Currently available EHR systems are not suited for use in a community-based setting for a number of reasons: commercial EHR systems are high-cost, often focused on billing, and designed for large practices, health systems or hospitals. Unless a new EHR system is created, these factors will create a health care “digital divide” where the “haves” will have access their health records and will benefit from the effectiveness of electronic health records, while the “have-nots” will face a health care system lacking the capacity to maintain adequate records.
To address this prospective divide, The Children’s Health Fund has designed a comprehensive electronic health record information system, called EHRIS customized for the health care needs of vulnerable pediatric and family populations and suitable for use at community health centers. The system is already in use within CHF’s National Network, which includes 21 pediatric programs across the country.
The new EHRIS provides a complete clinical record by capturing medical histories, physical examinations, lab data, demographic data and problem lists for each and every child and parent seen. The system includes the following features:
- direct wireless information entry using tablet computers;
- de-centralized, server-based software and database system;
- inclusion of clinical guidelines to address the needs of high-risk children;
- integrated and easily accessible guidelines and information tools for prescription, referral, mental health, asthma and nutrition;
- increased access to health information for patients and families;
- the creation of facilities to substantially increase the ability to provide assessment and outcomes reporting capabilities; and
- a reliable test platform to be provided to non-profit and governmental entities as a response to the absence of Community Health Centers and similar health care groups from a coherent e-Health and NHII strategy.
In addition to establishing a system that facilitates optimal care for thousands of patients each year, this project meets a national need while pointedly informing the technology market serving not-for-profits and community health centers.
