BY SHERI PORTER
WEB
EXTRA!
Electronic health records may soon be the rage on the Hawaiian Islands, thanks in large part to FP Dan Heslinga, M.D., of Honolulu. Heslinga made the switch to a paperless office four years ago and says he thinks his colleagues should do the same.
Enter the Hawaii Independent Physicians Association. Its Emerging Technologies Task Force, which Heslinga chairs, has been discussing how to bring EHRs to physicians on the islands for nearly a year and a half.
The normal problems with EHR implementation are daunting enough, but for the 700 Hawaii IPA members, start-up costs are just the beginning. Worries about technical support loom large as well.
Heslinga and Hawaii IPA Consulting Director Bill Donahue brainstormed until they came up with a way to address both issues.
"Hawaii IPA has formed a joint venture with a local information technology company," said Heslinga. "Our members need somebody they can call to say, 'My computer system isn't working -- send somebody out with a screwdriver.'" He promises the physicians there will be plenty of local IT support. In addition, the software products that will be bought in bulk and offered to members are the same products Heslinga has used successfully in his practice for four years.
The joint venture, known as NexMed IT, will also control the servers housing all the physicians' electronic information.
The other big issue is cost, said Donahue. "The next logical step was to reward the early adopters by giving them a grant to help kick them off the fence." The decision was made to offer a $3,000 grant to any member who would agree to implement an EHR. The money comes directly from the Hawaii IPA. "This is money we've earned from our relationships with insurers -- quality and performance bonus money -- and we're spending it directly on the members," said Donahue.
About 100 physicians have called to inquire about the Hawaii IPA grants. EHR system installation is taking place in the first 11 offices; four of those are FPs' practices.
Donahue said the association's next step is to approach the state legislature about tax breaks for physicians who implement EHRs. Then he plans to go to the medical malpractice insurers and ask for a discount for those same physicians.
"We think the problem has been that the smallest economic unit in the chain, the individual doctor's office, is the one that's been paying the freight for the technology," said Donahue. "It's no wonder that we don't have the same kind of technology in the health care industry that's found in banking or travel or more concentrated industries."
To reach writer Sheri Porter, e-mail sporter@aafp.org.
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Copyright © 2004 by
American Academy of Family Physicians.