{"id":6236,"date":"2014-09-17T14:00:51","date_gmt":"2014-09-17T18:00:51","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.healthit.gov\/buzz-blog\/?p=6236"},"modified":"2026-01-06T04:59:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T04:59:03","slug":"electronic-health-records-increase-patient-followup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthit.gov\/blog\/insights-updates\/electronic-health-records-increase-patient-followup\/","title":{"rendered":"South Cove Community Health Center Uses Electronic Health Records to Increase Patient Follow Ups"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Leads to Increased Cancer Screening and Better Diabetes Management<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The nation\u2019s 62 Regional Extension Centers (RECs)<\/a> have helped hundreds of thousands of health care providers, doctors, health clinics, and small rural hospitals across the nation learn the best practices for implementing and using electronic health records, or EHRs.  Working closely with partners in their cities and towns, RECs are helping drive innovation by assisting healthcare providers to spur practice transformation and provide better health care to their patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The REC at the Massachusetts eHealth Institute at MassTech (MeHI)<\/a> helps eligible providers in Massachusetts implement EHR systems and achieve meaningful use. MeHI has partnered with 3,051 primary care providers to adopt, optimize and transform their practices using health IT tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One example is the South Cove Community Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), which implemented an EHR interface with their lab vendor at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), with the guidance of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, and through funding provided by MeHI and ONC. South Cove\u2019s work is a great example of what can be accomplished to improve health, health care and control costs when an EHR is used. In 2009, South Cove successfully transitioned entirely from a paper system to an exclusive electronic system using their EHR. South Cove uses its EHR to better track patient care by identifying those patients that are due for follow-up and wellness visits. It also closely tracks high-risk patients, which is often an arduous and time-consuming task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From 2012-2013, South Cove saw a dramatic increase in the number of colorectal cancer screenings, thanks in part to a new reference lab interface to their EHR. The new interface helped drive increased screenings for patients between the ages of 51 to 75, from 58 to 73 percent.  While the initial goal was to broadly improve their internal Quality Assurance and Quality Improvement program, these results were a welcomed byproduct of their newfound ability to keep tabs on patients through the EHR interface and drive outcome improvements.  Their reporting requirements changed in 2012 to include three new measures, including colorectal screenings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Due to this new EHR interface, South Cove staff is able to receive real time numeric and text based results directly into the patient\u2019s progress note. For example, if a pap smear or an in-house colorectal screening comes back positive or abnormal, the staff can see this information flagged as ‘Abnormal<\/i>‘ in the lab section of the EHR. The provider can then proceed with the appropriate treatment and ensure that the patient returns for follow up visits. Having an interface that submits results directly into the EHR makes it easier for South Cove\u2019s quality improvement team to accurately track what follow up was ordered, when it was ordered, if the result came back, or if an issue exists with the lab sample or in  scheduling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Cove also increased diabetic control in 2,900 of their diabetic patients from 73 to 79 percent over the same timeframe through the use of the new electronic interface. This technology brings several benefits for the tracking of diabetes care, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n