Solutions Magazine, Spring 2005 - Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas

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	EMR as Easy as ABC by Ron Gilmore Less than 10 percent of U.S. physician offices use electronic medical records (EMR), and yet they are already having a remarkable effect on patient care. The Baylor Family Medicine clinic has used EMR since 1999 and has seen many advantages, including: Ready access to patient charts when they call the office and the ability to quickly review past and current medications and health problems, and computerized generation of prescriptions with automatic checks for drug interactions. Identification of patients who may need information about their medications or about management of their specific disease problems. Order entry for tests and referrals with electronic transfer of the work to appropriate staff. Development of "disease registry" databases allowing the physician to track patients with chronic disease and ensure optimal treatment and follow-up. Baylor Clinic, set to open in early summer 2005, will include an EMR with computers in all exam and procedure rooms. Full implementation of EMR will be complete by Phase II of the clinic. The EMR has proven useful recently when Merck voluntarily recalled Vioxx. Because computer records can be quickly searched, physicians at the Baylor Family Medicine clinic were able to identify more than 400 patients from the practice who were taking Vioxx. Within 72 hours of the recall, a BCM patient list had been generated and letters mailed to each patient advising them to stop taking the drug immediately. Once complete, the Baylor Clinic EMR also will allow faculty to share patient data for research and educational purposes, encouraging collaboration and providing the potential for a "virtual doctor's lounge." For example, EMR would quickly identify diabetes patients for studies of that disease. This shared network would comply with HIPAA regulations and would require that any research data still go through the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Patients will be able to view portions of their charts on-line and will be able to directly enter pertinent clinical information prior to seeing their physician. From the patient's first contact, throughout treatment and afterward, including follow-up and billing, the EMR will mean a more streamlined and easier experience for both patients and their providers.		Search all issues: Patient Care Two Halves to a Puzzle Baylor Clinic from the Inside Out Getting from There to There Oil and Medicine: Profile on Dan Duncan EMR as Easy as ABC Research Epilepsy: Seeking the Cause of a Lonely Disease Epilepsy: A history of stigma and superstition Dancing with a Deadly Disease In for a Checkup? Check Out the Research Too Wanted: More Space! Education All About the Education Evolution Revolution Longing for the Short Coat Community Service Introducing the Problem Solvers College News Rededication of a Monument to Medicine New BCM Logo Takes Center Stage The Perfect Fit: Putting the Pieces Together Our Mission, Values, and Imperatives A Message from Dr. Traber

	Volume 1, Issue 1, Spring 2005



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Last modified: October 10, 2008