OnSiteClinics.Org

Patient Inclusion in the EMR Process?

The New York Times is reporting in an article by Steven Lohr that involving the patient directly in their medical information is a future trend that is positive and somewhat of  a game-changing event.  It details one case and then goes on to address the fact that there are some major medical centers that have subscribed to opening up their EMR information to the patient on an entirely new level of access and communications.

There are some important implications for on-site clinic operators and vendor groups.  The first is the design of the exam room itself.  The CERNER example on this blog is one where the patients and the doctors sit in a living room setting and view the medical record on a TV screen that is common to the doctor, the patient and any family members that are part of the process.  This creates a dialogue in the exam room which is fostered by the design.  In fairness to other vendors, QuadMed also has implemented a form of this in their clinics as we have with some of the clinics that we have proctored.

The NYT article builds on this initial invitation in the exam process to include an ongoing opportunity for discovery and dialogue.  The second implication for the on-site community is the choice and application of the EMR (or the contracting of EMR features through the vendor relationship).  More patient involvement and more patient information implies, according to this report, more compliance and better outcomes.