Managed Healthcare Executive - November 2008 - (Page 26)

{ TECHNOLOGY } Value of EHRs especially evident during natural disasters Recent hurricane season prompts health plans to further encourage consumers to claim ownership of their medical records BY TRACEY WALKER Tracey Walker is senior editor of MANAGED HEALTHCARE EXECUTIVE . 26 NOVEMBER 2008 NE LESSON THAT HEALTHCARE learned from hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 was that paper medical records, and those on disks and servers, are incredibly vulnerable. Now, in light of hurricanes Gustav and Ike, the value of electronic health records (EHRs), accessible from remote locations, has become crystal clear. In fact, one health system was able to return to practice without missing a beat just one day after Hurricane Gustav, thanks to its EHR. Results like this reinforce the value of EHRs and lessons learned from previous disasters. “We’ve also learned that during emergency situations, health plans are a good source of high-level O patient-centric information, as medical records from providers may not be readily accessible,” says Ob Soonthornsima, senior vice president and chief information o cer at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) in Baton Rouge. “Since the 2005 hurricanes, payer-based health records, which had been theorized for years, have emerged as a capability that health plans look to implement more broadly.” In addition, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has provided more leadership and focus at the national level, through electronic medical record demonstration projects and pilots. “EHRs are here and here to stay,” says Don McLeod, spokesman for CMS. “Over time, they represent great promise to improve health, transform the healthcare system and increase the e ciency and e ectiveness of the business operations associated with the delivery of healthcare.” Following the devastating beginning of this year’s hurricane season, consumers began to ask for and obtain health records from their plans. Consumer ownership and responsibility should be promoted, as part of managing one’s health and that of one’s family—and not just for disaster preparedness, according to Soonthornsima. TEXAS COAST Frederic Cirou/Getty Images Humana launched the CarePro le EHR throughout the state of Texas in preparation for hurricane season earlier this year. During Gustav and Ike, electronic information was available for Texas physicians and providers who

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Managed Healthcare Executive - November 2008 For Your Benefit Editorial Advisors Contents News Analysis State Report Politics &�Policy Letter of the Law Affordable Access Economic Ripple Effect Hospitals &�Providers Technology Managed Care Outlook Desktop Resource Ad/Edit Index

Managed Healthcare Executive - November 2008

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