Electronic Health Record
Elmhurst Clinic Pushes Paper Boundaries with Electronic Health Record
Elmhurst Clinic has partnered with NextGen, the top provider of physician office practice software. By bringing NextGen's expertise in health information systems onboard with the Clinic's physician practices, staff now has an organized system to share and manage clinical and administrative patient health information.
EHR can improve documentation quality, increase accuracy of shared information and improve patient safety by checking for possible drug interactions. Physicians at the Clinic said the EHR also saves time on ordering labs and diagnostic studies. Further, the communication template allows for telephone messages to be documented and transmitted electronically to either the physician or nursing staff in the form of a task. The physician or nurse then responds to each task electronically.
“This innovative NextGen functionality has transformed the way staff communicates with one another,” said Mary Stull, Elmhurst Clinic COO.
NextGen also has helped physicians improve access to patient information at the point of care, speed responses to patients and improve outcomes through patient health tracking and clinical alerts.
“Multiple physicians can view the record simultaneously,” Dr. Benages said. “There is never a time when you see a patient without the chart because it can be viewed simultaneously at multiple sites. For that reason alone, it enhances the quality of care.”
“Overall, I think it is a very effective and efficient system” said John Benages, M.D., chief medical officer, Elmhurst Clinic. “Overall, my patients are impressed by the system. Now, instead of writing out a prescription and handing it to them, I can fax it directly to their pharmacy so all they have to do is pick it up.”
Elmhurst Clinic has alsoimplemented the web-based version of NextGen ~ NextMD. This capability allows patients to request prescription refills, request physician appointments, and view their bills online.