Using the SAFER Guide to Discover Areas of Risk and Improvements

Using the SAFER Guides to evaluate the risks associated with implementing an EHR system at Allen Hospital was an enlightening experience. It helped me understand the importance of identifying potential risks and addressing them proactively to ensure the success of an informatics project. By identifying risks associated with implementing an EHR system at Allen Hospital, I focused on developing a risk mitigation plan that addresses each identified risk.

This experience taught me the importance of working collaboratively with stakeholders and subject matter experts to develop a comprehensive risk mitigation plan. Identifying risks and developing a mitigation plan requires input from various stakeholders, including IT staff, clinicians, and administrators, to ensure all potential risks are identified and adequately addressed (Bhagat et al., 2020). This experience will be helpful in my future practice as a DNP nurse, where I will be responsible for leading large-scale informatics projects. I now understand the importance of utilizing SAFER Guides to identify potential risks associated with implementing new technology in healthcare settings. I will use this experience to guide my future practice, emphasizing the importance of collaboration and proactive risk management to implement informatics projects in healthcare settings successfully.

In short, the experience of using SAFER Guides to discover areas of risk and focus improvement efforts has provided me with valuable insights and skills that will be useful in my future practice. I now understand the importance of proactive risk management and collaboration to implement informatics projects in healthcare settings successfully.

Conclusions

The SAFER Guides were an invaluable tool in identifying potential risks and areas for improvement related to implementing an Electronic Health Record system at Allen Hospital. Using the SAFER Guides, we better understood the hospital’s current IT infrastructure, contingency planning, system interfaces, patient identification, clinical workflow, and communications (Dash et al., 2019). With this knowledge, we can now develop a comprehensive risk mitigation plan that addresses these areas and ensures the successful implementation of the EHR system. As a DNP nurse, the experience of using the SAFER Guides has been beneficial in preparing for future informatics/technology implementation projects and enhanced my understanding of the importance of risk assessment and mitigation in healthcare technology.

References

Adane, K., Gizachew, M., & Kendie, S. (2019). The role of medical data in efficient patient care delivery: A review. Risk Management and Healthcare Policy, Volume 12(12), 67–73.

https://doi.org/10.2147/rmhp.s179259 

Aguirre, R. R., Suarez, O., Fuentes, M., & Sanchez-Gonzalez, M. A. (2019). Electronic health record implementation: A review of resources and tools. Cureus, 11(9).