TURLOCK, Calif., June 1 /PRNewswire/ -- MedicAlert Foundation today announced support for President George W. Bush’s Health Information Technology Plan. Paul Kortschak, MedicAlert(R) President and CEO, revealed plans for the non-profit Foundation to incorporate the recently-adopted Health Level Seven (HL7) standard for an electronic health record into the MedicAlert(R) World Wide Database.
On May 7, Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said the HL7 standard “is a critical first step” toward the development of a data interchange model that will let software for health care providers, payers and physicians talk to each other.
Kortschak noted that MedicAlert(R) has been active in the electronic health record standards efforts for a number of years, working with both HL7 and the Object Management Group. According to David Harrington, MedicAlert Foundation’s CTO, “The healthcare industry, after years of paper records, proprietary databases and partial solutions, is finally prepared to embrace a standard for the electronic health record. Now it is time to make sure that different health information systems can talk to each other to provide safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient and equitable care for the patient. MedicAlert(R) looks forward to working with the White House, Secretary Thompson, health care providers, payers and physicians, as well as standards development organizations to improve patient care and patient safety, and to save lives.”
In a letter sent to President Bush and Secretary Thompson, also on May 7, MedicAlert(R) Chairman, Dr. Dighton Packard, wrote “As the volunteer Chairman of the Board for MedicAlert Foundation, I am pleased to inform you the opportunity exists for patients to access their electronic health record online, and wear a MedicAlert(R) Emblem to alert emergency care providers to call and access their vital medical information. As an emergency physician I have used the MedicAlert(R) Service many times in the course of my practice.” Dr. Packard is also chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Baylor University Medical Center.
MedicAlert Foundation is one of the world’s largest nonprofit membership organizations with one mission -- to protect and save lives. The MedicAlert(R) Electronic Health Record stores information pertaining to each member’s medical conditions, medications, allergies, medical devices, health insurance, medical history and family contacts. The EHR also contains other health- related information, including advance directives and other documents.
“The MedicAlert(R) EHR is central to our service. When physician offices are closed the MedicAlert(R) Emergency Response Center is open. The patient’s EHR is accessible when you really need it,” said Kortschak. “More importantly, the EHR improves patient safety greatly,” he added.
Kortschak went on to say that MedicAlert(R) is committed to providing technology-based solutions to achieve the goal of becoming a single trusted source for medical history and information, to continually improve core services and to expand the reach of the Foundation’s life-saving mission.
The MedicAlert(R) EHR is also used very effectively to enhance patient safety in clinical trials. Last year the Foundation signed an exclusive agreement with RapidTrials(R), a clinical trial accelerator firm, to provide subject safety and identification services to the research and development segment of the life sciences industry.
“Instant and confidential access to the electronic health record of clinical trial participants is critical to patient safety,” said Tracy Blumenfeld, President and CEO of RapidTrials(R).
About the MedicAlert(R) Foundation -- MedicAlert(R) Foundation is one of the world’s largest nonprofit membership organizations with one mission -- to protect and save lives. For 48 years MedicAlert (R) has provided emergency medical information to authorized medical professionals on behalf of our members. The Foundation protects the privacy and confidentiality of our members by never releasing information to unauthorized personnel or organizations. Over four million members rely on the MedicAlert(R) Service to protect them, regardless of where they may live or travel. The need for trust and peace of mind knows no borders.
MedicAlert Foundation
CONTACT: Harbinder Maan of MedicAlert Foundation, +1-209-669-2435
Web site: http://www.medicalert.org/
