SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Brown & Toland Medical Group launched the first phase of an electronic medical record (EMR), making it one of the first large independent practice associations (IPA) in the nation to make such a product available to its physicians.
In the first phase of the project, Brown & Toland launched the clinical lab results module of the EMR, which allows physicians to access, in real time, results from patients' lab results.
"This is the first time that an IPA is making lab results available for all patients within the community," said Gloria Austin, Brown & Toland's Chief Executive Officer. "We are particularly proud that we are introducing an EMR that will benefit the patients of San Francisco. Hospitals and physicians will benefit from the efficiency that this service offers."
The EMR, the Touchworks(TM) electronic medical record system, is part of an overall physician practice suite of services, which also includes a practice management system that Brown & Toland is offering its physicians. The medical group estimates the total cost of the physician practice solutions initiative, which will be implemented over a number of years, to be about $12 million.
Additional EMR modules will be available to Brown & Toland physicians in early 2005. These additional modules will address a wide range of functions, including e-prescribing, note taking, capturing charges, and more. Physicians may select the services that fit their needs and implement additional services at a later date. The EMR product also integrates with IDX Flowcast,(TM) the new practice management software that is also part of Brown & Toland's project.
"Brown & Toland physicians are now able to securely access online laboratory information for patients of all participating Brown & Toland network physicians," noted Peter Alperin, M.D., Brown & Toland Medical Group's Medical Director. "This initiative takes Brown & Toland further down the path of clinical integration while demonstrably improving quality of care and the efficient use of health care resources.
"Additionally, the advantages to the San Francisco community as a whole are enormous. Doctors and patients alike benefit from having the right information available at the right time. As more information comes online from more of our network, it will only get better."
Alperin added that Brown & Toland worked closely with its network laboratory partner, LabCorp(R), (Laboratory Corporation of America) to ensure that the EMR launched successfully. Hospitals in Brown & Toland's network, including California Pacific Medical Center, the University of California -- San Francisco, St. Mary's Medical Center, Saint Francis Memorial Hospital, and St. Luke's Hospital, are working with the medical group as well.
"The benefits of high quality clinical data in the Emergency Department are obvious," said Peter Sullivan, M.D., of California Pacific Medical Center's Emergency Room. "Unfortunately, many patients arrive with little or incomplete historical information. Brown & Toland's program offers the possibility of immediate online access to secure patient data including allergies, medications, and medical problem lists. The emergency department physicians and patients both win."
Noted Fred Whinery, M.D., a Brown & Toland primary care practitioner in San Francisco, "An EMR improves patient safety and quality of care while making physicians and other healthcare providers more efficient when delivering care. Having quick and easy access to real time information, right at your fingertips, is a big advantage for both physician and patients."
About Brown & Toland Medical Group
Brown & Toland Medical Group, based in San Francisco, Calif., has more than 1,500 physicians serving approximately 200,000 patients. Brown & Toland is a three-time winner of the prestigious Pacific Business Group on Health (PBGH) Blue Ribbon Award for medical excellence and has earned numerous other awards for quality. For more information, visit our Web site at http://www.brownandtoland.com/.
Brown & Toland Medical GroupCONTACT: Richard Angeloni, Corporate Director, Communications, ofBrown & Toland Medical Group, +1-415-972-4307, or rangeloni@btmg.com
Web site: http://www.brownandtoland.com/