Discover how implementing an electronic health record (EHR) solution in your practice can improve patient care and boost. revenue

1. Case Study
Advanzed Health Care
At a Glance
Implements EHR System to Improve
Organization
Patient Care and Boost Revenue
Advanzed Health Care, PLC Advanzed Health Care, PLC, struck IT implementation. “The ability to
Arlington, Va. the perfect balance between instantly access critical patient
– Internal medicine practice enhancing revenue and improving information and improve patient
– 2 physicians patient outcomes when it compliance with prescribed
implemented an electronic health therapies really sold us on the
– 3.5 full-time employees record (EHR) system in 2001. need for an EHR solution.”
– Active patient population Since then, the practice has
of 3,000, with 40% of patients increased the use of preventive Advanzed Health Care selected
on Medicare care treatments for chronically ill McKesson’s Practice Partner® EHR
patients, boosted productivity, and system, a fully integrated EHR,
Solution Spotlight raised annual revenue by $40,000 medical billing and appointment
per physician — all without the scheduling software. (Practice
– Practice Partner need for additional support staff. Partner version 9.2 from McKesson
is a CCHIT CertifiedSM product
Critical Issues Challenge for CCHIT Ambulatory EHR 2006
– Improving the quality of In 2000 Advanzed Health Care and 2007.)
patient care searched for ways to improve its
quality of care and operational According to Dr. Amedeo, the
– Increasing productivity Practice Partner system was easy
efficiencies. The practice was
aware that a large percentage to implement, with no impact
Results of its patients was not receiving on patient volume during
– Increased average daily visits the care necessary to manage implementation. Throughout
by 10% such chronic conditions as diabetes the first three months, the lead
and hypertension. Closing this physician focused on training staff
– Increased annual revenue by and customizing the system to meet
$40,000 without additional staff gap in care seemed challenging
because the practice had only the practice’s needs. Since Advanzed
– Made measurable improve- two physicians and limited Healthcare decided to build its
ments in patient care: support staff. EHR database gradually, existing
– Coronary heart disease patients’ medical information was
patients on a lipid-lowering Answer entered into the system at the time
prescription increased from of their visit, with staff scanning and
Advanzed Health Care decided uploading key paper documentation
58% to 95% to implement an EHR system to into their medical records later.
– Hypertensive patients with improve care quality and boost New patients were immediately
a well-controlled blood productivity. “The financial given a medical record.
pressure increased from benefits were important, but
45% to 84% our primary objective for Results
– Diabetes patients under- integrating an EHR was to
improve the quality of care Advanzed Health Care made
going the microalbumin/ productivity gains across its business
creatinine test to evaluate we provide to our patients,”
explains Dr. R. Michael Amedeo, with the Practice Partner integrated
kidney function increased EHR system, which automates all the
from 4% to 85% the physician leading the
– Male patients more than
40 years old on antiplatelet
medication rose to more
than 60%

2. Case Study
“The ability to instantly access clinical functions of the practice. patient outcomes. Customizable
Staff members now focus on core health maintenance templates
critical patient information tasks rather than tracking and automatically alert doctors of
and improve patient managing paper charts. Physicians overdue lab tests and medications
spend more time with patients for patients with particular
compliance with prescribed and have instant access to patient conditions. Practice Partner progress
information, ensuring that they note templates contain patient-
therapies really sold us on make informed clinical-care specific reminders on overdue
the need for an EHR solution.” decisions. health maintenance items, providing
a convenient reminder during the
The integrated EHR solution visit. Reminders also appear when
saves Advanzed Health Care staff members open a patient’s
R. Michael Amedeo, M.D. administrative time with reduced chart, providing a prompt to
Advanzed Health Care keystrokes for task completion, complete recommended therapies
improved document management, when the patient visits the office.
and more effective scheduling and
billing. The Practice Partner system Dr. Amedeo states Advanzed Health
interfaces electronically with Care tracks and manages patients
Advanzed’s clinical reference better and has improved care since
laboratory. As a result, new lab implementing the Practice Partner
results are electronically posted to system. For example, the percentage
a patient’s medical record. Staff of diabetes patients who underwent
members no longer have to file the microalbumin/creatinine test to
paper lab reports. Instead, they evaluate kidney function increased
scan information not received in from 4% to 85%.
electronic format directly into the
patient’s medical record. Since “Making these quality improve-
Advanzed Health Care physicians ments has not come at the expense
can access the Practice Partner EHR of productivity. In fact, we have
system from the local hospital, it is enjoyed a boost in productivity
easier to make rounds on patients since the implementation of the
because physicians can review and EHR system,” says Dr. Amedeo.
update their records electronically. “We have been able to see more
patients and increase annual
The Practice Partner solution revenue by an estimated $40,000
has given physicians at Advanzed per physician without the need
Health Care the power to improve for additional office staff.”
Copyright © 2007 McKesson Corporation and/or one of its subsidiaries. All rights reserved. Practice Partner is a
McKesson Provider Technologies
registered trademark of Physician Microsystems, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of McKesson Information
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trademarks of their respective companies. PRT271-08/07
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