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Having a patient’s medical records readily available at all times is critical to providing the best, most effective healthcare possible. By implementing an electronic medical record (EMR) system, Hattiesburg Clinic has enhanced communication among providers and improved the quality of care for patients.

“EMRs make it possible to get a patient’s complete treatment history, including a list of health problems, medications, allergies, tests, and other information to their physician when they need it,” said Dr. Bryan Batson, internal medicine physician and chairman of the IC-Chart® Physician Steering Committee at Hattiesburg Clinic.

Hattiesburg Clinic’s EMR program, IC-Chart®, is from InteGreat, a leading provider of EMRs for medium to large group practices. IC-Chart® is a browser-based, easy-to-use program that allows access to patient records, health summaries, physician notes, prescriptions, imaging reports and other information the physician may need.

“IC-Chart® has proven to be time and cost efficient and is actually more secure than the older paper records,” said Ed Curtis, assistant COO at Hattiesburg Clinic, pointing out that IC-Chart® is protected by secure log-in and password challenges, and only the patient’s provider has access to the medical record.

“Hattiesburg Clinic is the largest multi-specialty clinic in the southeast,” said Batson. “We have over 240 providers and 19 family practice clinics in satellite locations throughout Mississippi. Electronic medical records are the way of the future and certainly more convenient than paper records. The transition to EMRs has made our records more efficient and it has sped up the communication between facilities.”

An EMR centralizes patient records and makes the information available to healthcare providers in a secure and confidential manner, eliminating the need for duplicate tests, reducing search time for paper medical records, and preventing scattered paper trails between doctor’s offices and hospitals.

“One of the major advantages to having IC-Chart® is the real-time access,” Curtis pointed out.

Once a lab report is released or a document is transcribed, it is digitally dispatched immediately to IC-Chart®.

“Physicians are now able to view all reports, track patients, and see medical records and images immediately at any location with internet access without the delays of snail mail,” he said.

Another benefit of IC-Chart® is the integration of Hattiesburg Clinic’s electronic medical record with those at Forrest General Hospital, located across the street from the clinic and connected by walkways. Many of Hattiesburg Clinic’s physicians care for patients at Forrest General Hospital.

“Our providers are constantly going between the clinic and the hospital to see patients,” explained Curtis.

With IC-Chart® being available at Forrest General Hospital, clinic physicians no longer have to wait on records to cross the street. “Hattiesburg Clinic providers have access to a ‘one click’ system at Forrest General Hospital,” said Melinda Carroll, IC Chart® manager at Hattiesburg Clinic. “This is basically a system that allows them to view all images, notes, reports, et cetera from both the clinic and the hospital in just one click of the mouse.”

The immediate access between the two facilities has improved communication and work flow.

“It certainly makes my job easier,” said Dr. Ralph Abraham, a surgeon with Hattiesburg Clinic. “I’m a clinic physician, but I spend a great deal of time at the hospital in surgery. With IC-Chart®, I can make notes, review notes, check x-rays, review prescriptions, and many other things from the hospital. I’m able to make a diagnosis quicker and the overall process is more efficient.” Physicians also agree the immediate access is helpful in urgent traumatic cases when there is no time to locate paper records.

Pharmacists at the hospital pharmacy also have access to patient prescription records through IC-Chart®.

“By combining the prescription records, pharmacists can see if patients are being prescribed medications from one or several different physicians,” explained Curtis. “It also allows our pharmacists to check a patient’s medications and make sure nothing is being taken inappropriately or being mixed with other medications that could cause harm.”

IC Chart® also gives physicians the capability to send prescriptions via fax to nearly any pharmacy in the area.

“Patients no longer have to wait for prescriptions to be filled,” noted Batson. “Medications are ready when the patient arrives to pick them up.”


August 2007

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