Kaiser Permanente Successful With Inpatient EHR

Oakland, Calif. — Kaiser Permanente announced a milestone achievement in health information technology—bringing electronic health records (EHR) to 22 hospitals serving 4.8 million members, the most hospitals using electronic medical records of any civilian hospital system in the nation, according to the Oakland, Calif.-based insurer. The latest count results from full inpatient implementation of Kaiser Permanente's EHR, KP HealthConnect (civilian electronic health record) in 12 Southern California hospitals. An end-to-end electronic health records covers all of the region’s 3.3 million members.

"This milestone reinforces Kaiser Permanente's position as the industry leader in leveraging health information technology to improve patient care and service," says John Mattison, chief medical information officer, assistant medical director and director of the KP HealthConnect program for Kaiser Permanente in Southern California. "The deployment of KP HealthConnect has proven to be an integral part of improving patient safety, coordinating care and decision-making, enhancing documentation, adhering to evidence-based clinical guidelines and improving provider and operational efficiency. Having KP HealthConnect in Kaiser Permanente's Southern California hospitals will help us continue to provide our patients with high-quality, compassionate care in both the in-patient and out-patient settings."

"KP HealthConnect has been a huge benefit to me, and to my patients," says Donald Jong, MD, chief of the emergency department at Kaiser Permanente's Woodland Hills Medical Center. "When I am in the ER, I cannot count on my patients being able to provide me with their medical history and status. With KP HealthConnect, I can immediately access my patients' medical records to ensure that I am giving them the most appropriate care and avoid medical errors."

With KP HealthConnect, virtually all Kaiser Permanente members are routinely treated with an electronic chart in the outpatient setting. Kaiser Permanente's 8.7 million members have access to My Health Manager, Kaiser Permanente's personal health record, where they can manage their health online, the company says. My Health Manager is designed to provide critical, time-saving features, including online appointment scheduling and prescription refills. In addition, users have 24/7 online access to lab test results, eligibility and benefits information, and even their children's immunization records.

Source: PR Newswire