News Release

Entering the Paperless World
Mercy – Clinton Utilizing the Electronic Medical Record

Mercy Medical Center – Clinton has made a significant investment in state-of-the-art technology by transitioning to an electronic medical record (EMR) system. Recently, physicians and nurses throughout Mercy – Clinton began to enter orders and update charts without touching a piece of paper, as many patient care functions are now recorded electronically. The change is aimed at increasing the quality of care and patient safety.

On the evening of Friday, Oct. 26, 2007, Mercy - Clinton began implementing the system. By Saturday, Oct. 27, the entire system was up and running, representing the culmination of a two-year planning and preparation process.

About the milestone event, Mercy – Clinton President/CEO Donna Oliver said, “Countless hours of behind-the-scenes work were spent bringing this new system to fruition. I am proud of our staff and physicians who have embraced the change and whose support is taking Mercy to a new level of patient care delivery.”

The system at Mercy – Clinton is heavily dependant on wireless technology. Doctors and nurses now access data via laptops and computers on wheels. Approximately 700 Mercy – Clinton employees have received training for their use.

Patients may notice subtle changes. They will find nurses using computers at the bedside, entering patient data. Other benefits from the system include a reduction in repeated  questions to patients, greater accuracy in hospital billing and shorter hospital stays.

The centerpiece of Mercy’s technology is Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE), which is an electronic prescribing tool that intercepts errors where they most commonly occur – at the time medication is ordered. With CPOE, physicians enter orders into a computer rather than on paper. Orders are integrated with patient information, including laboratory and prescription data. The order is then automatically checked for potential errors or problems.

CPOE provides immediate transmission of orders to pharmacy, laboratory and radiology; computerized test results reporting; and the accessibility of patient information at the point of care. Improving these processes will help reduce the potential for human error and enhance efficiency.

When CPOE is used in hospitals, it has been shown to reduce serious prescribing errors by more than 50 percent, according to the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy. The technology can eliminate errors caused by misreading or misinterpreting handwritten instructions. It can also intercept orders that might result in adverse drug reactions or that deviate from standard protocols.

The highest level of government is encouraging the push toward a healthcare system that is more wired (less dependant on paper). In 2005, President George W. Bush set a 10-year goal of making sure most Americans have computerized medical records available.

STORY SOURCE: Marketing, Mercy Medical Center – Clinton, 1410 N. 4th St., Clinton, IA 52732

CONTACT: Michelle Bradley, APR, Director of Marketing and Planning, (563) 244-5786, bradlemm@mercyhealth.com