T-System revises its H1N1 point-of-care charting templates

Sep 22 2009

T-System, Inc., the nation's largest provider of emergency department (ED) clinical documentation tools, today announced it has issued revised H1N1 point-of-care charting templates reflecting the most recent recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The charts, which are available for free download via the T-System Web site (www.tsystem.com/h1n1flu), now include discharge instructions for patients, developed by ExitCare, the leader in physician-authored, peer-reviewed, evidence-based Discharge Instruction and Patient Education information.

T-System has included three classes of charts in the download (physician, nurse and order sets) and has also developed a set for pediatric use as well as for primary and urgent care clinics. The charts include guidelines for both the H1N1 virus and seasonal flu that enable consistent documentation, diagnosis and treatment.

"T-System continues to closely monitor the evolving H1N1 situation. These revised templates help physicians and nurses in emergency departments, urgent care facilities and primary care practices to provide the most up-to-date, accurate, consistent and complete care to affected individuals," said Suzette Wier-Thorby, RN, senior vice president and chief nursing officer for T-System. "Our current flu documentation includes content to address seasonal flu as well as H1N1, and we are very pleased to announce the inclusion of discharge instructions, made possible through our partnership with ExitCare. This all works to ensure that providers have the tools they need to provide a full spectrum of care for their patients as flu cases continue to ramp up."

Initially released in May, the H1N1 templates from T-System provided immediate value for clinicians. "When H1N1 first hit, CDC guidelines were literally changing every day," according to Randy Pilgrim, MD, FACEP, President and Chief Medical Officer for The Schumacher Group, a leading emergency management firm. "Because we could continuously implement the most current information and guidelines across multiple emergency departments, thousands of physicians were able to remain focused on our core competency: delivering efficient, high quality patient care."

"The T-System has been an important partner with The Schumacher Group for over a decade," Dr. Pilgrim added. "The H1N1 t-sheets are a great example of T-System's leadership and commitment to impacting significant and timely documentation challenges in emergency medicine."

Although flu season typically begins in November, H1N1 has brought an early start to flu season, especially among colleges and public schools. While the H1N1 vaccine has recently been approved for broad national distribution, a report by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology predicts that intensive care units across the nation will still be under "enormous stress" to treat cases of H1N1 and seasonal flu. The report stated that between 30 and 50 percent of the American population could be infected with the H1N1 virus during the fall and winter.