May 17, 2013
EMR Makes Proactive Health Care Easier to Manage
A large Lethbridge family practice has found the transition to a new electronic medical record (EMR) makes it easier to proactively influence their patients’ health.
The clinic received assistance through the Physician Office System Program (POSP), a provincial program that provides funding and support to enable physicians to adopt EMRs from qualified service providers.
April 26, 2013
Callingwood Crossing Medical Clinic
An Edmonton clinic is crediting peer mentoring with guiding them through a challenging transition from paper charts to an electronic medical record (EMR).
March 18, 2013
EMR Helps Clinic Host Group Diabetes Sessions
Richard Zelanko breathes a sign of relief as his A1C numbers are jotted on the white board for discussion among his peers with diabetes.
Mr. Zelanko is an example of how electronic medical records (EMRs) are helping identify patients with diabetes and other chronic conditions for specialized treatment.
He has attended the group diabetes sessions at Meridian Medical Clinic in Stony Plain for the past year and has watched the numbers measuring his average blood glucose levels fall into a near normal range. His medication has also been reduced since being diagnosed with diabetes about two years ago.
March 04, 2013
Improved Communication Leads to Time Savings with EMRs
Improved communication following the implementation of an electronic medical record (EMR) is saving time and making some Alberta clinics more efficient. Physicians and clinic staff say the benefits of an EMR include easy access to data both in and out of the clinic, increased opportunity for physicians and other healthcare professionals to work cooperatively on files, and more efficient clinic administration.
February 19, 2013
Alberta Specialists Sought to Share Input on EMRs
Alberta specialists are invited to share their insight on how electronic medical record (EMR) solutions can meet the distinct clinical and business needs of their practice. The Specialists’ EMR Requirements Project was recently launched by the Physician Office System Program (POSP), the provincial program that provides funding and support to physicians to enable them to adopt EMRs.
February 04, 2013
EMR Helps Expedite Patient Care
An Edmonton clinic’s electronic medical record (EMR) solution is credited with expediting care for a potentially critical walk-in patient with extremely low platelets. Less than 24 hours after being seen by Dr. Neeraj Bector at West Ed Medical and Esthetic Clinic, a male patient was sitting down with a haematologist to determine the cause of his low platelet count.
January 21, 2013
Clinic Sees More Patients with EMR
Imagine adding the productivity of another physician to your clinic without a single addition to staff. West Ed Medical and Esthetic Clinic is experiencing this benefit and much more thanks to their new electronic medical record (EMR).
The four physicians at the clinic now consult with at least 10 additional patients daily thanks to the efficiencies created from their EMR, says Susan Lee-Ying, business manager.
January 07, 2013
Rockyview Maternity and Family Practice Funding Aid Prompts EMR Upgrade
Financial assistance was a compelling incentive for physicians and staff at the Rockyview Maternity and Family Practice to upgrade their aging computer system.
The warranty had expired on their five-year-old equipment, so staff at the Calgary clinic worked with the Physician Office System Program (POSP), the provincial program that provides funding to physicians to enable them to adopt electronic medical records (EMRs), to upgrade to a new EMR solution.
The clinic chose to remain with their current EMR vendor—TELUS Health Solutions—and upgrade to its new EMR solution. TELUS Health Solutions is one of Alberta’s three qualified service providers (EMR vendors).
December 10, 2012
Earn Professional Credits for EMR Planning and Preparation
Physicians who invest time in the planning and preparation for electronic medical records (EMRs) may qualify for Continuing Medical Education credits. Both the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) and College of Family Physicians of Canada (CFPC) have programs that encourage physicians to participate in continued learning. Documenting the planning, preparation and implementation of an EMR can qualify in some categories as medical education and therefore earn physicians credit.
November 19, 2012
EMRs a Draw for Medical Graduates
Many medical graduates want to launch their practices in clinics featuring electronic medical records(EMRs) after becoming familiar with the technology in post-secondary school. Dr. Julia Chronopoulos and Dr. Raegan Kijewski are no exception. Both physicians used EMRs in medical school and have come to value their ability to organize, communicate and create efficiency.
November 05, 2012
EMR Solution Relieves Long-time Storage, Technological Woes
It was literally a paper chase for physicians and clinic staff seeking patient information at Associate Clinic in Wetaskiwin just three years ago.
“There were charts and charts everywhere,” says Dr. Tuhin Bakshi, 1 of 11 physicians practising in the rural family and walk-in clinic.
“There was no space left for moving the charts,” he says, noting some patient’s files were two to three inches thick. The clinic even rented a storage room to deal with the 30,000 charts that dated back to 1982.
October 22, 2012
Voice Recognition Helps Physicians Keep Detailed, Accurate Notes on EMR
Two-finger typists or those physicians simply not comfortable with computer keyboards are finding a way to bring electronic medical records (EMRs) into their practices with the help of a special tool.
At least two Alberta physicians have adopted voice recognition technology into their practices. This specially designed software turns recorded speech into text within an EMR.
October 09, 2012
Computer Expertise Not a Pre-Requisite for EMR
Inputting information into an electronic medical record (EMR) can take many forms.
Some physicians and clinic staff prefer to type the information directly into the EMR. Others like the flexibility offered by a wireless tablet computer where they can handwrite notes with a stylus pen or use a touch screen to cut down on the amount of typing. Many use voice recognition technology where speech is recorded as text on an EMR.
August 31, 2012
EMR Reduces Paper and Creates Better Organization
A new electronic medical record (EMR) solution has propelled Health Upwardly Mobile past some age-old clinic obstacles and into the 21st century. Transitioning to an EMR was an exciting time for Sue Newton, vice president and operations director at the Calgary clinic specializing in addiction, mental health, chronic pain and occupational health. “As a registered nurse for 20 years, I was used to paper charts and trying to read doctor’s writing, so I was thrilled to have the opportunity to switch to an EMR. I jumped at the chance when we talked about it in our clinic.”
May 07, 2012
Shadow Colleagues Before Making EMR Decision
Investing time learning how an EMR performs for your colleagues is a good way to kick-start your own transition to an EMR explains a Calgary physician who recently went through the process. Dr. Chris Bockmuehl led Crowfoot Village Family Practice through a transition to a new EMR solution earlier this year.
August 20, 2012
Are You Ready for an EMR?
Electronic medical record (EMR) solutions are an invaluable tool for physicians and staff looking to operate an efficient and effective clinic. EMR solutions also save time and space, improve internal and external communication, promote patient care and offer work/life balance for physicians and clinic staff. Understandably, transitioning from paper charts to an EMR solution can have challenges. Physicians have to ask: Am I ready for the change?
August 03, 2012
EMR Helps Deliver Proactive Health Care
Dr. Rohan Bissoondath strongly believes in health care, not sick care, and his electronic medical record (EMR) solution is keeping him on track with that philosophy. As the founding physician at Preventous Collaborative Health, Dr. Bissoondath wanted to provide proactive care to patients in his clinic by offering a variety of medical services for those requiring primary, acute, urgent, maternity, travel, corporate care and other associated support.
July 23, 2012
Analyzing Information Easy with EMR
Question: How many patients have been referred to the Wood Buffalo Primary Care Network (WBPCN) since the electronic medical record (EMR) solution was introduced?
Answer: 8,500.
July 03, 2012
PCN Teamwork Improves Communication Through EMR
In the heart of Canada’s oil industry, a group of independent physicians are tapping into another precious resource—teamwork. The 28 physicians are behind the Wood Buffalo Primary Care Network, a team approach that offers comprehensive primary care services and programs to patients within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, including the community of Fort McMurray.
June 18, 2012
EMRs Allow Clinics to Juggle Roles to Save Time, Costs
EMRs have made it easier to shuffle duties within a clinic to save time and costs. Many clinics have identified tasks that physicians can hand over to other clinic staff without compromising health care for patients. In turn, physicians are able to help more patients.
June 04, 2012
EMR Delivers Better Organization
Better organization was just what the doctor ordered (and received) when implementing an EMR solution. In April 2011 Dr. Paul Tung and his colleagues at McKenzie Towne Medical chose to open their practice with an EMR offered by one of the POSP qualified service providers (EMR vendors).
May 23, 2012
Support for Those Intimidated by EMR Technology
The fast pace of technological change can be exhilarating for some. For others, it is intimidating and stressful. EMRs are just one example of such change occurring in the medical field. These electronic records allow healthcare providers to keep secure and comprehensive records on patient encounters with numerous advantages over a paper chart system.
April 23, 2012
EMR Facts Help Educate Population
Dr. Kanchana Sivalingam wants people to understand how leading a healthy lifestyle can have a direct impact on their quality of life. The Devon-based physician likes to deliver her message to high school assemblies, hoping students go away armed with tools necessary to live the healthiest possible life. Her presentations are always backed up with facts and statistics, pulled from her EMR.
April 02, 2012
EMR Statistics Back Weight Loss Program's Success
Paul McWilliams is 100 pounds lighter, no longer has Type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure and he has the statistics to prove it. His EMR documents his year-long journey on the OPTIFAST 900 medically supervised weight loss program through the Wood Buffalo Primary Care Network.
March 19, 2012
Why Electronic Medical Records Are Necessary
EMRs are the future of health care say several peer leaders with POSP. POSP is the provincial program that provides funding to physicians to enable them to adopt EMRs. The program’s peer leaders are experienced EMR users who mentor other physicians on getting the most out of the technology in a clinical setting.
March 05, 2012
Finding Time for EMR a Priority
As a busy rural physician, Dr. Riyaz Mohamed’s time is stretched to the maximum balancing the care of his 1,000 patients. So when he realized his EMR wasn’t meeting the needs of his Picture Butte clinic, Dr. Mohamed knew he would need support in the challenge to find a new EMR.
February 20, 2012
Pediatric Specialist Accesses EMR at Several Locations
Dr. Darcie Kiddoo needed a more dependable solution than computers housed in her home office to act as a backup mechanism to her Med Access EMR. The pediatric urologist, who practices out of the University of Alberta Hospital, Royal Alexandra Hospital and Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, originally set up her computer servers in her home since the U of A would not permit them on its network.
February 07, 2012
EMR Upgrade Paves Way for Satellite clinic
When physicians and staff at Crowsnest Medical Clinic need patient data, it doesn’t matter whether they are in Bellevue or down the road in Coleman. They simply open the EMR at either site and information for the main clinic and its satellite is at their fingertips.
January 22, 2012
EMR Helps Track Patients’ Progress; Saves Office Space
The Calgary Weight Management Centre is slimming down—its paper files, that is. Karim Bhaloo, executive director, says the centre decided it was best to transition to an EMR solution with Wolf Medical Systems when they realized there were limitations with a paper filing system. The solution is one of three EMR solutions for which physicians can receive funding assistance under POSP.
January 06, 2012
Physicians Securely Review Charts 24/7 with EMR Solution
There is no more guessing where a patient chart can be found at Westgrove Medical Clinic. They are all just a few computer keystrokes away, neatly filed in the clinic’s electronic medical record.
December 14, 2011
No More Paper Chase for Clinics
Joyce Fehr doesn’t miss the stacks of paper charts and the endless filing of her pre-EMR days. “The best thing about having an EMR is not having to do paper filing,” says Fehr, clinic manager at La Crete Medical Clinic. Her clinic is located in a remote hamlet about 115 km southeast of High Level.
November 18, 2011
EMR Helps Identify University's Health Care Needs
Colds, influenzas and back pain used to be the top reasons students, staff and faculty sought a physician at Mount Royal University’s EnCana Wellness Centre.
November 10, 2011
Opportunities abound with new EMR
Dr. Padraic McCombe is excited about putting his EMR solution to the test. The Fort McMurray physician, along with two other physicians in the Signal Road Medical Clinic, recently switched from paper charts to an EMR solution offered by one of POSP qualified service providers (EMR vendors).
September 20, 2011
EMR Possible at Any Juncture
It’s never too late—or early—to think about adopting a new electronic medical record. Whether just out of medical school, well-settled professionally or close to retirement, physicians and clinic staff at Horizon Family Medicine in Red Deer are proving just that.
September 06, 2011
Data Migration Keeps Information Accessible, Current
Keeping up-to-date in a high-tech world can be challenging, time consuming and somewhat frustrating. It can also reap rewards down the line. For physicians and clinics transitioning from an existing electronic medical record (EMR), in most cases it makes sense to transfer data to the new EMR solution to support continuity of patient care as well as clinic operations.
August 22, 2011
EMR graphs help track health care progress
A picture is worth a thousand words. In Dr. Gloria Mok’s case, her use of computerized graphs paints a clear picture of the impact of health care for her chronic care patients. “I like graphing functions,” says Dr. Mok. “I am able to graph weight, blood pressure measurements and lab results such as hemoglobin A1c for diabetes management.
July 14, 2011
Harvest helps fund rural clinic’s EMR
By harvesting their grain, a remote Northern Alberta farming community is growing better health care in a unique partnership with a local clinic. La Crete, a hamlet 115 km southeast of High Level, opened its first medical clinic less than one year ago. The La Crete Medical Clinic transitioned from paper files to a Physician Office System Program (POSP) qualified electronic medical record (EMR) solution with Med Access just six months later. That move was made possible through a partnership with the local chamber of commerce and Great Northern Grain, explains Joyce Fehr, clinic manager.
June 21, 2011
Billing Streamlined with EMR
Eleven years ago, Dr. Fraser Armstrong began the switch from a paper-based clinic to an EMR. Today, patient care and billing are streamlined at his community-based family medicine teaching practice thanks to his EMR.
June 07, 2011
EMR Upgrade Eases IT Headaches
Dr. Jakes Dekker switched to an EMR system seven years ago and thought his days of paper charts were over. Unfortunately for his Cold Lake Medical Clinic, it didn't work out that way. Glitches ranging from hardware troubles to poor IT support often saw his clinic pulling paper charts once again when his local server in the office crashed.
May 24, 2011
Mentoring Program Helps Fill in Gaps
For clinics considering transitioning to an electronic medical record (EMR) solution, upgrading their current system or migrating data, there is help available from those who have been through it themselves. A Peer to Peer mentoring program is offered through POSP to those POSP-enrolled clinics contemplating an EMR or who have already started the process.
May 09, 2011
POSP Guides Clinic Through EMR Upgrade
The Drayton Valley clinic had worked with POSP on an earlier electronic medical record (EMR) system upgrade in 2003 with Wolf Medical Systems. Now, they wanted to upgrade to a new POSP-qualified EMR solution.
April 19, 2011
Accuracy and Efficiency at Forefront in EMR Transition
Dr. Akadri Alarape and staff at Tofield Medical Centre wanted to improve accuracy and efficiency for their 3,000 patients when they opted for an electronic medical record (EMR) solution in April 2010.
April 05, 2011
Breast Cancer Discovered Thanks to EMR Alert
Five years ago, a female patient came to see Dr. Heidi Fell. As the Calgary physician opened her EMR chart, she noted a message on her computer screen indicating the woman had not had a recent mammogram.
March 21, 2011
EMR Helps Pinpoint Life Threatening Conditions
The EMR at Associate Medical Centre in Taber isn't just another office management tool. It is helping physicians and staff diagnose potentially life threatening conditions.
March 08, 2011
Working Together Brings EMR Implementation Success
When Shawnessy Medical Clinic recently upgraded their electronic medical record (EMR) to the new Physician Office System Program (POSP) qualified standard, it had the support of its Primary Care Network (PCN) Information Technology (IT) department, its EMR provider and the POSP. Following the transition, the clinic is completely satisfied with how smoothly the transition went.
February 22, 2011
Three Hills Medical Clinic Every Clinic Has Different EMR Needs
Just as every patient's needs are different, so too are the needs of medical clinics. Sharon Peters, business manager at Three Hills Medical Clinic, found that out firsthand when the clinic started to upgrade their electronic medical record system in April 2010.
February 07, 2011
Journeying Through an EMR Upgrade
Capitol Hill Family Medicine Clinic in Calgary looked at upgrading its EMR software so that it would be VCUR 2008 compatible. Wanting a user-friendly system from a provider it could trust, the decision to switch from Med Tech to Med Access was simple.
January 24, 2011
Planning Pays Off for Schuster and Associates
Stepping into uncharted territory can be a stressful experience. For physicians and staff at Schuster and Associates, migrating their electronic medical record (EMR) data to a Physician Office System Program (POSP) qualified Wolf Medical Systems EMR solution was worth the effort.
January 10, 2011
New EMR Improves Time Management for Physicians at Raymond Medical Clinic
Before an EMR upgrade
3:45 p.m. – your last patient leaves
5:15 p.m. – you leave
Your last patient leaves at 3:45 p.m. but it is 5:15 p.m. and you are still there, typing up your notes, and researching care for your patients. Reviewing lab results is taking much longer than it should as you wait for each one to load. You are nearly finished and you glance at the clock remembering that you have to be off the computer so the local server backup can take place. With a sigh, you log off, knowing you will have to come in early tomorrow to complete the unfinished work.
December 09, 2010
Making the Jump to an EMR from Paper Charts
How do you approach moving from a paper-based practice to one with an electronic medical record (EMR)? In addressing the trepidation that many physician’s feel in taking the final leap after selecting their EMR, Dr. Sidney Harrison, a family practitioner in Medicine Hat advises to just pick a date and go.
November 10, 2010
Village Park Medical Moves from Paper to EMR
Making the move from a paper-based record environment to an electronic medical record (EMR) can seem like an enormous undertaking. Village Park Medical Clinic in Sherwood Park gathered the courage and took up the challenge earlier this year, choosing Med Access’ vendor conformance and usability requirements (VCUR) 2008 EMR solution from the Physician Office System Program’s (POSP’s) three qualified service providers.
October 28, 2010
Bonavista Medical Clinic: New EMR Helps Focus on Patient Care
Hoping to improve their clinical and administrative processes, and ultimately patient care, Bonavista Medical Clinic in Calgary recently upgraded their existing electronic medical record (EMR) to the Wolf Medical Systems complete EMR solution from one of the three Physician Office System Program’s (POSP’s) qualified services providers.
October 12, 2010
The Super-users
When a clinic focuses more about their going-forward strategy than where they have been, you know they are on the right track. Meridian Medical Clinic in Stony Plain has been using the Med Access electronic medical record (EMR) system since 2004 but recently upgraded to this vendor's VCUR (vendor conformance and usability requirements) 2008 solution. As part of this upgrade, the clinic is taking-user training to get the most out of their new solution for staff and their patients
August 18, 2010
Hinton Excited About the Future with Their New EMR
Dr. J. Bradford Armstrong of Hinton Medical Clinic felt they were making groundbreaking changes when they adopted an electronic medical record (EMR) system over 15 years ago. There weren’t many other clinics they could turn to for advice or to demonstrate the systems they were using.
June 18, 2010
Volcanic Ash and the Advantages of an ASP EMR: The Bowmont Otolaryngology Clinic Experience
When Calgary specialist Dr. Anita Hui opened her new clinic in October 2009, she was eager to transition to a new qualified service provider (QSP). “I was impressed with the turnkey proposal and how efficient the new EMR system seemed compared to my old one,” said Dr. Hui. “The fact that the new EMR would be compliant with VCUR 2008 standards made me feel that it was a positive step towards the future of my practice.”
July 15, 2010
It Takes a "Clinic" to Migrate Data
There are many reasons why a clinic chooses to transition to a new electronic medical record (EMR) – and impending hardware failure is a compelling one. When Neurology Clinic in Red Deer saw that their server was nearing failure in the fall of 2009, they looked to one of the three Physician Office System Program’s (POSP’s) qualified service provider (QSP) EMR solutions to ensure continuity of operations.
June 02, 2010
Success in Stettler—One Clinic's EMR Journey
For many physicians, using an electronic medical record (EMR) has become an integral part of their practice. Dr. Charles Heaven has been using an EMR in his Stettler practice since 2005. When the new VCUR 2008 solutions became available, Dr. Heaven and his clinic staff were eager to see how these new solutions could support the needs of his clinic.