Electronic health records set for debut
Over the next several years, the widespread use of electronic health records — digital copies of formerly paper charts, histories and radiological films — will begin unfurling across Central Mass. and the rest of the nation, part of an industry-wide movement expected to fundamentally alter medical care at the exam-room level.
The switch, brought on by a desire to increase portability of patients’ information, lower costs and reduce mix-ups, represents a several hundred-billion dollar market for computer companies over the next decade, according to industry analysts.Here in Worcester, The Fallon Clinic, a 250-doctor, 30-site health care group, expects to begin rolling out its own EHR system in the coming weeks, says Craig E. Sammitt, chief operating officer.
Given the $24 million price tag for the conversion to the Epic software system — the most widely used EHR management system in the country — Sammitt does not expect the switch to generate short-term savings. But over the long term, the efficiency of the system should lower costs significantly and eliminate waiting room and scheduling headaches common to all doctors’ offices.
Patients will definitely notice the change, says Lawrence D. Garber, medical director for informatics. Among the system’s features: a computer in every exam room, the ability to fill out forms on their home computers, pharmacies that receive patient prescriptions electronically and have them waiting when customers arrive.
In a nation where rising health care costs dominate political discussions, the motivation is clear: Some estimates say that adoption of EHRs can lower costs as much as 7.5 percent and dramatically reduce mix-ups that are the stuff of deaths, injuries and lawsuits.
Partners in the upgrade
In a state where health care is the largest industry, Fallon Clinic is not alone in its efforts. It has partnered with UMass Memorial Health Care and the Fallon Community Health Plan to create a network where patient data can be transferred safely and instantaneously.
In another significant effort, called the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative, 34 hospitals, insurers and other health care groups have joined forces to speed up the universal adoption of EHRs statewide. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts has kicked in $50 million to the estimated $1.5 billion price
tag. The program’s three pilot communities — North Adams, Newburyport
and Brockton — are expected to begin choosing technology vendors in the coming weeks.
A Westboro-based EHR company, eClinicalWorks, has been chosen as one of the vendors for the project.
Although the high costs of EHR systems may dissuade some (systems even for small offices can cost tens of thousands of dollars), many say the costs are worth it. The Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, for instance, has partnered with sister agencies in WA, OR and CT to create an EHR pilot system for Planed Parenthood, says Jennifer Myers-Light, director of the Worcester center.
And while efficiency and quality are worthy goals, the real benefits of EHRs may not materialize for a decade hence, says Eric G. Brown, vice president, Forrester Research in Cambridge
By then, Brown says, widespread adoption of EHR systems will have created a massive, searchable database of patient information that can be plumbed by research organizations such as the National Institutes of Health. The results will likely be used to rank providers, quickly spot patterns of infection and even create more customizable protocols for disease treatments, he says.
Of course that’s a long way off. Right now, only about 15 percent of hospitals and doctors groups use the systems, Brown says, and getting networks to "speak" with each other can be problem-prone. Still, the starts being made now should significantly impact health care quality within a generation, says Brown.
Staff Writer Kenneth J. St. Onge can be reached at kstonge@wbjournal.com
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