Sen. Carper to Get First-Hand Look at How Local Lewes Family Practice Uses Cutting-Edge Information Technology to Help Patients

Lewes, DE (Jan. 3, 2006) – On Wednesday, January, 4, 2006, Senator Tom Carper and will get a first-hand look at how Mid-Atlantic Family Practice, located in Lewes, Delaware, uses state-of-the-art information technology to access patient records at the touch of a button. Electronic health records, which allow physicians to call up patient medical history, have streamlined how family practices across the country do business and have dramatically improved health care for all patients. At Wednesday’s event, Mid-Atlantic Family Practice doctors will demonstrate to Sen. Carper and media the practice uses this state-of-the-art technology to provide better care to patients. The demonstration will feature a “dummy” patient, who will be used to show how doctors and nurses use the technology in their daily jobs to treat patients. Background In January 2004, Mid-Atlantic Family Practice made the transition to electronic health records. Additionally as part of the eCare service, patients will be able to electronically communicate with their doctor and to have secure access to parts of their electronic health record. By signing up for the service, patients have the ability to electronically request appointments, request refills on existing prescriptions, review results of most laboratory studies, review dates and reasons for previous visits, review vital sign data from previous visits, review demographic and insurance information and securely email any changes. In addition, patients are able to electronically communicate with office staff, including nurses, the billing manager, referral coordinator and practice administrator. Such a system enables practice to go above and beyond what many other offices can do today. Today, nearly $2 trillion are spent annually on health care, but we don’t always get the best return from our investment. Last year, medical errors accounted for roughly 98,000 deaths. Information systems like the one Mid Atlantic Family Practice has employed can help revolutionize how we provide health care– lowering costs and saving lives. Similar to Mid-Atlantic Family Practice, Delaware is developing a system to link all of Delaware’s health care facilities so that doctors and nurses can access patient records electronically in a Delaware Health Information Network. In Washington, Senator Carper and other members of Congress are working with the Bush Administration to enact legislation encouraging other regions to do the same. Wednesday, January 4, 2006 WHO: Senator Tom Carper Doctors from Mid-Atlantic Family Practice WHAT: Information Technology Demonstration WHEN: Wednesday, January, 4, 2006 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm WHERE: Mid-Atlantic Family Practice 20251 John J. Williams Highway Lewes