REPORT TO OUR COMMUNITY
ONECHART – AN UPDATE OneChart, the first comprehensive electronic medical record system in Southern Arizona, is nearing a year in operation at Tucson Medical Center, evolving with the physicians and staff as they make the official transition from paper to computerized patient information.
“The entire hospital worked collaboratively to use the new tool while continuing to deliver outstanding
“OneChart has brought meaningful change to Tucson Medical Center,” said Dr. Brian Cammarata, an anesthesiologist and medical director for informatics.
patient care.”
TMC has invested at least $20 million in OneChart to redefine patient care, synthesizing prescriptions, post-treatment and surgical orders, lab and imaging results, medical history and clinical notes into one, all-inclusive computerized system. Fewer mistakes, better communication, more effective care—they are the ultimate goals of OneChart. Prior to its June 1, 2010 official launch, each TMC department was involved in myriad meetings, tests and training sessions to master every element of the system. Like medicine itself, physicians and staff were devoted to finessing the details. From debating a login time, to rules on data entry, the use of codes, usernames, passwords and templates, nothing was left out. “As an organization, we benefitted from overwhelming medical and hospital staff support,” said Cammarata, who is also a physician champion of OneChart. “Despite their busy schedules, medical staff participation was outstanding. Their commitment was instrumental to the project’s success.
Brian Cammarata, M.D.
“The go-live date was both exciting and a little intimidating,” adds Cammarata. “The entire hospital worked collaboratively to use the new tool while continuing to deliver outstanding patient care. Over the days and weeks to follow, the familiarity with OneChart rapidly rose.” It is fast becoming the technological spine of TMC’s daily patient care. “Physician notes are available at any location in the hospital,” said Dr. Moira Richards, TMC’s medical director of children’s services. “I can be sitting in one unit, get a call about a patient on another unit, open their chart and deal with whatever is needed without having to move to the other unit. Since I am now frequently at the computer, lab values, X-ray results and follow-up are all there. And I don’t have to worry about being able to read someone’s handwriting.” To that end, all medications dispersed throughout TMC are now bar-coded, so if any conflicts emerge or the dosage seems incorrect, the computer sends out an alert. “Objectively, we have observed a decline in medication errors since going live with OneChart,” said Cammarata.
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