Editor’s note: This article appears on WITF’s Transforming Health website at www.transforminghealth.org, where you can also view a five-minute video of Dr. Karen Jones discussing this topic
The health care industry is just starting to incorporate electronic medical records, patient portals and apps into their practices.
And, although it is just the beginning, Karen Jones, M.D., medical director for quality and innovation for the WellSpan Medical Group, said the future is not too far out in changing how care is delivered and received.
“You have to have the right tool for the right situation. I would never tell someone that they have cancer over the phone or in an email. That needs to be face-to-face,” she said.
She explained that although some situations call for face-to-face conversation, helping a patient to understand the process and what to expect can be done with a tool that they can get on a smartphone or a computer.
She said, “This helps set them up for a more meaningful conversation when they do talk to a provider. Health care today is complicated. It is not like the olden days when there was one doctor for
the whole town. Now, we have a lot of specialization and places to keep track of.”
She added that electronic medical records are doing a great job in keeping physicians in the loop about patients’ care. Connected physicians use smartphones and tablets along with apps, online tools and online medical records to deliver more efficient care.
Virtual e-visits in which a patient can video chat with their physician instead of taking the time to drive to the doctor’s office and meet there in person is something we may see in the future.
“I think it’s very exciting, and the opportunity is huge. I think we need to figure it out,” said Jones.
WellSpan has partnered with WITF, PinnacleHealth and Lancaster General Health on Transforming Health, a multi-media, public-information campaign.
The Transforming Health website contains health care information, innovations and advances as well as stories of personal transformations and community transformations.