A recent study found only 20 per cent of Canadian
general practitioners using IT in their clinical practice. But that
number looks to be on the rise due to a Canadian Medical
Association (CMA)-backed software system.
The MacKay Medical Clinic in Creston, B.C. is now using clinical
management software from Cambridge, Ont.-based Practice Solutions
Software Inc., a company owned by the CMA.
The clinic is employing software tools for billing, scheduling
and electronic medical records(EMR).
One of the distinguishing factors of this software is that it
was developed by a doctor (Dr. James Kavanagh) for doctors.
"It's designed the way a doctor works," said Rob Thorpe,
president, Practice Solutions Software. "I think that's what
appeals to many of our clients -- it helps them to practice
medicine in the way they've been trained."
When a doctor first sees the program "they get it right away"
because of their training, said Thorpe.
"Doctors don't care for pull-downs and a very busy screen, they
like that it's very straightforward," he said.
Dr. Faye MacKay of the MacKay Medical Clinic said that was one
of the reasons they selected the software.
"We chose this software because we felt it would provide us the
best options for improving our effectiveness and efficiency and
providing care to our patients," she said. "We do a lot of work
with chronic disease management, and this program seemed to have
the best options for what we wanted to do."
MacKay Medical currently has more than 3,000 patients, according
to MacKay.
The scheduling and billing components were deployed at the
clinic in May, and they just recently started using the EMR
software.
The EMR software can be used in the exam room with the patient
to call up a patient's record which then brings up the critical
patient profile, according to Thorpe.
"The doctor can see in one glance current problems, medications,
allergies...any sort of reminder the doctor has for that
patient."
He added the reminder aspect of the program is a very important
tool.
"Especially in B.C. where chronic disease management is a high
priority for the Ministry of Health."
Key features of the EMR also include drug interaction
information and laboratory results, Thorpe said.
Even though this will improve the overall effectiveness of their
clinic, MacKay isn't surprised the survey found a low number of
GP's using IT in their clinical care.
"Up until this point there hasn't been a systematic approach in
devising the EMR in Canada," said MacKay. "It's only been in the
last few years that there has started to be some attention from
government and the medical associations to organizing EMRs and
getting some standards in place."
The president of Canada Health Infoway Richard Alvarez said in a
recent interview with InterGovWorld that there has been an
awakening to technology in health care.
"There are provincial governments including B.C., Alberta and
Ontario, who have now put in place pots of money for IT for GP's
offices," he said. "The associations are quite onside with this,
and what we've got in Canada now is a cadre of emerging physician
leaders who've been using these systems and it's starting to
influence the broader base out there of physicians."
There are currently 150 clinics using the EMR software, with
most of those in Ontario, five in Alberta, and one in B.C., said
Thorpe.
MacKay added that until recently it was difficult for doctors to
initiate (IT) in their practices.
"The financial support is only just becoming available in some
provinces, and I think that will entice more doctors," she said.
"Unless there is an obvious benefit in terms of efficiency and
patient care, doctors are not going to show an interest, and what
we like about this program is it definitely shows the benefits of
efficient care."
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