Electronic Health Record (EHR)
Since its founding, the Palo Alto Medical Center has been at the forefront of medicine, embracing innovation as a core principle. Today, it remains a leader in the rapidly evolving health care industry with numerous state-of-the-art programs and technologies including its electronic health record (EHR) system and PAMFOnline.
What is an EHR?
In 1999, PAMF’s Palo Alto Division implemented its electronic health record (EHR) system, making it one of the earliest adopters of this technology and one of the few physician groups in the Bay Area to have such a system. EHRs, which replace paper charts, allow physicians and clinical staff at any PAMF facility to access patient information, such as a patient's medical history and laboratory results, without scrambling to find paper records.
The EHR allows medical providers to document interactions with patients; view medical history and insurance information; order tests and see test results; make referrals; and send electronic prescription requests to pharmacies. Physicians enter orders in the EHR using computerized physician order entry (CPOE), which has been shown to increase patient safety and improve quality of care. The system also provides clinical guidelines for physicians, printed summaries of visits for patients and other services. PAMF continually adds new features to the system to improve delivery of patient care.
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What is PAMFOnline?
Palo Alto Division patients have access to the e-health service PAMFOnline, one of the most comprehensive Web-based health services in the country. Patients can use PAMFOnline to view key components of their PAMF electronic health record (EHR), request appointments and prescription renewals, access test results and receive customized health news and information.
For a nominal annual subscription fee, patients can also use PAMFOnline to communicate electronically with their PAMF physician and advice nurses. PAMFOnline saves health providers and patients precious time while providing valuable access to personalized health information. PAMFOnline has been recognized as one of the most advanced and effective health information and management sites for patients in the nation.
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