Residents can delegate someone such as a son or daughter to have access to their medical records in case of an emergency.
From 21st Century Health Account I would estimate only about 10% to 20% of doctors’ offices now use electronic medical records to help maximize patient care,” says Matt Narrett, M.D., Erickson Health chief medical officer. That is the premise behind the Resident Health Portal (RHP). It provides Erickson residents with access to their online records.
Using the Portal “Residents can use the program on either a Macintosh or a Windows computer, and access it through any Internet browser, like Internet Explorer or Netscape,” Harris says. Residents don’t have to have their own computer. They can use the community’s on-site computer lab or go to a library for access. If an outside specialist prescribes a new medication to registered RHP residents, they have several ways to apprise the Medical Center of needed updates. “They can call the Medical Center; send updates by e-mail; or print out their data sheet, write in their changes, and bring the revised data sheet to the Medical Center,” says Joseph Schneebaum, senior software engineer at Erickson Communities and one of RHP’s designers. Such updates have at least two
potential benefits. It can help prevent the dangers of polypharmacy—taking too many medications that may interact negatively. It could also save money. There is a migraine drug that also fights stroke. A printout like the RHP’s might allow the doctor treating your migraines or high blood pressure to suggest that 2-for-1 medicine instead of two different drugs—thus saving you money. On-site training for the program’s use is provided. “It took me about 15 minutes to get the hang of the RHP,” says Bill Engel, resident of Charlestown, an Erickson community in Maryland. “I printed out reports and sent one to each of my kids in case of an emergency,” Engel says. Allowing Access, Providing Security “We have a ‘delegate’ feature that allows you to give someone else access to your records. For example, you tell the RHP you are giving your daughter or your specialist access and then provide a PIN number. It is just like getting into your ATM account,” Harris says. “You need three IDs before you, or someone you delegate, can access your medical records using the RHP. You get your own access code, a PIN number (which the resident generates and can vary for different delegates), and your chart ID number. The password is case sensitive. You (or your delegate) have to get it right; after five failed attempts the system locks you out,” Harris says. “Older people are being encouraged to become more involved in
From Electronic Medical Records patients at a much lower cost,” says David Ellis. As director of planning at the Detroit Medical Center, Ellis cofounded the Michigan Electronic Medical Record Initiative, which died due to lack of funding. The challenge is helping the average practice afford truly integrated systems, but experts are optimistic. “There are a lot of options for funding . . . and not just through the federal government. One study noted over 68% of medication errors resulted in serious consequences, including hospitalization, disability, even death. The millions of dollars health care might save just from using EMRs to avoid prescription drug errors could probably repay the costs,” Russell says.
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Erickson Health helps Erickson residents maintain their independence, with as few as 1.6% moving to assisted living per year.1 Erickson Health achieves this through an extensive array of people, resources, and programs specializing in health care for older adults. Based on 2006 data from an established Erickson community
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Defining the Resident Health Portal “The RHP extends the usefulness of Centricity by allowing residents the ability to manage their health information. Among the parts of their Centricity records, RHP shows residents: their chronic medical conditions, medications, allergies, current insurance information, and emergency contact information,” says Diatta Harris, director of information technology at Erickson Communities. “It isn’t unusual for the patient to be the only one who knows all the personal medical information that is accurate,” Narrett says. “Think of allergies: People might not remember to tell every doctor they see they are allergic to peanut butter.”
our own medical life. The RHP very quickly appeared to be a tool toward that, and I haven’t been disappointed,” says Beth Currie, Charlestown resident.