AORN to Develop Standardized Perioperative EHR

ANAHEIM, Calif. – During the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) 55th Annual Congress, the association's board of directors approved the development of an electronic Standardized Perioperative Record (SPR).  This development initiative will result in the creation of a standardized record that will be integrated into perioperative information systems. 

The SPR will incorporate AORN's standardized nursing vocabulary, the Perioperative Nursing Data Set (PNDS), and align with clinical standards, accreditation specifications, and regulatory requirements to promote ongoing compliance and consistent patient care.  

Standardized, evidence-based data derived from SPR documentation will be gathered into a secure national data repository. This data repository will support benchmarking activities across settings and institutions and will enable OR health care professionals to measure outcomes and evaluate the quality and effectiveness of care. 

"As the recognized authority for safe operating room practices and the definitive source of perioperative guiding principles, AORN is uniquely positioned to lead the creation of a truly comprehensive standardized patient record. The SPR will provide reliable data that can be used for many operational and clinical evaluations such as identifying the effectiveness of care, utilization of resources, and evaluating costs in relation to desired outcomes," explains Carol Petersen, RN, BSN, MAOM, CNOR, manager, perioperative informatics in AORN's Center for Nursing Practice.

"With the advent of federal requirements for all patients to have an electronic health record by 2014, AORN is leading perioperative professionals into the future of healthcare. The approval of this initiative by our board of directors clearly demonstrates AORN's continued support and commitment to perioperative professionals" says AORN executive director Linda Groah, RN, MSN, CNOR, FAAN. "This innovative initiative to create an electronic standardized, evidence-based data collection system will, ultimately, improve the quality of patient care during the surgical experience."

AORN has engaged Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) to create the SPR and the data repository. "CSC enhances the quality of care delivery and clinical outcomes by providing improved performance through interoperable, standards-based information systems and optimized management processes," adds Deward Watts, vice president and managing partner, CSC's Health Services Sector. “We've established a worldwide track record of success in helping our clients achieve superior results through innovative solutions and thought leadership, such as this initiative with AORN."

AORN and CSC are now beginning the development of SPR and AORN will share further details of this important initiative as they are available.

Source: AORN

Share this article: Email, Slashdot, Digg, Del.icio.us, Yahoo!MyWeb, Windows Live Favorites, Furl
Add this article feed to: RSS, My Yahoo, Newsgator, Bloglines