Any details on computerized health records?

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

I went to http://www.recovery.gov and put in "health records" in the search engine, and only found the line from Obama's speech about computerizing health records. Can anyone direct me to where I could find out more information? I'm the secretary for a small clinic, and any computerizing of records will fall on my shoulders, and I want to start getting ready. Thanks!

[benld74]

1. Don't hold your breath on this one.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. I think there is real worry about patient privacy

you know, when things are in electronic records, especially if those are posted online somewhere, it is easy to hack them. Also there is the question of backup security--we were without power for two weeks due to an ice storm--if we'd had a totally computerized record system we would have been up a creek without a paddle.

[CountAllVotes]

8. it is a horrible idea

I hope they don't implement it. I've seen it at work firsthand and wow, what a freakin' disaster it is! Peoples charts/notes all mixed up.

Mine got mixed up with someone. According to the man's records that mine are intertwined with, he had a complete hysterectomy in 2003. *eek*

NOT FUNNY REALLY!!!

I hope they kick this idea to the curb FAST!

:dem:

[sandnsea]

2. Here's a Digital Health Care web site

I imagine each clinic or hospital can order whatever system they want to use. Our clinic and hospital has had our records digitized for years. The only thing that annoys me is that it seems like everything isn't always entered. I had a nurse tell me that they've had a difficult time training the doctor in the proper way to use the system. As a patient, it seems to me I'm always having to repeat my issues to the doctor because she can't just flip through my charter. Maybe some kind of print-out, or patient screen, that compiles the main points of the last 3 year's visits and all diagnoses would be in order. Something that would track ages and check-ups and whether the patient had them, specific diseases and check-ups related to that, and then anything else the patient has been in for. That's from my experience anyway.

Maybe you'll find more info as to available programs at this site.

http://www.digitalhcp.com/

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. Thanks

That was what I was wondering about--didn't know if there would be one standard program or if we could pick our own. We're a small non-profit clinic and so every penny counts.

Geez, I'm sorry to hear that everything isn't entered in your chart. We simply use Word to make our Clinical Notes and History & Physical Exam. I take the new patient's paperwork that they've filled out and enter it in, put it on a jump drive, and then deliver it to Doc's ancient laptop where she takes her notes.

[sandnsea]

5. We have computers in every exam room

Everything is entered right while the cna or nurse or doctor is in the room. The doctor can shoot the prescription to the pharmacy right when you're there. I can look at the screen and see if everything is there or not. It's getting better the last few times. For a while there, it was kind of annoying that they'd have a prescription wrong, for instance, or not know if I had gone and gotten an x-ray or scan. How come they have to ask me when it should all be in the computer. Just weird. So I don't know if it's the program they chose or the staff. This is a non-profit too, Peace Health and Sacred Heart, in Oregon. I tried to see if there was some kind of news article about them implementing the system, didn't find one.

Oh, and just this year, my records are all online. I can go in and see my blood numbers, make appts, check my billing, etc. They also send an email reminder for appts. It's pretty cool.

On edit:

Oh, and I have subsidized insurance too, or I wouldn't be telling you any of this because I wouldn't be seeing a doctor, lol.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. I appreciate the information

if we did that, we'd have to do another computer upgrade. It would be nice to be able to have all that online--if you can be sure it is all secure.

We see a LOT of patients for donations only, which means some people are treated for free because they have nothing--they've lost their homes, are living in their cars, etc. We have fundraisers year long to raise money to pay for their labs--Doc works for free (she actually works for another doctor a couple of days a week to make living expenses--and she lives quite frugally).

[InkAddict]

7. These sites may provide helpful info

http://www.cchit.org/about/index.asp

http://www.ahima.org/

http://www.emrandhipaa.com/emr-evaluating-and-purchasing/

Just to get you started...get your googling finger going...there's a lot of issues involved...
This blog entry discusses many of them in terms of State of PA. http://www.physiciansnews.com/cover/505.html


Is the clinic affiliated w/gov. agency, non-profit, hospital or physician practice? Who and with what other health providers will your clinic interact? Pharmacy, lab, referring/attendings, patients themselves?

Is it likely you will have any input into the process of choosing software for EMR or will you simply be an front-office/back-office user of whatever software and vendors others have chosen? On the one hand, your "new" duties may be heavily data entry-like; on the other, your access to the record may actually shrink with the HIPAA "need to know" regulations. Good luck!

I was trained in HIM and was briefly certified, but that's another long, sad story; the practice where I work is planning to go that route sometime in the future too but believe I'll just end up on the end-user side, if not made obsolete first, and dread that back office non-clinical team jobs across the nation will be on the hook unless one likes volume scanning, faxing, emailing, or running to get lunch for the doc.