Apart from the case record, no mechanism exists in medicine that brings its diverse elements together. Improving these clinical portraits and striving to enlarge their usefulness must be central goals of medicine, for the case records are the works that define its essence. Dr. Stanley J. Reiser (The clinical record in medicine. Part 2: Reforming…

Every three years, the Commonwealth Fund conducts a 10-country health policy survey of primary care physicians in order to identify the impacts of national policies, support for primary care practices, and Health Information Technology. The 2102 survey reveals that 69% of U.S. primary care physicians reported using EHRs in 2012 compared to 46% in 2009….

One of the major responsibilities and challenges for technology-based healthcare systems is to safeguard the privacy of Protected Health Information (PHI) and to limit access to appropriate individuals only. At the core of this problem is identity management. How does one know whether an individual accessing an EHR or patient portal has been properly credentialed, whether…

One of the comments we hear from clinicians who have implemented an EHR is the impact on their after-hours workload, whether this be in the clinic at the end of the day or at home in the evenings. This feedback is not limited to specific EHRs and tends to be a more widespread issue. The…

The Office of the National Coordinator released two grids that provide the specifications of Meaningful Use for Stage 1 and Stage 2. Each grid provides columns indicating whether the objective and metric apply to Eligible Professionals, Eligible Hospitals, or both. Also included are references to the EHR certification criteria and technical standard. Rows are color-coded…

When our five-physician Allergy/Immunology practice decided to take the plunge into the world of electronic medical records about three years ago, templates were one of the key features we were looking at. Most clinical allergists, as other specialists, see the same type of medical issues and ask the same basic set of questions. Who else…