Surgical Information Systems detailed five ways electronic anesthesia documentation can improve post-anesthesia care, specifically regarding patient care handoffs.
Here are the insights they shared:
1. During handoffs, care providers can lose information on a patient’s allergies or medications, which could cause the next care provider to make a mistake. By using electronic documentation, care providers can get a head start on the handoff process before it begins by looking at the patient’s record before they leave the operating room.
2. All providers can access the same data when electronic anesthesia documentation is tied in with the nursing record, reducing the potential for errors.
3. If anesthesia and nursing documentation is shared on the same database, nurses can view what drugs were given at what time and when a new dose needs to be given.
4. Surgical Information Systems stressed the importance of remote access of data and sharing of medication re-dosing as well as vital sign trends during handoffs.
5. Device integration alongside electronic anesthesia documentation systems can capture a patient’s vital signs as soon as they are connected to monitors and before the clinician opens the record. This may help providers focus on the handoff from anesthesia rather than charting vitals.