Electronic Health Records

May 2 2007

Kaiser Permanente Sponsors Health Care Information Technology

Kaiser Permanente joined more than 100 health care advocates, providers, policymakers and purchasers in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, May 2, at Health IT: Unlocking the Potential, a forum for discussing the benefits and challenges of widespread adoption and promotion of electronic health information technology.

Keynote speaker Dr. Carolyn Clancy, of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, and moderator Susan Dentzer, of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer, led an informative discussion on communicating the benefits of health IT to consumers, policymakers, employers and other stakeholders.

The conference sought to address how the face of health care is changing, and how advancements in technology are beginning to transform the way we approach patient care and wellness. Health information technology is at the forefront of this transformation, but its value has not been compellingly conveyed to those who can benefit the most – consumers.

During the one-day event, high-profile speakers and interactive panel discussions addressed:

• New survey findings of 1,000 Americans on their impressions of the value of electronic health information.
• The challenges and opportunities of effectively translating the benefits of electronic health information.
• The value of electronic records to the health care safety net, disaster response and public health reporting.
• The need to proactively address the consumer perceptions about privacy concerns associated with shifting from paper to electronic records.

Kaiser Permanente is at the forefront of using technology to transform patient care. The organization's electronic health record project reached an important milestone in April, when non-clinical inpatient applications – including pharmacy, admission, discharge and transfer, and billing – was deployed in all Kaiser Permanente hospitals. Notably, the successful completion of our inpatient pharmacy overhaul provides all our pharmacists with evidence-based, electronic decision support at the point of processing, improving overall patient safety.

"We are building the foundation for our future," said Andrew M. Wiesenthal, MD, SM, associate director of The Permanente Federation. "This investment is no more burdensome than the critical investments we make in our new hospitals. Ultimately, it is an investment in the health of our members and our communities."

"Delivering a secure electronic health record that follows our members through every point of contact – in the exam room, in the hospital, by phone and online – ensures the highest level of safety and quality," said Louise Liang, MD, senior vice president, Quality and Clinical Systems Support for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. "With KP HealthConnect™, we are leveraging our integrated delivery model and cutting-edge health information technology to move health care into the digital age."

KP HealthConnect™ is recognized as the world's largest civilian EHR. This multi-year, multi-billion dollar investment will convert medical charts and prescription and treatment orders in more than 400 medical offices and more than 35 hospitals. Additionally, the implementation provides all 8.7 million Kaiser Permanente members with the option to securely access portions of their medical record through http://www.kp.org/.