Expanding Electronic Health Records to Include Nursing Data

Electronic health records and other health information technology solutions have traditionally focused primarily on medical practice, including laboratory and pharmacy.  As the largest health provider group in the nation, nurses have the potential to transform health care delivery. Health information solutions that support evidence based decision making on the part of nurses must be developed in collaboration with practicing nurses if they are to be successfully integrated into real world practice environments.  Clinical data also must be easily retrievable to provide a rich source of data for research.  This presentation outlines innovations in the development of nursing focused IT solutions and their potential to improve patient safety, quality and cost.