Can EHR software reduce the risk of this deadly aneurysm?

This EHR program urges physicians to screen for AAA.

This EHR program urges physicians to screen for AAA.

With all the of the news stories you may come across regarding the difficulties of chiropractic EHR adoption and roadblocks in the path to national implementation, it's all too easy to forget that this new wave of health IT has been rolled out with one goal in mind: improving patient care. Previously on this blog, we've discussed how the widespread use of chiropractic EHR can shed light on various medical trends on a scale that has never been achievable before. Now, the researchers of Kaiser Permanente have unveiled a new EHR-backed program that may help protect patients from a potentially lethal heart event.

According to a recent press release, the researchers have implemented a screening program to identify signs of an abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) — a bulge within the aortic valve of the heart that could result in death when ruptured. The endeavor involved the efforts of U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and the American Heart Association, and the program itself entailed setting up EHR alerts for male participants between the ages of 65 to 75 who could be at risk for AAA. The intermittent alerts simply signified to medical professionals that the patient should be screened for this growth,  and proved remarkably effective in helping doctors identify the problem before it became life-threatening.

"Because abdominal aortic aneurysms are generally asymptomatic before they burst, most of the patients who have a rupture didn't even know that they had an aneurysm," explained lead researcher Dr. Robert Hye, noting that this lack of symptoms made screening crucial in combating AAA.

With the power of chiropractic EMR software at your fingertips, it's possible to access an incredible wealth of details about each patient's medical history, as well as identify overarching trends within a population. Just make sure you select an EHR provider that will help you harness this essential but often intimidating resource.

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