A clinically useful diabetes electronic medical record: Lessons from the past; pointers toward the future

Colum Gorman, James Looker, Tom Fisk, William Oelke, David Erickson, Steven Smith, Bruce Zimmerman

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

We have analysed the deficiencies of paper medical records in facilitating the care of patients with diabetes and have developed an electronic medical record that corrects some of them. The diabetes electronic medical record (DEMR) is designed to facilitate the work of a busy diabetes clinic. Design principles include heavy reliance on graphic displays of laboratory and clinical data, consistent color coding and aggregation of data needed to facilitate the different types of clinical encounter (initial consultation, continuing care visit, insulin adjustment visit, dietitian encounter, nurse educator encounter, obstetric patient, transplant patient, visits for problems unrelated to diabetes). Data input is by autoflow from the institutional laboratories, by desk attendants or on-line by all users. Careful attention has been paid to making data entry a point and click process wherever possible. Opportunity for free text comment is provided on every screen. On completion of the encounter a narrative text summary of the visit is generated by the computer and is annotated by the care giver. Currently. there are about 7800 patients in the system. Remaining challenges include the adaptation of the system to accommodate the occasional user, development of portable laptop derivatives that remain compatible with the parent system and improvements in the screen structure and graphic display formats.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)31-42
Number of pages12
JournalEuropean journal of endocrinology
Volume134
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1996

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
  • Endocrinology

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