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Anthem patient records available online
Some Anthem clients can monitor individual health history, keep track of appointments.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
KETTERING — Kettering Health Network employees with Anthem health plans have new online help in keeping track of appointments, prescriptions and how well they're controlling their blood sugar or cholesterol.
The "individual health records" are enhanced versions of electronic medical charts, using Anthem's insurance-claim database and medical files from affiliates of KHN, formerly called the Kettering Medical Center Network. KHN and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield launched the private DaytonHealthKonnect Web site by creating records for 6,800 KHN employees and dependants.
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"Instead of just giving a lot of clinical information, this CentriHealth software boils it down and into a format that's easy for patients and doctors to look at," said Rich Gunza, Anthem's Dayton executive director.
A diabetes patient, for example, can not only track blood-sugar levels the past several months, but also see a graph of them with red, yellow or green lights to signal how well they're under control and find out when it's time to see the eye doctor.
"The biggest advantage is getting patients involved," said Dr. Barry Malinowski, Anthem's Southern Ohio medical director.
At the same time, he said doctors who share information are less likely to order duplicate tests or prescribe drugs that might interact harmfully.
"The IHR allows us to better manage our patients' health and control costs through a team approach to data sharing," Kettering CEO Frank Perez said.
It also encourages KHN employees to use KHN facilities, which are the only providers of care that can add to patients' records beyond Anthem's basic information. Nor can other providers read the records, exchange e-mails or fill prescriptions through the Web site.
"Obviously, the doctor has to use it," Malinowski said, both reviewing it before appointments and updating it after them. Few local doctors have used electronic patient records, Gunza said, and only two large practices are even "taking a serious look" adopting them.
U.S. health care generally trails other Western countries in using information technology, the Commonwealth Fund reported last month in a seven-country comparison. It ranked sixth in primary-care practices' "advanced information capacity," with only 19 percent.
"I think most doctors will like this once they start using it," Malinowski said.
Only medical professionals in the employee's patient care can view a record without his or her permission, and the employee can block any of them.
