Now, Connect to Your EMR Through Your iPhone

Today I have a “guest post” from Kat Sanders who has taken some time to explain about how the iPhone works with medical records software from Allscripts and Epocrates. I like Epocrates too and have the widget on the blog for a quick drug look up.

Thanks to Kat for being a guest today on the Medical Quack! BD

It has already revolutionized the way we visualize a cell phone; now the iPhone is going one step higher and making itself extremely useful to the medical community. With the SDK released to third party developers, applications that are necessary for the medical community are finding their way into the iPhone’s memory. Yes, your PDA is able to do the same thing, but the iPhone uses the applications in unique ways that make it indispensible – for example, the popular drug reference database application Epocrates allows iPhone users to find the names of pills based on their color, shape and size.

Now, if you use an EMR and own an iPhone, you can combine the two applications and access patient records on your phone no matter where you are. Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions has introduced Allscripts Remote, an application that allows physicians to read patients’ medical records, their relevant case histories and the medication that they’re on using their iPhone. This saves them the trouble of carrying their notebook computers and connecting to WiFi networks in order to check up on patients while away from the office.

Besides this, Allscripts Remote allows medical practitioners access to real time laboratory test results based on which they can use the ePrescribing tool to prescribe medicines for the patient from their regular pharmacy. The application also allows the doctor to fax the medical report along with his instructions for the treatment of the patient to emergency rooms so that patients don’t have to wait for emergency and immediate treatment in case of accidents or injuries.

This application works out to both the patients’ and the doctor’s advantage. It allows the physician to travel and still keep in constant touch with his practice and it gives the patient access to immediate medical care even though their doctor is away.

By-line:

This article is written by Kat Sanders, who regularly blogs on the topic of phlebotomy technician programs at her blog Health Zone Blog. She welcomes your comments and questions at her email address: katsanders25@gmail.com.