Monitor on Psychology - May 2012 - (Page 72)

The advantages of electronic health records Electronic records can improve patient care. Here’s how. F or Aaron Harris, PhD, a clinical health psychologist at the Robert J. Dole Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Wichita, Kan., electronic health records are just one sign of how integrated psychological services are in veterans’ overall health care. “Mental health is part of the team,” Harris told participants at APA’s 2012 State Leadership Conference. And having all of a patient’s records in one place helps all members of that team. Primary-care physicians know what mental health issues patients are facing, said Harris, while psychologists learn about patients’ physical illnesses. A quick scan of a patient’s record might show that he recently had a cardiology visit, for example, which may be related to his panic attacks. That kind of coordination of care is one of the main advantages of electronic health records, said Stacey Larson, JD, PsyD, director of legal and regulatory affairs in APA’s Practice Directorate. “Electronic health records focus on the total health of a patient,” said Larson, explaining that records’ “interoperability” means that providers can share information with each other. “An electronic health record is basically just a copy of a patient’s records; the difference is it’s all of the patient’s records in one place.” Other anticipated advantages of using electronic health records include more patient-centered care, improved quality, greater efficiency and convenience and cost savings. And while Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act protections apply to electronic health records, said Larson, the records themselves also build in protections. The technology can limit access to certain information to specific users and track who has accessed what information. To be eligible for financial incentives for adopting electronic health records, providers must use them in a “meaningful” way — to improve care, enhance safety and promote care coordination. Unfortunately, said Larson, psychologists aren’t currently eligible for those incentives. The Behavioral Health Information Technology Act (S. 539) would extend those payments to psychologists. Of course, many psychologists are already using electronic health records. Vanessa Jensen, PsyD, uses them in her work as a pediatric psychologist at the Center for Pediatric Behavioral Health at the Cleveland Clinic Children’s Hospital. Jensen cited a long list of benefits she discovered after she made the switch. “The biggest benefit is coordination of care,” she said. When she gets a referral from a nephrologist, cardiologist or any other provider, she can review the patient’s chart and get up to date — all without playing phone tag. M O N I T O R O N P S Y C H O L O G Y • M AY 2 0 1 2 72

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - May 2012

Monitor on Psychology - May 2012
Letters
President’s Column
Contents
From the CEO
Math + science + motherhood = a tough combination
The rights of indigenous people take center stage at AAAS meeting
Interdisciplinary programs that are leading the way
Good Governance Project moves into its next phase
APA publishes third edition of seminal ADHD book for kids
Government Relations Update
In Brief
Random Sample
Judicial Notebook
Psychology’s first forays into film
Time Capsule
Questionnaire
Presidential programming
Obesity researchers receive lifetime achievement awards
Top speakers for psychology’s top meeting
Science Watch
Homing in on sickle cell disease
Psychologist Profile
Alone in the ‘hole’
Public Interest
State Leadership Conference ‘12
Perspective on Practice
Education tops council’s agenda
Meet the candidates for APA’s 2014 president
Presidential election guidelines
Division Spotlight
American Psychological Foundation
Support for sexual miniorities
Personalities

Monitor on Psychology - May 2012