Electronic Medical Records at St. Bernard’s Health System

| |St. Bernard’s Health System |

Memo

To: Management Council, St. Bernard’s Health System

Date: December 4, 2008

Re: Electronic Medical Records at St. Bernard’s Health System

Can health care really be transformed by the use of electronic medical record (EMR) software? Being able to bring patient records into the twenty-first century is vital for improving care, containing costs, and reducing errors in the American health care system. In a survey done by the Department of Health and Human Services, eighty-two percent of the offices using the electronic medical record showed an improvement in the quality of clinical decisions; eighty-six percent saw fewer medication errors; and eighty-five percent had an improvement in preventative care (New York Times, 2008). Dr. Peter Masucci, a pediatrician in Everett, Mass with his own office who uses EMR software, stated, “Do I see more patients because of this technology? Probably no, but I am doing a better job with the patients I am seeing. It almost forces you to be a better doctor”. Dr. Masucci is just one of over 2,000 doctors all over the country that are using EMRs (Lohr, 2008).

In an effort to maximize St. Bernard’s competitiveness, we have conducted detailed research in regards to upgrading technology. Specifically, we have focused on the implementation of Electronic Health Records, as well advantages, disadvantages, and costs. Additionally, we performed a detailed analysis of two possible programs that would benefit St. Bernard’s. The results of this review are presented below.

Background

To more broadly examine the financial and health benefits of using electronic records we must look at the costs, benefits and the future of the systems. The future savings of the adoption of EMR could be more than $81 billion annually; this includes improving health care and safety to the patients...