Epic Barcode Blood Administration feature

[ELOMELI]

We have recently gone live with Epic as our EMR and along with it the nursing folks decided to turn on the 'partial matching' feature offered by Epic. We are seriously re-evaluating the value of having this feature turned on as it provides a false impression to nursing that Epic is performing a more thorough match between patient an unit. After examining the documentation on the BCBA feature on Epics sharepoint site it is clear that all that is occuring is a crosscheck between the patient and any unit number result posted on a patient from the lab system.

I would like to know if any other sites currently have Epic as their EMR and how they handle blood administration. Do you still document on paper? Are you using the BCBA feature? Does your site document vitals in Epic via the blood administration flow sheet?

Any information would be greatly appreciated.

[tbostock]

We decided not to use the Epic blood administration module as it is not FDA approved. We are still, unfortunately, on paper until we get approval for an electronic bedside blood admin system.

[AngiB]

We do not use the blood administration module but we do use the blood administration flowsheet. That has worked fairly well for us for documentation. We audit it for completeness. Actually nursing audits it. We have seen a significant improvement in the charting as time has gone by and people have become comfortable with it.