Auburn Family Medical Center has been using an Electronic Health Record, or EHR since August 2007.  We continue to partner with eClinicalWorks of Boston, MA and Cascade IT, with support from the Washington Health Information Collaborative.  With this we can bring modern information technology into our practice. Your patience has been greatly appreciated while we continue to work toward fully integrating the electronic system.  We are still refining our workflow and have continued adding new features with more to come.  Although it has taken more time and effort than we expected, we have successfully turned a corner.

Why did we do this? Modern healthcare is probably the most information intensive activity in our daily lives. We have to bring together data about a person, about several diseases and sets of resources and use all of that information to recommend care that is evidence-based and patient-specific.

What did we install? Our system includes a wireless network to allow our doctors to have both your records and relevant references in the exam room. The network consists of several special-purpose servers providing internet access, fax services and data services. The medical assistants, nurses and doctors all use wireless devices allowing them to access data from anywhere in the clinic or anywhere they have internet capabilities.

What can you expect in the future? The Health Care Reform introduced by the federal government has created several programs and established several regulations that medical clinic's need to abide by.  One of those programs, Meaningful Use, is designed to improve quality, safety, and efficiency in medical care and to reduce disparities.  In medical practice it also improves care coordination and ensures privacy and security protections regarding your personal health information.  Patients will be affected by the front desk as well as the nurse or medical assistant gathering some additional information that we have not been required to collect in the past.  We have worked hard to anticipate the impact on our patients as well as the staff at Auburn Family Medical Center.  We ask for your patience as we bring this about, and think you’ll find the result well worth the wait.

What’s next? A web-based patient portal that will allow our patients to request appointments, view results, and communicate with their provider.