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'Paperless' Medical Office In Delaware Featured In Quality Times
By Rod Tanchanco
Internal Medicine of Delaware, LLC, the medical practice of Dr. Rod Tanchanco was recently featured in Quality Times, the quarterly publication of Quality Insights of Delaware. Quality Insights of Delaware is the First State's Medicare Quality Improvement Organization. This organization is tasked with helping medical practices adopt health information technology and practice improvement processes to elevate the quality of healthcare in the state.
The article, entitled, "One Doctor's Plunge Into Electronic Medical Records," described Dr. Tanchanco's experiences in implementing a fully electronic, or 'paperless' office. Written for medical practitioners, the article included the doctor's advice on setting up such an office. It also listed the advantages that the practice has seen in incorporating health information technology such as better office efficiency, easier accessibility to records, more systematic reviews of health measures, electronic prescribing, to list a few. Experts have purported that adoption of such technology can lead to better health outcomes for patients by focusing on preventative health and adherence to accepted screening, and treatment guidelines. It is hoped that this will, in the long run, also lead to lower healthcare costs.
Dr Tanchanco's practice has been in operation since July, 2005, and treats adolescents to adults. His practice has been used as a showcase of a modern medical practice, having been the venue of an open house last Fall on Electronic Medical Records, sponsored by the Quality Insights of Delaware, and even attended by a representative from Senator Carper's office. Numerous physicians have since visited Dr. Tanchanco's Middletown office to see how an electronic medical practice runs. Senator Carper is a proponent of health information technology. When he was Governor, he signed into law the Delaware Health Information Network which advanced the creation of a statewide network of patient healthcare information for public and private medical use.
From the point of view of patients, Dr. Tanchanco reported that they are usually quite impressed. There are no missing charts, prescriptions can be sent directly to the pharmacy, and the doctor has access to the necessary health information, including patient education materials, right at the point of care. Patients also appreciate the clean, uncluttered office itself, free of chart racks. The technology has helped improve patient communications and satisfaction. A recent survey of patients designed and overseen by the American Board of Internal Medicine on Dr. Tanchanco's practice revealed a high rating in practice communications, and over-all satisfaction with the medical care and staff.
Medical practices that have fully adopted this technology are still a minority, not only in Delaware, but throughout the country. With the focus on quality improvements in healthcare measures, there is now a major push towards getting more offices to adopt the technology. Needless to say, this is not done easily, and all practices inevitably grapple with the difficult process of electronic medical record implementation.
Dr. Tanchanco has also written an eBook entitled "An EMR Journey." Written for healthcare professionals looking into implementing electronic records into their practices, the 48-page publication describes his experiences with EMR adoption, the process he went through, lessons learned, and insights gained along the way. It also lists helpful resources that may be utilized in choosing and implementing an EMR. The eBook is available at http://www.anemrjourney.com . About the Author Dr. Tanchanco is the author of the eBook entitled "An EMR Journey." Written for healthcare professionals looking into implementing electronic records into their practices, the 48-page publication describes his experiences with EMR adoption, the process he went through, lessons learned, and insights gained along the way. It also lists helpful resources that may be utilized in choosing and implementing an EMR. The eBook is available at http://www.anemrjourney.com .
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Some other articles by Rod Tanchanco | |
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