Medication management is one of the core services that many assisted living communities offer. It's a necessary function given that 90% of older adults take at least one prescription medication daily, and 36% regularly take at least five medications. Residents and their families rely on community staff to track and administer medication safely and without errors.
Adopting a secure, accurate electronic medication administration record (EMAR) solution can streamline the medication administration process. Studies show that EMAR systems can reduce medication errors, prevent adverse outcomes, and improve safety for residents in long-term care communities. In addition, these systems simplify communication between community staff, outside healthcare providers, and pharmacies.
Implementing an EMAR system is less complicated than you might think, particularly if you work with a vendor who can help you with each step of the implementation process.
Before you start looking for an EMAR solution, you should have a clear sense of what you need that system to accomplish for your community. You may want to upgrade your medication administration to address a variety of common management concerns, such as:
Consider your medication administration system and assess what aspects of that system work well. Likewise, identify where your current system has shortfalls that an EMAR solution could address. Survey the staff who use the current system and find out what changes they would like. This will guide the process of selecting the right system for your organization’s needs.
Each senior living community is unique and has unique data management needs. The most popular system may not be the right system for your organization. Talk to your colleagues in the field and ask them about their systems and what they would change if they had the opportunity.
You may find that your senior living community will be best served by EMAR software designed specifically for senior living communities, with flexibility for growth. For instance, Eldermark's EMAR system offers scalable features such as:
Once you've settled on a system, you should bring together a team to prepare for EMAR implementation. Draw on people from all the departments that will use the EMAR system. Your EMAR implementation team might include people such as:
If you prefer to bring in expert help to take the system live, choose an EMAR vendor that provides a software implementation team. Eldermark can work with you to develop an EMAR implementation plan. Eldermark provides constant expert support during the initial implementation phase and provides ongoing customer support and training for as long as you use the system.
Since EMAR systems synchronize with electronic health records, billing software, and other resident data, it's important to carefully integrate the new platform with legacy systems. Work with your EMAR vendor or IT staff to manage functions such as:
Once the framework of the new system is in place, you should train staff on using it. Establishing a standard EMAR training module will help current staff use the new tools effectively and train new staff over time.
Many vendors, including Eldermark, offer free tutorials that staff can use to familiarize themselves with the system. In addition, Eldermark offers ongoing support to customers, including online resources, online chat help, and a call center.
Once your EMAR technology is in place, you can take the system live and start using it for the administration of medication. During the initial days of using the new system, staff should double-check residents' medication information to ensure there are no medication administration errors. You can ease the transition process with some temporary staffing changes such as:
As your staff becomes more comfortable with the system, ask them for feedback and suggestions on how to adjust and improve the use of the EMAR solution.
Implementing an EMAR system can create increased safety and satisfaction for residents and staff. Eldermark provides integrated EMAR solutions and comprehensive customer support for every step of the process. Schedule a free demo and learn more about how our EMAR can reduce medication errors, increase staff efficiency, and satisfy residents.