Case Scenario:
Robert works in the medical records office at Garden View Hospital. Because the hospital does not have a policy of providing clinical summaries to patients after each visit, Robert frequently receives calls from patients requesting copies of their health information (such as test results, vital statistics, diagnostic information, and medication lists and dosages). For every request, Robert must retrieve the patient information from the hospital's EHR system, print out hard copies of the records, and then either mail the records or wait for the patient to retrieve them in person. Additionally, Robert's hospital often receives lab test results for patients from certified third-party providers. These results are not automatically transferred from the provider's EHR system to the hospital's EHR system, so Robert often must contact the providers before responding to a patient's request. Robert also finds that he and his colleagues in the office spend a considerable amount of time printing, mailing, and faxing immunization records to patients' workplaces, schools, and volunteer organizations, which can be disruptive to the office's other responsibilities.
Post an explanation of the most prominent workflow gap in the scenario you selected, including who is responsible for the gap and the outcomes or consequences. Explain how a gap analysis would be conducted to gather further information and determine strategies for addressing the gap and provide the steps in the selection of the best strategy.