New EMR system ends "chart chase"

After more than a year of planning and training, HMF has begun the transition to an electronic medical records (EMR) system. The new system, developed by Misys Healthcare, is designed to save time by letting your doctor view your complete medical information right from his or her computer.

"No more chicken scratches!," says Laura Mabie, M.D., whose HMF office is first in line to start using the new system. "The EMR system puts all the doctor’s notes—including medication instructions — in legible electronic form. So when a patient or the pharmacy calls regarding a prescription, that medical record is available now, not later when the chart is pulled from the file or the doctor has time to return the call."

According to Misys representative Ann Marie Lockwood, the end of the paper file offers many benefits. "Patients get better care because the doctor has a very powerful partner in the EMR system. He or she can search a patient’s file in seconds, rather than shuffling through a thick file. And instead of opening the Physician’s Desk Reference, the doctor can check for drug interactions online with a few keystrokes."

Other system features include:

• complete tracking of ordered tests and procedures,
• the ability to fax prescriptions to pharmacies that accept faxes,
• the ability to transmit medical information to the emergency room, hospital, or your specialist,
• health maintenance tracking, and
• concise summaries of current problems and essential information from your medical history.

In addition, the EMR system offers reminders based on your age, gender, risk factors, personal history and other attributes. For instance, when a woman sees her doctor for a sports injury, the EMR system will remind the doctor that she is due for a Pap smear. Digital forms and checklists help your doctor capture all the information pertinent to a condition or problem.

"I think the EMR system will make us better doctors by prompting more questions and discussion," says Dr. Mabie.

Another advantage of the EMR system is space savings. "Between the current charts and older files, we are required to keep a huge volume of records. That requires lots of space at each office," says Dr. Mabie. "This space could be better used for additional exam rooms or diagnostic equipment."

While more than one person can access your electronic file at the same time, that easy access is strictly limited to authorized HMF doctors and staff. The information itself is kept on a secure server in an HMF-controlled virtual private network (VPN) that uses encryption, passwords and other safeguards.

HMF will convert all seven offices, one at a time, until all patients are in the EMR system. The transition should be complete by summer 2005. Existing paper records are being scanned for inclusion in the electronic file. No more dog-eared file folders that need to be filed and retrieved each time you call or visit your HMF office!

Of course, any major change takes some getting used to. "The learning curve is substantial," admits Dr. Mabie. "The first few months will be a challenge until we get comfortable using the system. After that everyone will be a lot happier!"