E-Health records: greater Seattle ahead of curve

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By Rod Hochman, M.D.

Despite differing opinions on health-care reform, there is general consensus on at least one critical issue: most everyone agrees it’s time for the country to get serious about electronic health records.

The economic stimulus package approved last year includes $19 billion in federal funding to help hospitals and doctors go digital. That’s a good thing because electronic health records can dramatically improve health care in our country by promoting higher quality, greater safety and lower costs.

While other industries have embraced information technology and have used it to streamline operations and better serve customers, health care has been slow to break free of its archaic paper-based filing system. Of the 6,000 hospitals in the United States, only 1.5 percent have made the leap to electronic health records.

Here in the Puget Sound region, however, we are fortunate to be ahead of the curve. Most of the major local health institutions, including Swedish, have already made the transition into the digital age.

A secure, information super highway for our region

One of the most innovative things about the Puget Sound region is that many of the major local providers have chosen to use the same software system for their electronic records. That’s not the case in other parts of the country where many hospitals have selected different systems, only to find out they’re not able to “talk” to each other.

Swedish, Multicare, Group Health and the University of Washington are all using a system developed by Epic, which is widely considered a national leader among the health IT software vendors. And recently, Swedish began extending its Epic system to independent physician practices. The Polyclinic – one of the largest multi-specialty groups in Greater Seattle – went live on Swedish’s Epic system last year.

A shared system allows local providers to exchange information over a secure network, and that’s an important benefit for patients. It means eventually wherever patients go within the region’s Epic network, from their neighborhood primary-care office to an emergency room across town, clinicians will be able to access vital information about patients’ health history, which helps ensure they’ll receive higher quality, safer health care.

Within a couple of years, if you travel outside of our region, your medical records can be made available to you on the Epic system. If you’re in Los Angeles, for example, and are not feeling well, you’ll be able to check your smart phone to find a provider who uses Epic. With your permission, they’ll be able to instantly access the information they need to diagnose and treat you.

What we’re doing at Swedish

Electronic health records are fully implemented at Swedish.

Swedish began implementing an electronic health record system in 2007, and it is now in use at all of our locations. And we’re already seeing the benefits. By prescribing medications online, for example, physicians can quickly cross-reference drug interactions, thereby thwarting possible medication errors. By having vital information about a patient’s health history at their finger tips, our clinicians can be ever more effective at treating and caring for the patient.

At our new Issaquah hospital, which opens in 2012, patients will have a wireless computer station at their bedside, with direct access to their own medical records. They’ll be able to review their records at any time during their hospital stay, making it possible for them to stay well-informed about their health care and participate in the clinical decision-making.

The electronic health record also plays a key role in our new medical home in Ballard, which provides access to primary care and serves the full range of patients, including those with insurance and those without. Information technology makes it possible for us to communicate with patients and coordinate care to better manage chronic conditions and encourage wellness and prevention.

Security and privacy

With the move to online medical records comes a great responsibility to protect personal health information. At Swedish, we are vigilant about security and privacy. We’ve enacted an internal auditing program to ensure that patient records are only being viewed by those who are directly involved in that patient’s care.

The Federal government is also keeping a close eye on privacy and security. As part of the stimulus funding for health information technology, patients now have the right to request an audit trail, showing all disclosures of their personal health information. There are also now tougher penalties for health-care workers who violate the Health Information Portability and Privacy Act.

Sharing technology and expertise

Now that most of the major local health institutions have implemented an electronic health record, what’s the next step for our community? At Swedish, we believe it’s about sharing our technology and expertise with community hospitals, independent clinics and rural providers that have not yet made the leap.

By bringing more local providers into an integrated, secure information network, it can measurably improve the health of our community and truly reform the way health care is delivered. Compared to other parts of the country, the Greater Seattle region is closer than most to making that a reality, and that’s good news for everyone who lives here.

Rod Hochman, M.D., is the CEO of Swedish Health Services.

To learn more:

• Read additional articles from the Swedish Today series.

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Tags: EHR, Electronic Health Records, Electronic Medical Records, EMR

Category: News, Provider News, Swedish Hospital, Swedish Today