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Optimed Software Corporation's Accuro EMR software has once again successfully met the Vendor Conformance Usability Requirements (VCUR) in the province of Alberta. This series of tests includes compatibility with the new Pharmaceutical Information Network (PIN), which is part of the provincial Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. The EHR is designed to provide a centralized patient record to improve access to information for health care providers throughout the province. Accuro EMR is an integral part of the system as it provides the window for the physician to access the health records.

With the passing of this test, Accuro EMR remains an approved product for the Physician Office System Program (POSP). Physicians who qualify receive funding from POSP to purchase and implement approved EMR systems.

For more information on POSP and its funding, please visit their website at: www.posp.ab.ca

© 2006, Optimed Software Inc.
www.optimedsoftware.com

At Optimed Software Corporation, we know that medical administrative staff are invaluable resources. Without the talented Medical Office Assistants, Transcriptionists, and Clinic Managers working with them, physicians could not deliver the same high quality patient care.

So in honour of Administrative Professionals Day, we would like to say "Thank You!" to all the great staff we deal with on a day-to-day basis.

© 2006, Optimed Software Inc.
www.optimedsoftware.com

Once they completed their residency in 2005, Dr. Jennifer Klinke and Dr. Julie Lee knew they wanted to begin their practice with an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. Drs. Klinke and Lee chose Accuro™ EMR for many reasons including Optimed's guaranteed crisis and trouble shooting response times.

Immediately they were able to gain efficiency because Endocrinology relies heavily on blood tests and Accuro&trade EMR automatically uploads these results into the system to be reviewed by the physician with a click of the mouse. With another click of the mouse, the test results are then attached to the patient's virtual chart so that a patient can be shown their progress using Accuro's auto-generated graphs.

Using Accuro&trade, some of the benefits Drs. Klinke and Lee have received are:

• Elimination of redundancy when entering patient demographics
  
• Able to share one MOA between two full time physicians
  
• Documentation of all prescriptions and their refills
  

Drs. Klinke and Lee said, "We would highly recommend Accuro to our peers."

To read more about Drs. Klinke and Lee's success, please read the case study.

© 2006, Optimed Software Inc.
www.optimedsoftware.com

There are many advantages to a patient record being stored electronically in an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) versus a paper chart. The advantages listed below are considered the key reasons why a physician would move from a paper chart system to an EMR system.

Organization - Instead of being written down ad hoc in a paper chart, an EMR system allows for the organization of patient data electronically. This organization allows for all aspects of patient care to be systematized. For example, in stead of having to flip through a paper chart to find all the medications that a patient has been prescribed, with an EMR the information would be grouped in the prescription section of the virtual chart for easy physician review.

Security - All relevant medical information is attached to that particular patient record along with computerized times stamps that bring accountability to the chart system. It may be easy for a physician to go back and make a note to a paper file after the fact as if it was at that time of appointment, but it is impossible to claim to have inputted information at a different time when you are using an electronic system. Also, if data is deleted or changed, there is a stamp of who edited what information when. Thus, the EMR allows for an elevated level of security.

Accessibility - With a paper chart, only one person can be viewing the information in the chart at a time. Whereas with an EMR, multiple individuals are able to access a patient's virtual chart at the same time and the chart is accessible from outside the clinic via the Internet as well. This eliminates the need for physicians who attend clinics at more than one location to carry the paper charts with them. Also, as more physicians move to electronic medical records, this accessibility allows for greater patient safety. For example, an unconscious patient can be taken to hospital and the attending physician will be able to pull up their EMR and have access to all their allergies, existing medical conditions, and all other patient data that would be pertinent in an emergency situation.

© 2006, Optimed Software Inc.
www.optimedsoftware.com