Data Management System Offers Benefits Beyond an Electronic Record

Edy Zelinka, CCP, Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, Washington, purchased a data management system two years ago. Standardizing her practice and having an electronic record were the primary reasons she purchased the TLink™ Data Management System.

She lists four reasons she’s a proponent of using an electronic record:

Accurate Records. “Standardization is the primary reason,” she says. All clinicians have their own writing style and abbreviations. “We don’t have to interpret handwriting anymore. We wanted an electronic record for more accuracy.”

Customizable. “There are many unique data fields our hospital collects, and I was able to customize a template to accommodate these fields,” says Ms. Zelinka. “In addition, I was able to create calculations within the system to make my job easier.”

Query function: The built-in Query Manager can optimize analysis following the case. Perfusionists can search patient records for information relevant to studies. “I used it yesterday to find the average dose of cardioplegia we gave in 2009. I put the data in Excel and found our mean data for 2009,” Ms. Zelinka reports. “It’s very handy.”

Ease of use. “Prior to purchasing the TLink System, we had never used electronic charting – and it took just a few days to get comfortable with the system,” she begins. “Our team did both manual and electronic charting initially – and we quickly got rid of the written record. Once we learned what it can do for us, it is very user friendly.”

Terumo Cardiovascular Systems Clinical Specialist Tom Baranowski created the templates for Providence Regional Medical Center and provided on-site assistance. “I have experience but not expertise,” confirms Ms. Zelinka, adding that you don’t have to be an expert to use the system clinically.

Ms. Zelinka is employed by perfusion group Advanced Perfusion Care which has another account at Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia, Washington. The St. Peter Hospital staff purchased a TLink System after documenting Ms. Zelinka’s experience with it. “Our company is becoming standardized and I was able to share my templates with them,” she says. “The hospital is thrilled to pull up a record and have no missing information.

“The best part is that we don’t have to print out the record and don’t have to decipher handwriting,” Ms. Zelinka says. “It’s moving us toward standardization.”