In 2001, Milwaukee-based St. Joseph's Family Medicine Residency, an MCW residency practice, adopted the NextGen EMR system to improve clinical performance. The Windows-based EMR allows providers to have an up-to-date record at their fingertips during encounters, enabling them to quickly identify actions that need to be taken - such as preventive services (e.g., mammograms) or required tests (e.g., HbA1c) - and to identify trends (e.g., incremental increases in blood pressure). MCW also began using NextGen EMR to track performance and quality of care standards within the practice.
The qualitative and quantitative results proved impressive:
-- Childhood immunizations - In 2002, 70% of the practice's 12-month-old patients (140+ children) had received immunizations. By 2003, St. Joseph increased immunization rate to 99% (215 children) and has maintained this level. Similar improvements were made with two-year-olds. In 2001, only 35% of children (74 children) were up-to-date. That figure increased to 85% in 2003 and has risen to 93% (195 children).
-- Hypertension - Between 2005 and 2007, the number of the practice's patients whose hypertension was controlled (i.e., compliant with HEDIS standards of 140/90 or better) improved from 53% to 68%.
-- Diabetes - In 2001, the percentage of patients who had their LDL checked within the previous two years was 32%, and that number is now 92%. Only 10% of St Joseph's patients displayed levels lower than 100 in 2001. This is now at 40%. In addition, HbA1c monitoring improved. In 2001, 75% of patients had their levels checked within the previous year; this increased to 95% in 2007. Additionally, patients whose HbA1c levels were less than eight jumped from 44% to 59% during the same time period.
"The data we now have available using NextGen EMR makes areas of concern tangible, and provides a quantifiable way to measure performance. Providers can quickly see a patient's status and are prompted to take action through the system. The use of EMR reporting and St. Joseph's unique disease management model has dramatically improved patient care - and its applicability is limitless," said Sandra Olsen, Program Administrator for the Medical College of Wisconsin.
NextGen EMR's flexibility also allows St. Joseph's to respond to unexpected issues. The practice collaborated with the City of Milwaukee to combat lead poisoning in children. Several years ago, the city published a report indicating that 130,000 properties in the Milwaukee area posed a risk of lead contamination to children. St. Joseph's used the EMR to search its database by ZIP code and identify families with children who lived in at-risk areas. St. Joseph's contacted those families for testing. Children whose levels were greater than 10 were referred to the City of Milwaukee's lead abatement program.
The MS-HUG Annual Awards recognize breakthrough contributions being made by healthcare organizations and individuals to drive efficiencies across the healthcare system - ultimately containing costs and improving the quality of patient care, as well as independent software vendor (ISV) solutions that demonstrate the best use of Microsoft technology to drive results in the healthcare industry.
About NextGen Healthcare
NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Quality Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: QSII), develops and markets computer-based practice management and electronic medical records systems for medical group practices and healthcare systems. For more information about NextGen, please visit www.nextgen.com and www.qsii.com.
SOURCE: NextGen Healthcare
NextGen Healthcare Jennifer Kuesel, 215-657-7010 jkuesel@nextgen.com
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