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State Speeds Health Records: Doctors Log Orders in Computers at 10% of Hospitals

Posted on: Wednesday, 22 March 2006, 06:00 CST

By Katie Merx, Detroit Free Press

Mar. 22--Michigan's acute-care hospitals are ahead of the national curve in adopting electronic health records, a new study by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and the Partnership for Michigan's Health is to report today. .

About 10% of Michigan hospitals have added computerized physician order entry, compared with a national average of 5.6%, said Kate Wodecki, manager of Blue Cross' electronic business interchange group. Those systems cut down on errors and save time because doctors enter orders for such things as tests and prescriptions directly into computers, so nobody has to strain to read handwriting and the order is documented instantly.

"Computerized physician order entry systems are just one component of electronic health records, but they are a major building block," Wodecki said.

The study also found that almost all Michigan health-care organizations are working to acquire or expand their electronic recordkeeping.

The hope is that electronic records will eliminate duplication of services, lower costs and reduce errors by making complete records available to any health provider who sees a patient.

The study asked information-technology firms to identify hospitals with the most widespread electronic records, then interviewed people at those hospitals.

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Copyright (c) 2006, Detroit Free Press

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Source: Detroit Free Press

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