You’ve probably heard about the game-changing benefits of implementing an Anesthesia Information Management System (AIMS): time savings; ease of use; greater legibility and accuracy; reliability and defensibility; improved patient monitoring, and giving clinicians more time to focus on the patient.
But how do you decide on which AIMS solution is best for you? Here are the top 9 things to look for:
1. Ease of Learning, Ease of Use
The best AIMS take very little time to learn, and offer quick, comprehensive documentation. This makes it easy for clinicians to do their jobs and focus more on the patient. Here’s how:
- Hot buttons help speed procedures
- Anesthesia management systems save time by giving clinicians the patient demographic information they need right up front
- Comprehensive templates allow the clinician to document from one screen
- Intuitive functionality saves time by reducing the clicks needed to complete a task
2. Anesthesia-Specific Documentation Templates
To make it easier for clinicians to document pertinent information accurately, ensure that the AIMS offers a wide range of templates tailored for anesthesia documentation. These should:
- Cover various types of surgeries, procedures and anesthesia techniques
- Include preoperative assessments, intraoperative events, drug administration, vital signs, fluid balance and postoperative recovery data
- Enable easy capture, storage and retrieval of relevant patient information
3. Full Integration and Interoperability
Check to see if the AIMS can:
- Seamlessly integrate with existing hospital systems such as EHRs, medical devices, plus lab, pharmacy and billing systems
- Streamline data exchange to enhance efficiency and accuracy
- Integrate without the use of third-parties Otherwise, you could incur heavy costs and increased liability
4. Workflow Optimization
The system should be intuitive, user-friendly, and render one contiguous record. This will improve efficiency. Also, look for features that streamline anesthesia workflows, such as:
- Configurable preoperative checklists
- Automated data capture from patient monitors
- Near real-time notifications
- Medication Management
5. Verify that the AIMS Solution supports:
- Medication dispensing systems integration; such as Omnicell or Pyxis
- Automated dose calculations
- Drug interaction checks and allergy alerts
6. Analytics and Reporting
Advanced onboard data analytics save massive amounts of time in producing comprehensive reports and dashboards to:
- Analyze trends, outcomes, quality metrics and performance indicators
- Facilitate clinical research
- Promote quality improvement initiatives
- Generate compliance reports
7. Regulatory Compliance
Compliance ensures patient privacy, data security and interoperability with other healthcare systems. Every good AIMS should:
- Be compliant with HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
8. Scalability and Future-Proofing
Hospitals need change over time. So, when evaluating an AIMS, consider scalability. The AIMS should be able to handle:
- Ever-increasing volumes of data
- Cases outside the OR
- Future enhancements and integrations
9. Training and Support for your AIMS solution
Before deciding on an AIMS, make certain you:
- Ensure adequate training is provided for a smooth transition and proficient use of the system
- Assess the vendor’s reputation for customer support
- Ask for references to evaluate their responsiveness to queries or technical issues
Take AIM and reap the rewards
Reach out to Picis
As with any major technology acquisition, when considering an AIMS, it’s crucial to involve key stakeholders—anesthesiologists, administrators, plus IT and HIM professionals—in the process to choose the solution that best meets your organization’s needs and goals.
Picis is a global provider of clinical information solutions that automate the entire perioperative experience—including our acclaimed Anesthesia Manager. Our clinical and IT experts can help you evaluate your operation and choose the right AIMS for your needs.
Contact us to learn more.
Tel +1 781 557 3000
info@picis.com
