New electronic medical records system for PEFHT

Months of planning and preparation are to come to an end this month as the  Prince Edward Family Health Team (PEFHT) launches a new Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system.

“The PEFHT was a trailblazer in terms of electronic medical records with its first uptake in 2006,” said Stephanie MacLaren, PEFHT Executive Director. “It is a computer-based record that allows clinicians to easily maintain information on their patients including medical history, demographics, medication history, lab and test results.”

MacLaren said that in a team-based environment like the PEFHT, electronic medial records allow various healthcare providers to share the medical record.

“So, for example, if a patient sees a diabetes educator in addition to a physician, the patient does not have to repeat their health history or worry that lab results won’t have made it from the physician’s office to the diabetes educator’s office in time for the appointment.  It eliminates a lot of faxing, paperwork and duplication.”

Since the inception of EMR’s in Ontario, the province has been working to enhance their capacity to have lab results and hospital reports flow directly into the EMR.

“Physicians and Nurse Practitioners can now even fax prescriptions to drug stores without using paper,” said MacLaren. “Some of the PEFHT offices will be introducing check-in kiosks in the waiting room where patients can indicate their arrival and update their contact information.”

The EMR provider used by PEFHT from 2006-2015 is discontinuing its service, which forced the PEFHT to explore options.

“An ambitious and hard-working team headed by Dr. Margaret Tromp and Dr. David Beach has worked tirelessly over the past year to find a new EMR provider that would meet the needs of the PEFHT,” said MacLaren.

“We would like the community to know that we will be having training over the next few weeks and then will be starting to use the system, so we will have less appointments available, and we ask for everyone’s understanding as we learn the new system,” Dr. Tromp said.