Electronic medical records to debut for physician offices
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Surrounded by hundreds of printed patient records, office manager Kelly Martin, left, and Dr. Mark Tramontozzi, look at one of the records. With easy access to the hospital’s electronic records, physicians and office staff will be able to reduce paperwork.
More than two years’ worth of work will come to fruition on Oct. 19 as Backus moves toward creating a communitywide electronic health record system.
The initiative will put the offices of participating eastern Connecticut doctors and the hospital on the same software network, and will allow all providers to share information for greater continuity of care. An electronic record will add to patient safety and allow for more efficient care.
The Backus Health Centers and Backus Physician Services will be the first locations to move to the paperless process, which has been in place at the hospital for years.
“This is the wave of the future,” said Carolyn Ferrara, MIS Director of Physician Applications. “It means not having to search through charts and having everything at your fingertips.”
For doctors, the ability to access patient information — whether it be a primary care physician, a specialist or the hospital itself — will create a seamless system for all parties. Basic information on file will include data such as blood type, allergies and current medications.
For patients, paperwork should be drastically reduced as the duplication of forms from office to office should be eliminated. Insurance information can also be kept cur- rent.
“This will include being able to give patients an electronic copy of their chart and being able to transfer patient information electronically between offices,” said Pamela Muccilli, Vice President and Chief Information Officer.
The process is also designed to be user friendly for patients as well as doctors. A patient portal, where patients can look up their own medical information, is also planned as the EMR installations move into more offices.
“How many times have you needed your childrens’ immunization records and you need to call someone or leave a message to get that information?” asked Mark Tramontozzi, MD, a surgeon on the Backus Medical Staff and a member of the EMR Governance Committee. “Now it will all be instantly accessible.”
All of the EMR training classes will be conducted at Backus’ new Business and Technology Center in the Norwich Business Park. In addition to the three training rooms, there is also mock physician office that includes a waiting room, registration desk, nurse station, and exam room. All of the latest technology will be available so physicians can test and get a feel for the EMR process before using it in a live setting.
Vigilant oversight is also part of the equation. Even though the access to information will now be Web-based, that doesn’t mean the information is easily accessed. An audit trail will be in place to track who has accessed the patient records.
“There will be wider information out there,” said Dr. Tramontozzi, “but stricter controls to who sees that information. It’s going to be a clearly defined process.”