(Pasadena, Calif.—August 24,2004) – Prime Clinical Systems, Inc., is helping physicians improve administrative and care processes via the addition of Smart Forms to the Patient Chart Manager electronic medical records system.
A Smart Form is a database-enabled form that makes it possible for physicians to quickly and efficiently access needed data and input new information into a variety of documents such as OB-GYN Antepartum, Children’s Health and Disability Prevention (CHDP) Program and Immunization forms. In addition, Smart Forms improve care delivery by prompting clinicians to provide needed services to patients while thoroughly documenting care.
“Doctors become doctors to treat patients. However, administrative requirements sometimes make physicians feel like they are spending most of their time pushing paper. Smart Forms make it possible to not only speed up the process but to actually improve the care provided to patients,” says Richard Deits, M.D., Prime’s Vice President of Electronic Medical Records.
Patient Chart Manager’s Smart Forms specifically provide users with:
Easy access to patient records. Instead of spending time retrieving records or relying on patients to provide their records, Smart Forms enable clinicians to access complete records via a Web browser. The records are hosted on a medical group’s server, using HIPAA compatible encryption. In addition, multiple authorized users can view the record at any time.
Automated intelligence. Smart Forms automatically complete forms with information pulled from databases. When a physician uses a form, data fields such as name, date, address and insurance number will be automatically populated with discrete data elements, saving the clinician from having to find and enter this information.
In addition, Smart Forms automatically remind physicians to provide certain services. For example, the OB/GYN Smart Form will prompt physicians to provide the clinical tests required to meet the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ guidelines. Similarly, the Immunization Form reminds pediatricians to provide required inoculations.
Reliable documentation. Smart Forms not only remind physicians to provide needed services but also to document care. With paper records, physicians often inadvertently omit important information, which can diminish the quality of care delivered in the future. Physicians can easily add information to Smart Forms by using stylus pens.
Improved data capture. Smart Forms ensure that data is easy to read and capture. Paper based forms often lead to errors due to illegible handwriting. Also, with the paper form it is difficult to determine who added which note and sometimes there is not enough room for all of the notes from various clinicians. With a Smart Form, clinicians use a pen stylus to enter information into expandable data fields, which accommodate notes of any length.
Time savings. With Smart Forms, a patient’s medical history including medication, allergy and problem lists are imported from the existing database. With a paper record, physicians typically are required to manually rewrite portions of the medical history and record allergies and medications, a task that can eat up considerable time during patient visits. In addition, physicians can easily search the database for any information, eliminating the time it takes to shuffle through paper records.
“Smart Forms turn a negative into a positive by actually making clinical documentation a process that improves care delivery, not one that drags it down,” says Barry Ardelan, Prime’s President and CEO. “Best of all, Prime provides Smart Forms – and all other improvements – free of charge to all electronic medical records users.”
About Prime Clinical Systems
Prime Clinical Systems Inc. is a medical software company headquartered in Pasadena, California, and regionally in Lincolnshire, Illinois and San Ramon, California. Founded in 1983, the company’s proven products, stellar services and innovative advances have made it one of the fastest growing providers of health care software systems in the nation.
###
Media Contact:
Brad Dodge
Dodge Communications
770-663-6343
bdodge@dodgecommunications.com