The Scott & White Healthcare electronic medical records system increases patient safety , convenience , and quality of care
CONNECTED
Good intelligence is crucial to winning . With more information , physicians can better guide their patients ’ treatment plans . The more information a patient has , the more engaged he can be in his own treatment and in helping to manage his path back to health .
cott & White Healthcare has
S long recognized that the highestquality care takes these principles into account . That ’ s why in the late 1990s Scott & White introduced its own computerized record-keeping system . It was implemented to help caregivers coordinate the care of patients , particularly those with chronic conditions who saw multiple providers or those who had sporadic but long-term relationships with the healthcare system . This electronic medical records system was innovative at the time , but by now many people have heard the term “ EMR ” and understand its important role in patient care .
EMR is a secure , system-wide communications tool that documents patient histories , which are viewed only by patients ’ caregivers . EMR yields many patient benefits . For example , EMR reduces duplicate tests because physicians can see their patients ’ histories in a combined record that gives a chronology of the lab tests , office visits , and other diagnostic and treatment therapies that patients have experienced . This helps reduce healthcare costs . It also increases patients ’ safety and makes their interactions with caregivers easier .
An additional step will be taken to acquire technology that allows Scott & White to connect with any of the system ’ s
As the federal government mandates standardized EMR systems by all providers to increase the efficiency and quality of the nation ’ s healthcare , Scott & White is again ahead of the curve .
30 THE CATALYST Spring 11 | www . sw . org