911 Medical ID Blog

A new study by PriceWaterHouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute shows employers are taking a critical look at the services offered by their insurers, and they’re not satisfied with what they’re seeing.  One of the most interesting findings is the interest in technology, including personal health records (PHRs):

Interest in personal technology tools such as personal health records and online comparison tools is surging. Nearly half of all employers say it is important for insurers to offer these tools, but less than half are satisfied with what they are getting.

We’re pleased to see the public getting on board with the idea of taking control of their personal health information.  We, of course, believe that to be truly useful a PHR needs to be not only easy to use, but also portable.  Being able to use a PHR in a doctor’s office is key, but being able to use it in the event of an emergency is critical.

Read the full news release about the PriceWaterhouseCooper study here.

According to preliminary estimates from a U.S. government report, the use of electronic medical records (EMR) in doctor’s offices is indeed increasing.  According to a story on TMCnet, the report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) shows four out of every ten office or clinic based physicians is now using EMRs…

43.9 percent of physicians reported using full or partial EMR/EHR systems – not including systems used solely for billing – in office-based practices. About 20.5 percent reported having systems that meet the criteria of a basic system, and 6.3 percent reported using a fully functional system.

The survey indicates that from 2007-2008, physicians use of any EMR system increased by 18.7 percent and the percentage of physicians reporting having systems that meet the criteria of a basic system increased by 41.5 percent. Researchers conclude that the 2009 preliminary estimates did not change significantly from 2008.

Follow this link to read the full story.

A new article puts the blame for the slow pace of electronic medical records adoption squarely on the patient.  The article, published on MSNBC and filed from last week’s 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, says the culprit in the delay of digitizing the U.S. healthcare system is lack of demand from the public.  Comments on the subject came from experts attending CES to view the latest healthcare gadgets.

Doctors and medical technology executives said Saturday that the biggest hurdle to computerizing health care isn’t tradition or Luddism or bureaucracy — it’s the reluctance of consumers to sign on. Without consumer demand, manufacturers and administrators can’t justify the upfront cost of digitizing patients’ cases and securing their records because they can’t be reasonably sure they’ll recover their investment.

“The health care dollar has really been stretched to the extreme in the United States,” Deepak Ayyagari, director of technology programs for Sharp Laboratories of America, said during a daylong conference on digital health at the annual International Consumer Electronics Show. “We can’t invest further in all the things required because we don’t see a market.”

We at the 911 Family of Products, of course, counter that having a product like the 911 Medical ID Card can make consumer’s lives easier as medical professionals transition to digital records.  The goal of the card is to interface with all major doctor’s office record keeping systems.  As new EMR systems come online, the card will automatically be updated, at no charge to the cardholder.  This allows the user to easily keep up to date and in charge of their health information

To read the rest of the article on MSNBC, click here.

Big news for 911 Medical ID this week! The 911 Medical ID card was named the #1 must pack travel item for familymoons by Honeymoons.com! A familymoon is a honeymoon for blended families. It’s different from a honeymoon in that the kids come along, which obviously brings a unique set of challenges. Here’s what Honeymoons.com had to say:

Keep the entire family safe and up to date with the 911 Medical ID Card is a unique and life-saving new health information storage card all travelers should carry with them. Since most people traveling are not likely to be near your primary care physician, and this card lets you easily take all of your necessary health information along with you, it can be a lifesaver.

Check out the rankings here: 2009 Top 10 Must Pack Familymoon Travel Products

Welcome to the first in a series of several podcasts we’ll be producing here at the 911 Family of Products.  In this program, we hear from the Mark Weiss, CEO of the 911 Family’s creator, MEMI Tech.  Mark gives a great rundown of what the 911 Medical ID Card and Medallion can do, and how they’re important factors in this new world of personal health records and electronic medical records.

Listen online by using the player below, or download the file by using the link below the player.

911 Podcast – Episode 01 (8:32)

You can subscribe to the 911 Podcast in iTunes or in your favorite feed reader by using this link: 911 Podcast Feed.

2009 was a big year for citizen education about healthcare, and there’s a great article found today on Health Leaders Media that charts 10 Phrases That Became Part of the Healthcare Lexicon in 2009.  Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) made the list:

3. Electronic Medical Records (EMR) versus Electronic Health Records (EHR). These acronyms were around before 2009, but more Americans are now aware of the technology. EMR and EHR are sometimes used interchangeably, but they are not the same thing, although further refinements of their definitions are ongoing. EMR is the electronic replacement of a paper chart and the record of a patient’s history and care generated by one particular provider. An EHR, meanwhile, is a complete, long-term computerized electronic record of a patient’s care culled from any and all provider settings.

The EHR connects multiple providers, such as hospitals and clinicians, laboratories, and prescription and/or pharmacy histories, test results, and care notes collected by any provider throughout time for one particular patient.

Perhaps this list of 10 should be lengthened to 11?  Notably missing was the phrase “personal health record“, or PHR, which we think is as important as any of the others listed.  Creating a PHR allows individuals to take charge of their medical records, and creating a portable PHR with a technology like 911 Medical ID allows that data to be used not only in the doctor’s office for scheduled visits but also in the event of an emergency, when you can’t relay health information on your own.

 
A new article from HealthDay (found on MSN) details two new studies related to electronic medical records (EMR).  In both cases, doctors were polled, and in both cases the majority believed that EMRs would save money and time while improving patient care.
 

One study of more than 1,000 family practice and specialist doctors in Massachusetts found that 86 percent believed electronic health information exchange (HIE) would improve patient quality of care, 70 percent thought it would reduce costs and 76 percent said it would save time.

However, 16 percent said they were “very concerned” about possible privacy breaches, while a further 55 percent were “somewhat concerned.” The study also found that none of the doctors wanted to pay the suggested $150 monthly fee for HIE and about half said they weren’t willing to pay any fee.

The second study, which included 56 psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses and therapists at an academic medical center, found that most believed electronic health records were clearer and more complete than paper records, but not necessarily more factual.

MEMI Tech supports the push toward EMRs, and is constantly working toward full integration of 911 Medical ID with EMR software systems.  Privacy issues are always a concern when it comes to new technology, but with proper safeguards EMRs can be more secure than paper records.

If the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is any indication, “mobile” will be the buzz in health technology.  A post today on SmartPlanet.com from Dana Blankenhorn (who also writes for ZDNet Healthcare) gives a rundown of all of the new mobile healthcare devices to be shown at CES 2010, including bluetooth enabled blood pressure and weight monitors.

Read more on SmartPlanet by clicking here.

We agree with this idea, and point to the ultimate in portable Personal Health Record (PHR) systems, the 911 Medical ID.

There’s a great blog post over at the KevinMD.com Medical Blog, talking about a new study of the effectiveness of electronic medical records.  It says that according to a study of 3,000 hospitals, the switch to electronic medical records is not showing any improvement in patient care.  However, according to KevinMD, the reason for it is that doctor’s offices are using outdated methods of transferring paper to the computers, and outdated systems in general:

Very few physicians use electronic record systems effectively. For instance, many are simply scanning paper records into a computer, which provides minimal benefit. It’s difficult to track quality improvement data doing that. The problem is further compounded by the archaic interfaces that the current generation of EMRs have, which is akin to a user interface circa Windows 95.

It’s no wonder that most doctors find electronic medical systems actually slows them down. The next generation of systems needs to focus on facilitating the doctor-patient encounter, rather than being an impediment.

The continued use of PHRs, particularly a portable and easy to use system like 911 Medical ID is surely part of the solution.

The following news release was issued on December 8, 2009:

New Portable Personal Health Record (PHR) Card is a Life Saving Last Minute Holiday Gift
911 Medical ID™ Stores All of Your Important Health Information Securely in Your Wallet

(Louisville, Kentucky) – Holiday shoppers looking for that perfect last minute holiday gift have a new option this year that could literally save the recipient’s life. The new 911 Medical ID™ card provides the security of personal medical information that can be carried as easily as a credit card, and is a great present for travelers, seniors, caregivers, parents, students, the chronically ill, and many others.

If you’re severely injured in an accident, suffering from a severe allergic reaction, or impaired due to a medical emergency such as a stroke, heart attack or seizure, you can’t possibly speak for yourself. The new 911 Medical ID™ was created to relay your important health information to first responders, emergency room doctors, or other medical personnel.

Read the rest of this entry »