Background:
Clinical pathways are designed to promote evidence informed, standardized care and improve patient outcomes. The current paper-based pathway is not used consistently by staff.
The E Pathway
A focus group was held with clinicians to determine the root causes of inconsistent use of the paper version of the pathway and to come to agreement on solutions to improve compliance. The message from staff was clear, we need to incorporate the pathway in the electronic patient record. An informatics specialist attended the focus group to facilitate discussion related to EPR options. Of note, existing patient education materials and the ACS electronic order set already exist and support the ACS care continuum of care.
A short-term and long-term EPR solution was agreed upon:
· Short-Term: Use of Notecetera feature in EPR. Used to review and incorporate the relevant interventions and outcomes into a document that can be accessed and used by providers,
· Long-Term: Develop a structured note in EPR.
A two-month pilot of the Notecetera pathway will assist with the:
· Identification of improvement opportunities prior to the implementation of the structured EPR note
· Assessment of the impact on workflow efficiency and documentation quality
· Evaluation clinicians feedback
Expected Benefits
· Improved standardization and harmonization of ACS care
· Reduced paper handling and double documentation
· Increased efficiency and communication for providers
· Improved provider satisfaction
If you would like to learn more, please contact: Lorraine Avery, CNS Cardiac Sciences at lavery@sbgh.mb.ca
