Content area
Full Text
Slowly, the healthcare industry is moving towards electronic patient record systems. Currently, over 98% of healthcare providers retain a paper record as the legal document of patient information. Patient information on computers is usually a "working copy" of what is in the paper chart. Although many healthcare providers are striving to reduce or eliminate paper in the health record arena; the goal of electronic medical records is difficult to implement.
There are five levels of computerizing healthcare systems. The systems employed today are automated systems - small components have been computerized but the majority of patient documentation is still in paper charts. Automated systems are the lowest level of systems implementation. One level up, the computerized medical record aims to eliminate paper but to keep traditional dictation, transcription, and document creation in place. Thus, physicians don't need to be retrained and document features such as signatures, date, authentication, and data integrity remain guaranteed (see Five Stages Toward EHRs on p. 9).
The Role of Document Management
Document management (and imaging) is often an intermediate step on the road toward an electronic health record. Over 1,000 providers have implemented DM systems; many, particularly those from earlier times, with mixed success. However, as the DM industry has matured, fewer, but better, vendors are providing solutions. For example, in late 1998 and early 1999, document imaging was one of the most successful product lines for McKesson HBOC. Also, outside the U.S., successful DM installations are increasing in Europe and Asia - a trend that is expected to continue. While the focus of resource allocation during 1999 was Y2K, it is expected that healthcare providers will shift their attention to the creation of electronic patient record systems at the beginning of the year 2000.
Hospitals, clinics, health plans, and other providers will have two options. They can try to implement an electronic medical record, i.e.; an enterprise-wide system built around a single repository with an infrastructure that allows every doctor and health professional to retrieve and document...