Planning for an Electronic Medical Record: Research Based Guidelines
"New Milford Hospital (NMH) is an 85bed community hospital in Connecticut facing the challenge of keeping pace with the rapidly evolving healthcare information technology environment. NMH asked the Capstone team to help its Health Information Technology Committee prepare to upgrade their current core system and develop a strategic plan for achieving a fully integrated Electronic Medical Record (EMR). NMH believes this will greatly improve patient care and allow the hospital to participate in regional healthcare data exchange. The Capstone team identified and interviewed best practice community hospitals that have implemented a functional EMR. It then compared and analyzed the core EMR products of several vendors, assessing their benefits and limitations to NMH, and verifying their match to its infrastructure and resources. The team's final report provides recommended transition plans, after the selection of a suitable core vendor, as the hospital migrates towards a comprehensive EMR. "