MHP improves patient care with new technology

Local News

February 18, 2010

OSKALOOSA — Mahaska Health Partnership is improving security and accessibility of patient information with electronic medical records and single sign-on technology.

“With the passing of the HITECH (Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health) Act, federal money has been set aside for healthcare institutions to improve patient care through the use of electronic medical records. We wanted to ensure we are protecting our patients’ health information while meeting regulatory requirements,” explained MHP Director of Information Technology Kristi Roose.

The HITECH Act was passed in February 2009 to improve the electronic exchange of health information.

“This legislation is intended to improve the quality of care for patients,” Roose said. “When physicians and nurses are able to easily and securely access a complete profile of a patient’s medical history, the treatment outcomes will be better.”

Using single sign-on technology, biometric fingerprint readers are used to verify that the person accessing your health information is authorized. It also allows healthcare providers to more effectively serve patients, from any location.

Today, 276 healthcare providers and care team members at MHP use the new technology to access patient data. According to Roose, this means that a provider can log on to a computer system one time and have access to more than 30 applications, including a patient’s chart, his or her X-rays, communications with other healthcare providers and other needed resources to more effectively and securely coordinate patient care.

“With these advanced technologies, our clinicians, including physicians and nurses, are able to access our patient’s medical information from their offices, on the Inpatient nursing floor as well as in the Operating Room, lab or radiology,” Roose explained.

“This means that providers at MHP are spending more time caring for our patients directly because they have secured access to everything they need without leaving the patient’s side; which is just one more way we are working to Make Healthcare Personal.”