Many pundits say that the healthcare industry is in "crisis" and the problems outweigh the solutions. It is true that escalating costs, privacy issues and inefficient flow of information takes its toll on proper care. Fortunately "quality of care" advances have helped stem the tide of "crisis". Electronic Medical Records have certainly been a plus for practices around the world. Using them properly can help doctors deliver a standard of care that has vastly improved the process.
Recordkeeping in healthcare has been in a stagnant state for decades. The flow of information is more important than ever and can have far reaching positive effects. It has succeeded in the following areas:
Preventive Care. The largest single cost in healthcare is disease that is not properly diagnosed, maintained or treated proactively. Other complications include neglected patients, allergic reactions to medications, and drug interactions.
Patient Charts. Because charts are used to record every interaction with the patient, the amount of paper and keeping track of it is difficult. From a phone call from a patient to visits in the office, the practice must find the chart before taking any kind of action. The provider must also examine the chart to read history, lab tests and referrals every time he sees a patient. On completion of the visit, staff must document or transcribe the results including the diagnosis. Then there are the insurance requirements to guarantee payment.
Specialists. The General Practitioner is a thing of the past. There are medical specialists for every part of the human body. This means that each medical practice will have its own set of patient records, disconnected from the others and counting on the patient to remember information to properly fill out forms.
Outside Agencies. Government and commercial payers are pushing from more preventive care to reduce claims. They are offering compliance bonuses, re-negotiating fees, and are requiring detailed documentation for reimbursements.
Electronic Medical Records are not restricted by the limitations of paper. With the power of these programs and faster computers providers will continue to see a positive change in healthcare.
Listed are some benefits that will continue to evolve:
• Medical staff can access the data simultaneously
• Changing conditions of the patient (treatment, insurance) would be highlighted in the EMR
• Patient Education would be tracked and monitored
• Payments would be collected quickly
• Time lost looking through charts for information would be eliminated
• Misplaced charts would become a thing of the past
Coordinating care with other providers remains the biggest issue in healthcare today. Quality care coordination is a step in the right direction especially with the introduction of EMRs (Electronic Medical Records) and can spark a mini revolution in terms of caring for the patient. Tracking an elderly patient as he moves from one doctor to the next is a prime example for communication between physicians. Having all the data when a patient sees specialist and having a person designated to follow the progress of the patient will certainly improve outcomes.
These are the building blocks for coordinated care in the future. By connecting all the resources that are available the patient can be assured that his health comes first and the system is working for him. Some of the resources include pharmacy, long term care, preventive measures, specialty care, telehealth, and coaching services based on the patients problems.
With more physicians using digital records, the IT infrastructure like data warehousing, patient portals, registries and electronic medical records will soon be able to connect the healthcare industry. The gaps in care are abundant and we now have the tools to fill in the holes.
Iron Comet Consulting is a Platinum certified McKesson reseller based in Stockbridge, Georgia. We are a full service medical IT, billing and marketing firm.
