Healthcare Information Technology Delivers Instant Access to Patient Data to Doctors and Hospitals: Using the DHIN and Cerner, United Medical LLC becomes a leader in data exchange
DOVER, DE – February 20, 2013 – Physicians need quick and direct access to their patients’ comprehensive health information and records. As patients see multiple physicians and receive care at different hospitals, it’s no wonder documenting and managing healthcare information is so complicated and time-consuming. To streamline workflow and have instant access to patient data, associates at United Medical LLC use the Delaware Healthcare Information Network (DHIN) along with Cerner Ambulatory solutions.
DHIN, the nation’s first and most mature state-wide health information exchange, has established an interface that provides a direct link to medical results for more than 1.4 million patients. All of Delaware’s acute care hospitals participate in DHIN along with private laboratories and radiology firms. Over 9 million clinical results are posted annually on DHIN and approximately 97% of Delaware’s practicing medical providers that order tests for patients are enrolled in DHIN.
Recently, DHIN announced that Cerner’s Electronic Medical Record (EMR) software has passed the DHIN certification process. Cerner’s EMR software is used in 46 medical practices in Delaware – among the most widely used EMR vendor by healthcare providers in Delaware. The certification process takes several months and ensures that information is securely and appropriately transferred from DHIN directly in to the electronic patient record as it is maintained directly at the practice. The process includes extensive testing and validation to ensure all information from DHIN is appearing correctly and in the intended location on the Cerner software.
“The Cerner – DHIN integration is unique. United Medical was instrumental in the facilitation of the interface for just under 50 practices and well over 100 physicians in our network.” Kemal Erkan, FACHE, CEO of United Medical, LLC expounds: “As we change the landscape of healthcare our physicians are realizing the financial savings of being part of a larger network of physicians. We relieve the individual practices of the administrative and technical aspects of business allowing them more time to focus on the delivery of care.”
“We are very excited to welcome Cerner as one the growing number of EMR vendors that offer a direct integration with DHIN,” said Dr. Jan Lee, Executive Director of DHIN. “Practices using Cerner’s EMR now have a direct and secure interface to their patients’ medical results. These integrations make it easier for doctors to see important information about their patients, expediting the decision-making process and ultimately providing better care to patients,” said Dr. Lee.
Cerner’s interface with the DHIN eliminates time consuming tasks that United Medical’s providers used to perform. Previously, United Medical clinicians would have to check every patient to see if they had results, if they had ordered results or if the patient had filled the result. Instead of checking each patient individually, United Medical would log into the DHIN to check.
“With the Cerner interface, now those results come in directly to the provider’s inbox. Once the provider signs off, it shows that they’ve signed off on the Flow Sheet, and it’s coming in as discreet data not just a scanned image. It’s actually coming in as something that can be charted, something that can show the trends, something that can be shown in or out of the reference mark,” explains John Donnelly, Associate Director at United Medical. “So it’s an incredible interface and it has more of a benefit because of the shared patients.”
“The integration of patient data into our state-wide exchange and into EMR software makes it easier for healthcare providers to see all the information for one patient in a single place and in a format with which they are already very comfortable,” notes Dr. Lee. “This is great news for Delaware practices as Cerner has a high penetration in the Delaware medical community with nearly 10% of DHIN enrolled practices using their EMR product.”
About United Medical LLC
Founded in November 2005 by Kemal Erkan, United Medical is a turnkey solution for the medical industry and the largest private ambulatory health care network in Delaware. As a full service company United Medical will work to increase the practice profitability by streamlining practice workflow and operations allowing the practice to focus on increasing quality of patient care. With a local network currently uniting more than 150 providers and 250,000 patients, United Medical is well on its way to changing the health care landscape in Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic region.
About Cerner
Cerner is contributing to the systemic change of health and care delivery. For more than 30 years Cerner has been executing its vision to make health care safer and more efficient. We started with the foundation of digitizing paper processes and now offer the most comprehensive array of information software, professional services, medical device integration, remote hosting and employer health and wellness services. Cerner systems are used by everyone from individual consumers, to single-doctor practices, hospitals, employers and entire countries. Taking what we’ve learned over more than three decades, Cerner is building on the knowledge that is in the system to support evidence-based clinical decisions, prevent medical errors and empower patients in their care.
About DHIN
DHIN, The Delaware Health Information Network, is the first live, statewide health information network in the nation. Launched in 2007, today it serves all of Delaware’s acute care hospitals and 97% of the State’s medical providers.* More than 9,000,000 clinical results and reports are posted on DHIN each year. Total patient records in the system now exceed 1.4 million including patients from all 50 states. For more information about DHIN visit www.DHIN.org or call 302-678-0220. Please also visit us on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (@DHIN_hie).
*Provider penetration calculation reflects the number of providers who make orders and are enrolled in DHIN (MD’s, DO’s, NP’s, PA’s and ED’s). It does not include healthcare providers that do not make orders (e.g. Pathologists). Total provider list compiled from multiple sources including the Medical Society of Delaware, University of Delaware, Delaware Blue Cross Blue Shield and the Delaware Division of Professional Regulation.
