Stories from the Front Lines: The Journey to Meaningful Use
Stories from the Front Lines: The Journey to Meaningful Use
R. Corey Asbell, PA-C, MS Talks about Strategic Planning for EHRs
(Port Townsend, WA)
Corey is the Chief Medical Information Officer for Jefferson Healthcare, and as such is the bridge between medical staff and information services and helps with strategic planning for information technology. He has been with the practice since 1999, when he graduated from physician assistant school.
Jefferson Healthcare is comprised of five primary care clinics, one walk-in clinic, and two specialty practices—one in urology and the other in orthopedics. The system offers a full suite of healthcare services. They were established as Jefferson Healthcare in 2004. Visit them on the web at www.jeffersonhealthcare.org
Jefferson Healthcare’s EHR:
They have had an EHR integrated into all clinics since 2004. “The EHR we use is AllScripts Professional, which seamlessly integrates healthcare and practice management. All the clinics and specialists use the EHR.”
The EHR Advantage:
Corey says, “There are a lot of benefits, the most prominent of which are:
• Better care for patients
• Clinical decision support based on guidelines resulting in improved patient care
• Better accessibility to patient information for physicians and staff (most departments have access even when they don’t have input privileges)
• The EHR can be accessed both in house and remotely; we even now have a Smartphone app, so access is truly from anywhere.”
EHR Impact on Quality of Care:
The main way having an EHR improves patient care, Corey says, is related to patient reminders, disease management (for example, it can monitor diabetes patients and send an alert when the patient is past due for medication renewals), and alerting practitioners to potentially life-saving drug/drug and drug/allergy drug/disease interaction checks.
What to Think About when Considering a Move from Paper to Electronic Records:
Corey says he would let the provider know that this is a move “that definitely needs to be made, for numerous reasons, the most obvious of which is improving patient care and office efficiency.” He cautions that, “EHRs are definitely a major part of the future of healthcare. Implementation isn’t easy, but the benefits far outweigh the hassles and learning curve.”
Meaningful Use:
Jefferson’s rural health clinic(s) will apply for Medicaid incentives, while their specialists will apply for Medicare dollars. “The possibility of qualifying for the incentives looks good for Jefferson Healthcare.” Corey expects about half to two-thirds of their clinics’ providers to qualify for MU incentives.
WIREC:
“WIREC helps keep everything on track and the practice is looking forward to taking advantage of the REC’s workflow expertise.”
