St. Francis' New Health Record Software Makes for Faster and Securer Sharing

St. Francis Medical Center has taken its next step towards its technological future recently, as it moved out of paper records and replaced them with digital patient charts through the electronic health record (EHR) software system. 

Through the EHR, doctors, nurses and other health care professionals can share a patient's medical information more securely and efficiently. 

Such swift access to medical histories, medications and test results can also allow for health care providers to determine the best course of treatment for patients sooner. 

“Our transition to the electronic health record combines the best of the old and new,” said the center's president and CEO Gerald Kozai. “It is advanced
technology supporting our mission and tradition of providing quality care for the whole person – body, mind, and spirit.”

The EHR was built just for St. Francis, after more than two years in the design process, using QuadraMed health care software. 

As the initial move to electronic charting is completed, the next phase for St. Francis' EHR will be computerized physician order entry (CPOE), which enables doctors to electronically enter instructions for the care of their patients.

CPOE will roll out in the next several months.

The use of medical device integreation using iSirona technology has just been implemented and will continue over the next year as well. 

One of iSirona's selling points for nurses and doctors, was its DataAuthenticator functionality, which provides them with an important final step prior to delivering data to the electronic medical record: allowing the center to authenticate -- or review the data and make changes or notes if necessary -- prior to committing that data to the EMR. 

Currently in place in the hospital’s ICU, this capability permits the EHR to directly accept readings from bedside and mobile devices, such as patient monitors.

This integration allows health care providers to spend less time writing and documenting and more time with patients and their families.

“Our new electronic health record enables all members of a patient’s health care team to see a more comprehensive picture of that patient’s health history, current condition, and treatment," said Kozai.

"It reduces paperwork and costs, makes it easier for individuals to manage their own health information, and helps us to deliver the best possible care to everyone we serve.”

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