Henry Ford Hospital researchers have brought the use of electronic medical records out of the hospital setting and into the streets by using the technology for a marathon.
Volunteer medical providers at the 2009 Detroit Free Press Marathon were able to coordinate care for the 19,372 participants via laptops and a website, showing that the technology can help facilitate the care of runners.
The study is believed to be the first time researchers have evaluated the viability of using electronic medical records for injury management and surveillance during a marathon.
Benefits of using an electronic medical record system were found to include:
- All medical team members were able to coordinate patient care in real time with other medical providers and hospitals.
- Race organizers and staff could quickly assist families in locating injured marathon participants or spectators along the route.
- Researchers will have data available to them that should improve the ability to identify trends in injury patterns and as such, improve the preparation for future mass participation events.
"Our study showed implementing an electronic medical record method in a mass participation setting is quite feasible and could eventually provide a wealth of data for study of injury trends," says Christopher Guyer, M.D., athletic medicine physician at Henry Ford Hospital and lead author of the study. "It could also help medical providers better prepare for future large sporting events."
Dr. Guyer presented the results at the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine's annual meeting in Mexico.
According to Running USA, a non-profit organization for the running industry, approximately 467,000 Americans complete a marathon each year, and with rising interest in the sport, has come the increased need for coordinated event coverage by qualified medical providers.