News
| From the center
Electronic medical record just for ophthalmology
When pediatric ophthalmologist Amy Hutchinson
volunteered to represent ophthalmology faculty on a
small task force almost two years ago, she and others
were charged with identifying an ophthalmology-specific
electronic medical record (EMR) for the Emory Eye Center.
Because of the proliferation of EMR technology on the
market and the unique needs of a large eye center like
Emory’s, the task
required substantial
time and effort.
The software had
to interface seamlessly with Emory
Healthcare’s existing
EMR platform, which
required additional
functionality to include
drawings, photography,
visual acuity testing,
prescription information for glasses or contact lenses, and other
ophthalmology-specific
records. The system
also needed to track
discrete data elements from each exam as well as diagnosis
and treatment plans. These elements were needed to begin
building a database for health care analytics, centered on
providing quality care, feedback for self-assessment ,and
risk-stratified data to benchmark outcomes.
When Emory Healthcare initially entered the world of
electronic medical records in 2005, Emory ophthalmology
staff modified existing EMR digital records by scanning and
uploading handwritten notes, images, and other hard-copy
documents at the end of each day, a tactic that was impractical and unsustainable over the long term.
Hastening the need for implementation of an
ophthalmology-specific EMR was a new fe \