Data control. Primary care practice improves productivity and profitability with electronic medical system.
Washington Primary Care Physicians, Washington, D.C.


OBJECTIVE
Keeping up with 15,000 patients, 20 percent of whom were covered under Medicare and Medicaid, was proving impossible with WPCP's paper-based record system.


METHODS
Implementing an electronic medical record.


RESULTS
Fewer problems associated with lost or missing paper documents, lower medical records costs (e.g., filing and storage); and the elimination of duplicative manual tasks.


CONCLUSIONS
Patience and flexibility is critical. All involved must understand and believe that the transition from paper to electronic charts is a process and not an event.
Basch
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D004219:District of Columbia; D017598:Efficiency, Organizational; D006801:Humans; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends*; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D011216:Practice Management, Medical / Q000191:economics*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics*; D014584:User-Computer Interface