Saratoga Springs, NY Pediatrician of Community Care Physicians, PC Uses First-of-its-Kind EHR Application

Dr. Barbara Morris of Community Care Physicians is the first physician in the country to use new iPhone™ technology, Allscripts Remote™, allowing access to critical patient information outside the office

LATHAM, NY (04/15/2009)(readMedia)-- Allscripts, the nation's leading provider of clinical software, connectivity and information solutions, chose Barbara Morris, MD, pediatrician at Community Care Pediatrics in Saratoga Springs, NY of Community Care Physicians, to pioneer a new iPhoneTM application, Allscripts RemoteTM, in the Capital Region. Allscripts RemoteTM provides clinicians access to Allscripts Electronic Health Record (EHR) anytime and anywhere using their iPhoneTM or iPod touch®.

With Allscripts RemoteTM, physicians can make critical medical decisions when they are on-call and away from patient's full medical record. All of a patient's relevant information is made available using a very popular technology- the cellphone. Allscripts RemoteTM provides the physician with the patient's medical summary (including history, lab results and medications), communication with local emergency rooms, and an e-prescribing function to the pharmacy of choice, all with the touch of a button.

Community Care has been a user of the Allscripts Touchworks EHR for 3 ½ years. With over 35 offices and more than 200 providers, Community Care was the first and largest practice to use the EHR in the Capital District. Allscripts RemoteTM is the next logical step in the development of the electronic communication system at Community Care to improve patient care.

"I am excited to adopt this technology, which allows me to conveniently and securely connect to my patients' EHR to make necessary, urgent decisions when away from the office," said Barbara Morris, MD, Chief Medical Officer for Community Care and practicing pediatrician in Saratoga Springs, NY. "Now, when I get a call from a patient when I'm on call, I can pull up the patient's allergy list, prescribe a medication, send the script to the pharmacy, and make sure the patient has an appointment, all with the push of a few buttons."

Allscripts RemoteTM improves the continuity of care for patients. It includes features that are important to the doctor and the patient. If in need of emergent care, a list of Emergency Rooms in the area is able to be pulled up and information faxed directly from the iPhoneTM, along with any notes or instructions from the provider. Similarly with the feature e-prescribe, the top 100 medications are displayed, along with a search function and the patient's allergies. So, the physician can safely prescribe medications and send the prescription to the pharmacy of the patient's choice. Physicians can also access their schedule and messages using this new technology.

"You want your doctor to have Allscripts RemoteTM," says Dr. Morris. "You want your doctor to provide efficient and accurate care wherever they are. This solution allows for that and, most importantly, is HIPAA compliant. Notably, any care provided is recorded in the patient's permanent EHR in Touchworks; so, there is documentation of what you've done. The medical information inputted into the iPhoneTM is not stored on the phone. It disappears as soon as you exit the application. Patient confidentiality is never compromised, even if the phone is lost. This technology offers a great advantage to physicians and patients alike."

Community Care Physicians, PC, is a physician-owned, physician-governed, multi-specialty medical group with more than 200 physicians and other clinical providers, located in four counties surrounding the Albany, New York greater Capital District. Community Care Physicians medical services include Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Family Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology, Radiology, Radiation Oncology, Laboratory, General Surgery, Urology, Dermatology, Physical Therapy, Podiatry, Audiology, Occupational Medicine, Urgent Care, Diabetic Education, and Nutrition.

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Contact Alexis Musto, Marketing Manager at Community Care Physicians, PC, for more information by phone at 518-213-0322, by email at amusto@communitycare.com, or by fax at 518-782-3798. Barbara Morris, MD is available for interviews and for demonstrations of the Allscripts Remote application.