Technology Upgrades Student and faculty demand for technology has increased exponentially since the College’s last self-study in 2004. Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine has made significant investments in technology infrastructure with multiple platforms to support communication, course management, research, data storage and online examinations, yielding very good results and satisfaction in the College community. Among the successes is the transition to online examinations, which began with a yearlong pilot at Georgia Campus – PCOM. With smaller student numbers, GA–PCOM proved to be an excellent test bed for student examination technology called Exam Soft, which has now been implemented on both campuses. PCOM also completed the major installation of an electronic medical records (EMR) system, NextGen. This dedicated effort has been a major game changer and an important addition to PCOM’s educational legacy. It represents a big win for faculty and, most especially, students who will be practicing in a world where EMR is the rule rather than the exception. Another key technology addition has been the implementation of E*Value, a Web-based and secure evaluation tool. Used by students in the DO, pharmacy, physician assistant, and psychology programs, the software allows learners to complete performance evaluations for clinical clerkships and practicums, academic portfolios and various coursework modules. Graduate medical education coordinators and program directors are able to monitor compliance anywhere and anytime. E*Value also optimizes curriculum planning, scheduling, assessments and site management. As technology continues to change rapidly, the College’s self-study also highlighted the ongoing need for training and technological support for faculty and students. PCOM has responded by appointing Erik Langenau, DO, to the newly created position of director for learning technologies. Holding a DO degree as well as a graduate degree in learning technologies, Dr. Langenau will provide the specific kind of support needed for a successful marriage of education and technology.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: LEARNING HOW TO PRACTICE MEDICINE WITH EMR Learning how to document and use EMR is rapidly becoming an essential component of medical education, and PCOM is ahead of the curve in teaching it. Since 2009, fourth-year students at the College have been learning how to integrate EMR into medical practice, well before passage of the federal Affordable Care Act mandating implementation of EMR nationwide by 2014. Every two months, when a new group of fourth-year students arrives at the PCOM Healthcare Center for clinical rotation, they participate in an intensive EMR orientation session conducted by Larry N. Finkelstein, DO ’87, associate professor, family medicine, and Michael A. Becker, DO ’87, vice chairman, family medicine department. During the months that follow, students learn to navigate the EMR system while being mindful of its impact on the patient-doctor relationship. “We teach students to remember that they have patients in front of them while they are documenting,” says Dr. Finkelstein. “We teach them not to have your back to the patient. If the stationary position of the computer makes that problematic, then use communication and interpersonal skills to maintain rapport with patients. Acknowledge them and assure them that you are listening even though you need to look at the computer screen. For primary care providers, this is of the utmost importance in maintaining strong patient-doctor relationships.” When students finish their training and enter practice, they will find that many offices have become patient-centered medical homes, a model of care in which physicians and staff have more responsibility for follow-up to ensure that patients are compliant with the plan of care. “Electronic documentation is integral to the patient-centered medical home, and EMR training will smooth the transition for our students,” notes Dr. Finkelstein. “In fact, PCOM students will be highly sought after employees because they will already know how to use EMR for patient follow-up and deciding on a plan of care, as well as aggregating data for clinical guidelines and quality measure reports. Physician practices, hospitals and health systems will be happy to know that our students have this kind of experience.”
2013 ANNUAL REPORT | 13