Analyzing Chairside Dialysis Treatment Data Using EHR Software

Today’s shift towards Electronic Health Record systems, or EHRs, is altering the way dialysis facilities conduct business.  Through the use of an EHR, facilities improve scheduling efficiency while eliminating costs associated with paper charting.  In addition to streamlining workflow and reducing costs, facilities can improve the quality of care by having patient treatment information readily available during the dialysis treatment.

The availability of treatment data is a fundamental benefit of EHR utilization.  In systems like Gaia, the EHR will track treatment activities in real-time for immediate reporting back to caregivers.  By having instant access to a patient’s past treatment history and lab results at chairside, caregivers are better equipped to take corrective action before and during dialysis treatments.  Through analyzing treatment trends, the staff can adjust daily treatment plans at the patient’s point of care. This oversight directly improves outcomes and reduces adverse treatment results. 

The concept of treatment trending is nothing new.   In the past, gathering segmented data from multiple sources left little time for analysis during treatment sessions.  This, coupled with the volume of paper charts to filter through, made the process a tedious chore.  With the use of a sophisticated EHR system, all patient treatment information is stored in one synchronized database.  Caregivers can scroll through pages of treatment data directly on their computer screen using powerful built-in treatment trending tools.  These reports are customizable. They gather treatment and patient information to display the specific data deemed most beneficial to the caregiver.  With this in hand, they are able to make informed decisions when preparing or beginning individual patient treatments.

The implementation of an EHR system offers many benefits both to the facility as well as the patients.  While improving efficiency and reducing costs are important, improving the quality of care delivered to patients is paramount for an EHR.  The ability to trend past results, combined with current treatment data, can help caregivers better meet individual patients’ treatment goals, outcomes, and plans of care.  Gaia Software is leading the way as innovators. We’re developing dialysis-specific treatment tools to better serve our customers and improve the overall quality of daily patient care.

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