Doctors' Offices That Go Digital Benefits Patients

    TINLEY PARK, IL, May 28, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Over the past several decades, a common scenario at doctors' offices anywhere in America is a physician talking into a hand-held tape recorder, or jotting down notes on a patient's chart, to document information about the visit. The documentation takes time while patients in the waiting room grow restless.

That scene is now changing at some forward-thinking physician practices across the country as Integrated Health Care has helped increase the efficiency of their office, saving time and in turn, helping patients. The high tech health care consulting company, headquartered in Tinley Park, IL helps physician offices transition into the digital age by providing the computer software to transfer and manage electronic medical records on the computer.

"The switch to electronic medical records has made our office far more efficient," said Marlette Dean, office manager for Dr. Andrew Wunderlich's practice in Joliet, Illinois. "For incoming patients, we need less time to prep charts, locate information and maintain charts. We no longer need to transcribe notes, file charts and have more space since we don't need it for all those charts anymore. Best of all, it helps to free the doctor's time up to focus on the patients."

Besides time, the switch to electronic medical records has benefited patients in other ways as well. When patients call, there is a better flow for phone messages, which are permanently recorded in the system. Scheduling and rescheduling is quicker and easier with no lost paper slips. Refills, referrals and orders are handled in a much more efficient manner because research is easier and information is exchanged electronically, not on paper.

"For patients, the change may seem a bit more subtle," said Lee Fugett, President of Integrated Health Care. "They may start noticing the doctor typing his notes into his computer as opposed to writing them on papers in the file folder. They may notice they are not being handed a prescription, but merely told they can pick up their prescribed medicine at their pharmacy. They may notice the efficiency of making appointments, leaving messages, addressing bills, all of the things that perhaps may have frustrated them in the past. The world is going digital and we are working to help doctors' offices keep pace with the times to help their patients and practice."

One very important capability of the system is patient updates. For example, if there is any new medical information that pertains to a patient's treatment, the physician's office can use the system to quickly find any of the practice's patients receiving that treatment and notify them.

"Integrated Health Care is a great company to work with," said Dean. "They combine their knowledge and support with their care for their customers in order to help us to be more efficient, productive and prepared. They are a great help to us."

To learn more about Integrated Health Care, information is available at ihctech.com. For more information about Dr. Andrew Wunderlich's office, go to wunderlichmd.com.

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