Mobile care clinic, other measures improve efficiencies
An EHR success story
Since Ontario's Sherbourne Health Centre opened in 2003, it has been on technology's cutting edge — using innovative measures such as electronic medical records (EMRs) to make health care better.
The facility's services include two health care buses, a primary care clinic and a 20-bed infirmary offering homecare recovery for the homeless or under-housed — and all use online records that are largely linked electronically.
"Nurses and outreach workers on the buses dispense health care, support and information to people who for one reason or another are not accessing health care," says Amele Zewge-Teffera, Health Bus Coordinator.
Using laptops, nurses can log on to the outpatient clinic to see any existing records — even if it's been a while — or transfer information to the centre.
George Pinto, senior network and systems administrator at the centre, says, "It's a very powerful tool. As everyone a patient sees is working from the same chart, it enhances the feeling that people are known — a real asset when dealing with homeless people who may already be feeling ignored."
Improvements, funded in part by Canada Health Infoway, will continue to make the system increasingly seamless, he says.
Centre medical director James Read says that at the primary care clinic, lab results are downloaded directly into the computer. "As the medical world is not all electronic, patients' paper X-ray results and consult letters are scanned into the system."
"It's great. Tasks such as renewing prescriptions take seconds."
"We've only starting to appreciate the power," he adds. "Sorting through charts by hand is a thing of the past when looking for past blood pressure readings or identifying who might be interested in diabetic education. The system also increases opportunities for flexibility and collaboration, as team members leave notes on charts or can work from home."
Since April 2008, the infirmary has been helping people recover from everything from surgery to fractures — and it has a special customized electronic system. The infirmary's program manager Alice Broughton calls the system "Wonderful! While it requires significant training, it enhances tracking client care, collaboration, accountability and follow-up."
