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Wheaton to implement electronic health records

Stock Option Trading By Joe Vanden Plas • 05/03/06 Glendale, Wis. - With the goal of improving patient safety, standardizing processes, and saving a projected $70 million in five years, the Wheaton Franciscan Healthcare system will soon launch a multi-state electronic health records implementation.

Wheaton, a Catholic, not-for-profit healthcare ministry, will use a suite of software developed by the San Francisco-based McKesson Corp., a Fortune 500 company that offers electronic health record (EHR) software. The $17.2 million project will span two states, nine hospitals, and nearly 100 outpatient settings.

Wheaton plans to deliver a single, integrated EHR system in six hospitals and more than 60 outpatient settings in the Milwaukee and Racine areas, and then conduct a similar implementation in Iowa, where it has three hospitals and multiple outpatient facilities.

Loren Meyer, president and chief executive officer of the newly formed Wheaton Franciscan Medical Group, said physicians and clinical staff will have a secure, Web-based point-of-access to review and update patient data such as test results, medication history, and diagnostic images. What's more, the system promises seamless access to patient information for medical professionals on the hospital campus, in their private offices, or at home.

The project will require broad-scale deployment of McKesson's ambulatory EHR system, plus the vendor's document imaging, bar-coded medication administration, and clinical decision support products. "By deploying technology tools across ambulatory and inpatient settings, we will make critical clinical information consistent in content, which will improve both the continuity and quality of care provided," Meyer said.

Estimated savings from the project are expected to reach $70 million during the first five years of full operation.

Electronic medical records are touted as a great way to prevent medical errors, but researchers are reporting that this new technology may also be just what the doctor ordered for clinical trial recruitment. A new study led by Peter Embi, MD, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Cincinnati (UC) and researcher at UC's Institute for the Study of Health, shows that by using the tools of an electronic medical record system in a new way, it's possible to increase the number of patients who volunteer to participate in clinical studies and generate more referrals from the physician community.

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