Despite the widespread disorder in the healthcare system in New Orleans, at least one aspect of the system is working better than in many other parts of the country. Since 1999, a group of outpatient clinics for the uninsured has run a federally-funded network linking the clinics with the hospitals, saving a great deal of time and money which used to be wasted in the past. Previously, when doctor at the Daughers of Charity clinics wanted to order hospital-based tests such as mammograms or X-rays, they called the hospital emergency department and hoped that it would get records back to the clinic. Sometimes costly tests had to be redone.
But things have changed since the clinics launched the Partnership for Access to Healthcare, or PATH. Using PATH technology, doctors in neighborhood clinics now use a Web portal to view the results of tests performed at charity hospitals. The interface merges data from different clinical systems, rather than forcing the physician to navigate through multiple menus. While the system has many limitations--for example, it can't offer chart access or transfer information from clinic to clinic--it has still made a significant impact, participants says. Now, the big push is to find a way to integrate data from different EMRs used at other charity clinics in the city.
To learn more about PATH:
- read this Times-Picayune piece
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