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Study Has eCW EMR Users Questioning the Future of Patient Engagement

Patient engagement is a buzzword often used in accord with Electronic Medical Record (EMR) software. A proactive, interactive approach is an integral part of new health care models brought about by the Affordable Care Act and new guidelines within HIPAA legislation. HIPAA mandates that patients have the right to restrict certain medical records from third-party distribution. In theory, that means if an insurance company or another physician requests medical records from a health care provider, the patient has the right to say he or she wants part of the record restricted. However, a recent study shows the importance of balancing patient engagement with quality care. The research, led by the Regenstrief Institute in partnership with the Indiana University School of Medicine and Eskenazi Health, is raising concerns about just how far patient engagement, specifically access, should go. How much access should patients get to their medical records? Consider the study’s findings.

The Trial

The study included a six-month trial of 105 patients that were part of a Eskenazi primary care clinic. The participants were granted patient controlled access to their EMR, meaning they could choose what information their doctors were able to access. Almost 50 percent admitted they hid certain information from some or all of their providers. The data most commonly blocked from physicians was dealing with sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse or mental health. For the trail, providers were able to override patient preferences and view the information the patient blocked.

Mixed Feelings

Providers had mixed feelings about the trial. Some felt privacy laws give patients the right to control their EMR, even if that means hiding information. However, these physicians admitted that patients need to understand hiding information can have dangerous consequences. Other doctors “strongly objected” to patients having this authority. They expressed concern about patient care and physician liability if improper care was the result of insufficient data. Other providers expressed concern that patients may not reveal sensitive data at all if they do not have the right to choose which providers have access to it.

The transition to EMR is happening rapidly and there’s no doubt the technology will continue to evolve. Physicians can count on EMR Billing Solutions to keep up with the latest research and legislation to provide the most efficient, user-friendly system available. Let our experts help your office get the most out of eClinicalWorks® (eCW).

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Are Your Patients Using the eClinicalWorks® healow® App?

As physician offices transition to electronic medical records (EMR), many are outlining strategies to get their patients more engaged and proactive in their medical care. healow®, short for Health and Online Wellness, is a platform offered by eClinicalWorks® that does just that. eClinicalWorks® invested $25 million in the healow® business unit in 2013. “It’s about patients having access and information to make the right decisions and make them consumers of care,” explained Girish Kumar Navani, CEO and co-founder of eClinicalWorks®. Is your office using this valuable tool? If so, are your patients taking advantage of its benefits? Consider some of the perks.

  • Track patient wellness. The healow® app allows physicians to remotely monitor medical devices such as pedometers, blood pressure cuffs and glucose monitors. Data automatically uploads to the patient’s record for the physician to review. In addition, healow® allows patients to set wellness goals, track their progress and look at personal trends. This data is shared with the physician so he or she can monitor patient progress.
  • Greater patient access. Patients can access their medical records anytime via the Internet or phone, providing access to lab results, medications, immunizations, allergy information, financial statements and much more. Settings also allow designated family members to access data for those they care for. It’s important to note that healow® allows physicians full authority over which data patients are allowed to access.
  • Collaboration between physicians. healow® interacts with eClinicalWorks®’ Join the Network platform, which enables physicians to share health records even when one of the practices uses another EMR provider. Patients can also simply bring their complete data on their phone to a new provider via the healow® platform.
  • Save administrative time. Patient access means fewer disruptions for administrative staff. Patients can make appointments, order medication refills, check lab results and review physician directives through their healow® app.

A 2013 survey of physicians conducted by eClinicalWorks® found that 93 percent of doctors favor having a mobile health app that connects to EMRs. Ninety-three percent also felt that mobile health apps improve patient outcomes. Is your office utilizing this platform and actively encouraging patients to use the app? Let EMR Billing Solutions show you how healow® can be a key part of your patient engagement strategy.

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