Advocate Physician Partners (APP), the largest network of independent physicians in the Midwest, has partnered with Westborough, Mass.-based eClinicalWorks for one of the biggest electronic medical record (EMR) implementations in the country.
APP, a collaboration between more than 3,400 physicians and the Advocate Health Care system – a not-for-profit, faith-based integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater Chicago area – will recommend that its doctors use eClinicalWorks EMR and practice management tools to support and supplement its award-winning Clinical Integration (CI) Program, which unifies the physicians under a common set of quality goals and measures. The APP eClinicalWorks EMR solution will offer real-time access and updating of patient information anytime, anywhere and enhance communication between providers and patients.
"Advocate Physician Partners is committed to clinical excellence and patient safety, and the use of an EMR by APP physician members is the next step in using technology to improve quality and performance," said Lee Sacks, MD, executive vice president and chief medical officer for Advocate Health Care and president of Advocate Physician Partners.
Composed largely of physicians in small practices, APP’s EMR strategy offers an accelerated adoption timeline and will benefit physicians and patients alike. Seventy-five percent of Americans receive their medical care from doctors in small practices, and less than 15 percent of physician groups are using an electronic record system, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.
"Advocate Health Care, as a system, is committed to the benefits that technology brings to our caregivers and their patients," said Bruce Smith, Advocate's senior vice president and chief information officer. "Advocate Physician Partners' EMR plans underscore its continuous efforts to bring its physician members the best tools to serve those who trust them with their health and wellness needs."
With the recent American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) providing $18 billion in EMR-related incentives, "it is clear that the federal government agrees with APP’s positive evaluation of the potential of EMR to reduce health care costs and improve outcomes," said Sacks. "Leveraging technology has the potential to have many positive effects on the entire health care system in this country."
APP has begun a pilot program with some of its members and eClinicalWorks in anticipation of a phased implementation process that will get more than 1,200 physicians in some 400 offices up and running on the EMR platform by mid-2012. Physicians who achieve meaningful use of an EMR by 2012 will receive the maximum reimbursement offered under the government’s stimulus bill.
"eClinicalWorks provides technologies that help both providers and patients improve communication and clinical outcomes," said Girish Kumar Navani, CEO and co-founder of eClinicalWorks. "By utilizing eClinicalWorks EMR/PM system along with its complimentary technologies that enable community records and mobile connectivity, Advocate is showing its commitment to its providers by uniting its practices and ensuring they have the most up-to-date information possible to deliver the best medical care. We are honored to have been selected by the largest health care provider in Illinois."
eClinicalWorks has grown from $1 million in revenue in 2004 to $112 million in 2009. Other notable initiatives in which the company is involved include the Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Primary Care Information Project.
