Electronic Medical Record platform tracks pertussis diagnoses and shares best practices for medical providers in California.

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- As California's whooping cough outbreak shows early signs of spreading outside the state, Practice Fusion is arming its medical community with the tools needed to provide an effective response. Primary care providers are the first line of defense against whooping cough by providing early vaccination to prevent this potentially fatal disease.  

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As Practice Fusion did with H1N1 influenza last October, the free Electronic Medical Record (EMR) platform has provided insight into the epidemic and advice to its medical community.  Practice Fusion users in California have already been sent alerts with coding instructions for whooping cough and the related immunizations, patient risk factors to look for and vaccine management instructions.

Key Facts:

• California's whooping cough outbreak is the worst in 50 years.
• Tracked cases of pertussis within Practice Fusion's EMR system exactly reflect the national incidence rate reported by the CDC.
• Public health officials recommend expanding pertussis vaccination (DTP, DTaP) to children age 7 and older; adults 64 and older; women before, during and after pregnancy; and anyone who may have contact with pregnant women or infants.
• The Hispanic immigrant community in the Central Valley of California has been disproportionately impacted by the outbreak.
• Vaccine registries across the country can assist in alerting physicians when their patients are missing key vaccinations. However, given the current state of low EHR use, these registries are underutilized.

"Immunization and information are the two tools needed to defeat pertussis," said Robert Rowley, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Practice Fusion. "By being web-based and freely available, Practice Fusion is able to quickly deploy the tools that clinicians need in order to raise awareness, identify susceptible patients, issue vaccinations and help stem the tide of this disease. Practitioners in all settings, particularly in small-group and solo practices, can use these tools – doctors do not have to belong to a large organization (such as Kaiser Permanente) to have this kind of life-saving technology available."

Practice Fusion can provide insight into the whooping cough outbreak as seen across our national community of small and mid-sized primary care practices using EMR and information about what medical providers can do to prevent the disease spread. Pediatrician and family practice sources are available to discuss the impact of whooping cough on their patients as well.

About Practice Fusion - Practice Fusion provides a free, web-based Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system to physicians. With charting, scheduling, e-prescribing, billing, lab integrations, referrals, unlimited support and a Personal Health Record for patients, Practice Fusion's EMR addresses the complex needs of today's healthcare providers and disrupts the health IT status quo. Practice Fusion is the fastest growing EHR community in country with more than 43,000 users in 50 states. For more information on Practice Fusion, please visit practicefusion.com.

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Robert Rowley, MD

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SOURCE Practice Fusion

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