Issn Print: 1071-5754
Publication Date: 2005/05/01
CREATIVE USE OF BASIC DATABASE SOFTWARE TO PROMOTE COST-EFFECTIVE CARE, MONITOR OUTCOMES, AND MANAGE CLINIC OPERATIONS FOR WOUND CARE PROGRAMS: 649
Excerpt
PURPOSE: A basic computer database software program was instrumental in patient management for an outpatient wound care program. This freestanding information system required a reasonable initial financial investment by the hospital with minimal ongoing expense. It provided critical clinical information for the wound specialists to provide comprehensive wound care. OBJECTIVE: The management of a wound care patient can be a complex process with involved treatment follow-up and progress review to achieve healing outcomes. Wound specialists must provide timely, appropriate care in order to decrease length of stay and promote cost-effective treatment. As an outpatient wound care program expands, the wound care specialists need tools to assure comprehensive care management on a day-to-day basis. A database information management system is instrumental in tracking patient demographics, marketing details, day-to-day clinic operations, clinical outcomes and financial information of the wound care program. For this small rural hospital, the financial investment in such programs was cost-prohibitive. Purchasing a basic database program and investing in computer training for the director achieved a reasonable alternative. A wound care database was then designed to provide for the management of patient clinical information in this growing outpatient program. OUTCOMES: In the first year of use, 419 patients with 553 wounds were entered into the database. There were 121 different physicians referring 202 patients. Visit compliance was monitored weekly. Wound-healing outcomes (wounds healed during a timeframe) were calculated at 86.1%. The database is in its fourth year of use with 1400 patients and 3000 wounds now entered into the system at minimal financial reinvestment. CONCLUSION: The use of information systems can enhance the care management of patient with wounds. With a reasonable investment in basic computer training and purchase of common database software, a wound care program can readily monitor outcomes, patient care and overall program operations.
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