Brown & Toland Physicians Step Into the Future of Healthcare With Access to Electronic Health Records

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 2, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on early adoption of Electronic Health Record (EHR) technology, Brown & Toland is poised for success as Accountable Care Organizations (ACO) become more prominent in the coming years, said Glen Tullman, Chief Executive Officer of the physician group's EHR provider, Allscripts Healthcare Solutions Inc.  "Brown & Toland had the insight to invest in technology years ago, and today the company and its physicians are now positioned to achieve the best patient outcomes possible," said Tullman, who addressed a crowd of about 100 doctors in San Francisco at a recent meeting of Brown & Toland physicians who use or plan to use the Allscripts Enterprise™ EHR.

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Soon, Brown & Toland physicians will be able to take advantage of the latest Allscripts Remote™ technology, providing anywhere, anytime access to key patient information. Brown & Toland physicians can use the application to remotely access patient information on their BlackBerry®, iPhone™, iPod Touch™, iPad™ and Android® smartphones.  Capabilities include communication with local hospital emergency rooms; convenient electronic prescribing to any pharmacy; and real-time access to all the information a physician needs to make decisions, including medical history, lab results and medications.

An EHR is the central technology needed for building an ACO, an element of healthcare reform legislation.  Brown & Toland physicians first started using EHRs in 2005 to help improve clinical quality and reduce medical errors.

Using this system, Brown & Toland created a virtually connected community of San Francisco Bay Area doctors, hospitals, and ancillary providers such as laboratory and pathology facilities.  Today, more than 450 physicians are using Brown & Toland's clinical results reporting tool, giving them point-of-care access to more than 65 million pieces of vital health information.  Brown & Toland doctors have issued close to three million electronic prescriptions, helping reduce prescription-related errors that the Institute of Medicine blames for 1.5 million injuries and 7,000 deaths per year.  

"While many are talking about electronic prescribing, connected communities, and physician driven organizations, Brown & Toland blazed the trail on many of these concepts years ago. Its patients are the winners," Tullman continued.

"This is an exciting time for the healthcare industry," concluded Tullman, whose Chicago-based company's solutions are used by more than 180,000 physicians, 1,500 hospitals, and 10,000 post-acute facilities across the country.  "Groups like Brown & Toland, a leader in the concept of  connecting  a community of independent physicians and healthcare providers, and is sharing information in real time, will improve the quality of care as well as health outcomes and ultimately make healthcare more efficient.  Brown & Toland's pioneering work on behalf of Bay Area patients sets it apart as a true national leader in the movement to leverage technology to deliver better and more cost effective patient care."

Brown & Toland Physicians, based in San Francisco, is an independent practice association (IPA) of more than 800 physicians serving more than 330,000 HMO and PPO members. Brown & Toland has earned numerous awards for clinical quality and patient satisfaction, and in 2010 was named for the fourth consecutive year an "Elite" Medical Group by the California Association of Physician Groups (CAPG).  

SOURCE Brown & Toland Physicians