|
|
spring 2007 |
 |
|
h
e a l t h t e c h n o l o g y
How EMR is
transforming primary care
One physician talks
about the challenges and rewards
|
|
|
Jonathan Carpenter Photo |
|
|
|
|
The dawn of the electronic
medical record (EMR) is not only transforming the way family practice
clinics across Canada are managing workflows, it’s also having a
profound effect on the way physicians interact with patients and each
other.
|
|
|
|
By Jonathan Carpenter |
|
The dawn of the electronic medical
record (EMR) is not only transforming the way family practice
clinics across Canada are managing workflows, it’s also having a
profound effect on the way physicians interact with patients and
each other.
Dr. Percy Crocker, a family physician with
the Newfoundland Drive Family Practice in St. John’s, is one of 27
physicians and dozens of clinic staff participating in the
Practice
Management/Electronic Medical Record Urban Pilot Project, under the
province’s Primary Health Care Enhanced Information Technology Project.
Although the initial leap to a computerized clinic was a considerable
challenge for physicians there, Dr. Crocker says he can’t imagine ever
going back to a paper-based practice.
“The driving force behind the need for EMR
for us was trying to figure out how to manage our tremendous number of
patients and the more then 15,000 patient charts,” says Dr. Crocker.
An EMR is a computer-based record system
of a patient’s health information compiled by a single office or clinic.
It allows physicians to perform a multitude of tasks from updating
progress notes to writing prescriptions. The software used in the pilot
project is developed by Wolf Medical Systems and encompasses four
separate modules, including billing, scheduling, workflow planning, and
clinical operations such as chronic disease management, referrals and
laboratory results processing.
“I anticipated it to be quite painful;
however, it wasn’t as bad as I had feared. It makes for more concise
recording of the information...that can be exchanged quite easily among
physicians and staff. It also allows you to better manage your charts
and accumulate data in a way that can be used for preventative care
medicine,” says Dr. Crocker.
The switch to EMR systems can sometimes be
expensive, especially when upfront costs for the equipment and licensing
fees are required, but Dr. Crocker says costs are compensated by
increased office efficiently and productivity.
“It’s just a matter of getting comfortable
with the new workflow,” says Dr. Crocker. “Fortunately, the program is
robust enough that we can customize and adapt the software to how our
office operates. It has also allowed us to manage our patients a lot
better, especially when it comes to recalling them for treatments or for
monitoring charts and flow sheets.”
At the Newfoundland Drive Family Practice
Clinic, each office and examining room is equipped with a computer that
has access to EMR. Physicians there can demonstrate and explain
information using the screen and invite patients to become interactive
participants in the encounter.
“Most patients are familiar with computers
and they are delighted to see that we’re moving forward. That’s why it’s
really important to be comfortable with the keyboard. It would be
awkward for the patient if you were struggling so the more comfortable
you are with the keyboard, the more comfortable you will be with the
doctor-patient encounter,” says Dr. Crocker.
The EMR system can also improve the way
physicians and health care professionals communicate with one another by
allowing them to work as a virtual team. Using the interdisciplinary
approach and remote EMR access, information is shared and decisions are
made collaboratively without ever being in the same office.
“I think this is the way primary health
care is inevitably headed, especially with the move towards the
electronic health record (EHR). The biggest challenge is simply shifting
from the way things used to be. I think physicians need to know that the
leap from paper to paperless is not as traumatic as they may think.
These systems are so user friendly that they are easily adaptable no
matter what your age or computer skills.”
Did You Know?
In 1990, Dr. Robert Randell, a General
Surgeon at the Carbonear General Hospital, was the first physician in
Newfoundland and Labrador to develop his own electronic medical record
system by adapting technology originally designed for veterinary
practice. Dr. Jackie Elliott, Dr. Carla Tulk and Dr. Terry Fogwill of
the Airport Heights Medical Clinic were the first physicians in the
province to implement a fully-computerized medical clinic using
commercial EMR software.
Jonathan Carpenter is a public relations student completing a work
term placement at NLMA.
|
