Medical Records A Key Factor in Patient Safety
Whether it's a nursing home resident needing a procedure, or tracking medications for a hospital inpatient, medical records are a crucial component to successful treatment.
Right now, LifeBridge Health has hybrid medical records systems, which include both paper and electronic records. Eventually, all records will be computerized.
The Cerner Power Chart system is state-of-the-art and is used at both Northwest and Sinai hospitals. Courtland Gardens and Levindale work with a compatible counterpart.
?The main reason for employing electronic medical records is patient safety,? says Angela Niparko, director of Health Information Management at Sinai. ?One example of this is a mechanism in Cerner to alert doctors about potentially dangerous drug interactions.?
Plus, an electronic medical record allows multiple clinicians to access the same information at the same time.
Patients may also request copies of their records for any number of reasons. A fee is usually charged for the service. The procedure for requesting medical records at LifeBridge Health centers is as easy as turning on your computer. Request forms and hospital addresses, along with privacy policies, can be found here. The forms must be printed, filled in and sent to health information management at the appropriate hospital. Requests are usually processed in about a week or so from the day the record is located.
Many people at Levindale and Courtland Gardens prefer to make requests in person. Since patients and residents are often in long-term care for years, medical records can be between 45 and several thousand pages long.
?It's best to meet with me to identify what information you want," says Carol Carder, manager of Health Information Management for Courtland Gardens and Levindale. ?To keep the fee associated with this service down, I try to copy only the pages needed.?
LifeBridge Health also offers the opportunity to create a personal health record. The LifeBridge Health MySELF Personal Health Record is a safe and secure way to stay on top of all your medical information.
- Harlan Doctor Tells White House Summit About His Changeover To Electronic Health Records
Dr. Carl Smith Jr.Almost a decade ago, Dr. Carl Smith Jr. did something that many health care providers across America are still struggling to do: He implemented electronic health records that can be assessed from anywhere in the United States during...
- Companies Partner To Accelerate Adoption Of Electronic Health Records In Rural Hospitals
Anthelio, a health information-technology support company, and Heartland, a hospital information-systems vendor, have partnered to speed up implementation of electronic health records at rural hospitals so the facilities can get federal incentives, reports...
- Levindale Looks To The Future
As 2009 winds down, LifeBridge Health is taking a look at some of the major events of the past year. Today, we visit the change in leadership at Levindale Hebrew Geriatric Center and Hospital and Courtland Gardens Nursing & Rehabilitation Center....
- Courtland Gardens Celebrates New Chapter
As 2009 winds down, LifeBridge Health is taking a look at some of the major events of the past year. Today, we remember the historic name change of Jewish Convalescnet & Nursing Home to Courtland Gardens Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. by Helene...
- Jewish Convalescent And Nursing Home In Baltimore Gets New Name
Jewish Convalescent & Nursing Home, part of LifeBridge Health, has been renamed Courtland Gardens Nursing & Rehabilitation Center to reflect the change in its admission policy to include non-Jewish residents. ?Recent analysis showed that the...