Building a Culture of Patient Safety with Eye Care Leaders

You might be a patient’s ophthalmologist, but it’s highly unlikely that you’re the only provider he or she is seeing. Patients often consult several providers at the same time, and every provider must have the same knowledge about the patient’s overall health condition.

Overlaps in patient care without proper communication among providers and visibility to all stakeholders often result in providers having a fragmented view of the patient’s history, diagnosis, and ongoing treatments. This could lead to clinical errors, often impacting care and threatening patient safety.

Fundamentals of patient safety

To ensure patient safety, three things play a crucial role – people, processes, and technology. Technology is the glue that holds people and processes together. The right technology can improve care quality, increase efficiency, and reduce costs while streamlining communication between providers and improving patient safety.

When we think of improving patient care through technology, we often think of electronic health record (EHR) systems. And this is where Eye Care Leaders (ECL) comes in!

Trusted by thousands of ophthalmologists and optometrists, Eye Care Leaders is the most reputable source for ophthalmology-specific EHR and Practice Management systems. As a company that supports providers in their mission to ensure consistent care, ECL places a lot of emphasis on patient safety and implements safeguards within the EHR software.

With ECL’s EHR systems, ophthalmologists can digitize, consolidate, and access patients’ health records easily and quickly, thus driving timely and informed decisions.

But contrary to popular belief, EHRs do more than gathering and storing patient information. According to the report, 75% of providers say EHR enables them to deliver better patient care, which results in higher patient satisfaction and fewer clinical errors. And, fewer clinical errors means improved patient safety.

How ECL’s EHR systems boost patient safety?

ECL has no shortage of exposure when it comes to installing and maintaining EHR systems. The company is always pushing its EHR software to the limits, ensuring coordinated care that improves patient safety. Here are some of the ways EHRs promote patient safety:

Efficient documentation: EHRs provide more accurate and efficient documentation. For instance, when a patient complains of a red eye, a good EHR system will automatically prompt specific questions about the history of the patients and prompt the optometrist to record which eye is affected; other associated symptoms, such as itching, pain, or discharge; how long the illness has been present; and the onset and frequency of the problem. These notes and test results can be electronically forwarded to other ophthalmologists involved in the patient’s care to ensure seamless care delivery and enhance patient safety.

Streamlined communication: Communication is a prerequisite to providing quality care and improving patient safety. ECL’s EHR systems allow different optometrists involved in the case to immediately access images and exam results in real-time to better visualize and understand the patient’s condition, thus improving compliance and medical outcome. Aside from improved communications amongst providers, there are many other ways our EHRs allow optometrists to provide patients with a more human experience. For instance, patients’ contact preferences are set into the software, so before an appointment, the office staff can send reminders to patients via text, email, or phone call. This essential feature helps improve patient safety by reminding them of upcoming appointments.

Improved patient engagement: EHR-enabled patient portals give patients access to critical health data, such as lab tests, vaccination history, medications, diagnoses, and more. Instead of carrying printed versions of tests and prescriptions, patients can simply log in to the patient portal to access the information they need in near real-time – and many EHRs even allow patients to send secure messages to their optometrists. Allowing patients access to their records puts them in the decision-making process, giving them more control over their health, thereby increasing compliance.

Conclusion

The EHR system is a significant boost to patient management and safety as the involved optometrists can access patients’ information in one location. If you’re ready to improve patient safety in your eye care practice, ECL offers a comprehensive range of EHR solutions that can empower your medical staff with the right tools. Contact us to learn how ECL can help you reduce errors, improve patient care, and streamline workflows.