Even the National Football League has entered into the electronic medical records (EMR) world. There has been much concern over the repeated head injuries and their lasting cognitive effects on players. The National Football League has been widely criticized for failure to do enough to address the issue. Records, it turns out, can be a part of the solution to this issue. To address this issue the NFL has adopted a EMR system for the 2013-2104 season.
The NFL selected eClinicalWorks system that would store x-rays, blood test results, physical exam notes, medications and video clips documenting game injury. This will be centrally located and players and physicians will be able to access them from anywhere in the country. Records will be available on smartphones or tablets by medical staff on the sidelines of games. This will allow physicians to send prescriptions electronically to the pharmacy or an order for an X-ray or MRI. It can hold a workout regimen for rehabilitation and will allow trainers to examine X-rays from previous injuries to compare with new ones.
Because of all the attention placed on repeated head injuries, an electronic monitoring system could help medical personnel on the sidelines to make judgment calls on whether a player should be pulled from the game.
In the near future: Kalorama Information will complete its sixth title on electronic medical records markets, EMR 2013. Keep watching this blog and www.kaloramainformation.com for updates.
