronic health records (EHRs). And he is not alone. In 2019, a joint study by researchers at Stanford University, the Mayo Clinic, and the American Medical Association found that healthcare professionals graded EHRs with an F for usability.¹ The researchers conducted a survey, to which more than 5000 physicians responded, giving EHRs a usability score of 45%.1 In contrast, in a similar study, Google received a usability score of 93%, while ATMs, GPS, and Microsoft Excel all fared better (82%, 71%, and 57%, respectively) by comparison.¹

Critical Connections, the critical care industry's only newsmagazine, provides information on cutting-edge topics in critical care useful to the entire multiprofessional team.

Meta Tag

Content Type Article

Knowledge Area Administration

Knowledge Area Crisis Management

Knowledge Level Foundational

Knowledge Level Intermediate

Knowledge Level Advanced

Membership Level Select

Membership Level Professional

Membership Level Associate

Tag Informatics

Tag COVID-19

Year 2021

Keywords

Electronic Health Records

EHR usability

Smith Heavner

VIRUS COVID-19 Registry

data extraction

ICU care patterns

Society of Critical Care Medicine

machine learning

natural language processing

critical care training

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