Grant might help with local upgrade for electronic health records

Feb 23, 2010 — The Pantagraph

Paul Swiech

Feb. 23, 2010 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex) -- BLOOMINGTON -- Smaller primary care doctors' offices, hospitals and clinics in Central Illinois may get help selecting, buying and firing up electronic health record systems as a result of a two-year federal grant.

"It is a momentous time," said Dr. Gail Amundson, chief executive officer of Quality Quest for Health in Illinois. That Peoria-based health care collaborative will help identify electronic health record vendors and assist in getting record systems running.

"The bottom line for patients is more accurate records," said Dr. Barry Slotky, a Bloomington obstetrician/gynecologist who began moving patients from paper to electronic records a little more than a year ago. "For one thing, the records are legible" compared to hand-written paper charts, so there is a reduced risk of error, he said.

Electronic medical records contain everything in patients' charts: health history, allergies, lab results, dates of medical procedures and medicine prescribed. An electronic record would be available -- with patient permission -- to health professionals that the patient sees, speeding decisions on medicines and procedures, reducing duplication of tests, flagging potential medication interactions and eventually reducing costs, Amundson said.

The federal economic stimulus bill approved last fall included money to help facilitate electronic medical records at smaller health facilities unlikely to have made the move from paper to computer. More than $7.5 million is coming to Illinois. Quality Quest will assist health care providers in 38 Central Illinois counties.

Among providers are family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics/gynecology and general surgery practices of 10 or fewer doctors; federally qualified health clinics; and hospitals such as Advocate Eureka Hospital in Eureka, Dr. John Warner Hospital in Clinton, Hopedale Medical Complex in Hopedale, and Gibson Area Hospital and Health Services in Gibson City.

Newstex ID: KRTB-0166-42307639