Technological Advances
Our Technological Advances Promote Patient Safety
UC San Diego Medical Center is committed to continually investing in cutting edge technologies and equipment that promote patient safety. Some examples include:
Most Wired Hospital
UC San Diego Medical Center has been ranked one of the nation’s “Most Wired” as well as “Most Wireless” hospitals by Hospitals and Health Networks for the past three years. This speaks to our broad deployment of systems to facilitate patient safety and convenience across the medical center and clinics. By providing wireless access, our physicians and nurses utilize the electronic health record and all of its tools right at the bedside!
EPIC: Electronic Health Record
UC San Diego Medical Center is a leader in the healthcare industry’s conversion to an electronic medical record (EMR), a computer-based version of the patient chart. Live with computerized order entry by physicians in our inpatient areas since 2004, our Medical Center has demonstrated clear safety achievements in the areas of controlling sugar levels in our diabetic inpatients and preventing blood clots. In 2005, we embarked on a conversion to an enterprise electronic health record, starting in our ambulatory clinics. The medical center will be launching the inpatient conversion in 2010. The enterprise EHR allows healthcare providers immediate access to a patient’s medical records, prescriptions and lab results. In addition, the EHR has virtually eliminated the risk for lost information and made it easier to meet The Joint Commission’s National Patient Safety Goals. Moreover, coordinated care is enhanced as the healthcare team can access patient records simultaneously; greatly improving communication in a seamless process for healthcare providers.
MyUCSDChart
Have you ever wished you could check your medical records at home or on the road? Now you can. UC San Diego Medical Center patients now have the ability to access a portion of their own medical record on the Internet, any time of day or night through a Web-based service called MyUCSDChart®. Fast, easy and totally secure, MyUCSDChart® is a breakthrough in physician-patient communication, and yet another example of how information technology is improving health care. All that is needed is internet access and an e-mail account.
Color-Coded Patient Alerts Wristbands
Following the recommendations of the Association of California Nurse Leaders and the California Hospital Association, UC San Diego Medical Center implemented a standardized, color-coded patient alert, wristbands. These wristbands also include barcoded patient identification, which allows for medications or tests to be matched with the right patient at the moment of care.
Following the recommendations of the Association of California Nurse Leaders and the California Hospital Association, UC San Diego Medical Center implemented a standardized, color-coded patient alert, wristband. Our clinicians attach color-coded alert clasps to patients' wristbands based on their specific safety needs (like risk for falling). These wristbands also include barcoded patient identification, which ensures that medications and tests are matched with the right patient at the moment of care.
eQVR: Sharing information improves patient safety
UC San Diego Medical Center has an online event reporting system (eQVR) that allows any employee to report a near miss, process problem, or patient event. UC San Diego Medical Center employees are encouraged to report events so that we can identify flaws in the system and implement changes before they impact the patient. As always, ensuring our patients’ safety is an essential part of our commitment to putting patients first.
Quality Office
UCSD Medical Center
200 West Arbor Drive
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 543-6475