McFarland going electronic with patient medical records

By RYAN BRINKS, TIMES-REPUBLICAN
The day that doctors can access patient medical records regardless of which specialty clinic they are at or receive automatic red flags if a prescribed treatment conflicts with the patient’s history is soon coming to Marshalltown and the entire McFarland Clinic system.

The healthcare provider announced it will begin implementing new electronic medical record technology this fall that will eventually place a computer in every exam room on which lab results, progress notes and x-rays can be accessed and discussed with patients in real time.

“This is a tremendous leap forward for our patients and providers,” said Steve Koger, McFarland Clinic chief executive officer, in a press release. “... It all comes down to efficiency. Medical records will no longer have to be physically moved from location to another. No matter where a patient is seen in the [McFarland Clinic] network, their up-to-date records can be accessed. This will have a very positive impact on communication and our ability to provide coordinated healthcare for our patients.”

In addition to “best practice” alerts that remind providers during visits if preventive health services or diagnostic screenings are in order, medication orders can also be sent to the pharmacy electronically to speed up the process of filling them.

For prescriptions, the computer software checks whether drug-to-drug or drug-to-allergy concerns exist, saving calls to and from the pharmacy.

The electronic system minimizes the potential for information to be lost or delayed and still protects patient privacy with secure storage and exchange of data.

“The real challenge was finding the right system, and we’ve done that,” Koger said.

It took McFarland three years to select Epic Systems of Verona, Wis., as the vendor for the project and the implementation process is hoped to create limited disruptions to patient care.

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Contact Ryan Brinks at 641-753-6611 or rbrinks@timesrepublican.com