White Paper: Automating Your Critical Care Units

The decision to computerize the documentation in your critical care units is an investment in your staff and your patients. Electronic medical records can improve communications between caregivers, streamline workflow and improve patient safety. Legible, real-time, complete and accessible documentation are just some of the reasons that critical care units throughout the U.S. have made the choice to leave the paper behind and implement an electronic medical record. And with a goal for all Americans to have an electronic health record, the decision to implement today is really less about whether to computerize and more about what type of critical care solution is best suited to the demands of your workflow.

There are many considerations when exploring critical care documentation solutions including how well a system addresses the clinical requirements of your department, the technology platform of the documentation system, the support and service provided over the life of the system, and the system's total cost of ownership. Exercising due diligence in the vendor selection process requires a detailed analysis of each of these areas to ensure you make the right decision for your staff and patients.