The web-based Electronic Health Record will automate everyday clinical tasks such as prescribing medications and documenting patient visits, while electronically connecting physicians, residents and support staff.
The record will allow Columbia’s physicians to access patient information anywhere at anytime and provide tools for documentation and orders. Additionally, the record includes preloaded connections to a wide range of medical devices, seamless support for pay-for-performance and quality initiatives, and one of the most advanced clinical research support systems in the industry. And the Allscripts iHealth module provides an online personal health record service that Columbia patients will be able to use to schedule appointments, access treatment adherence programs, and arrange online consultations with their own clinician. Implementation of the system is scheduled to begin in 2008.
Lee Goldman, MD, executive vice president for health and biomedical sciences and dean of the faculties of health sciences and medicine at Columbia, said: Columbia’s physicians and surgeons have a long history of world-class leadership in research, education and patient care, and an investment in electronic health records is the latest example of our core commitment to high-quality and to patient and family-friendly medical care. By automating and connecting our physicians, we hope to have a positive impact on our ability to deliver true continuity of care for our patients and enhance our ability to deliver important breakthroughs in clinical research in a timely fashion.
Glen Tullman, CEO of Allscripts, said: We are extremely proud that Columbia University Medical Center, one of the most prestigious healthcare institutions in the world today, selected Allscripts as their electronic health information partner. This technology, through the real-time information and connectivity it provides, allows physicians to focus on patients, not paperwork, and deliver a seamless, high quality patient experience.
