Physicians who refer patients to Loyola University Health System now can directly access their patients' electronic health records at Loyola.
The system, Loyola Connect, is the first of its kind in the western suburbs. It will improve communications between referring physicians and Loyola doctors, and reduce time-consuming phone calls, faxes and paper transactions. "It will be a tremendous physician satisfier," said Dr. Jerold Stirling, chair of the Department of Pediatrics. "And anything that facilitates communications between physicians will benefit the overall health of the patient."
Loyola Connect will make it easier for physicians to follow patients referred to Loyola. For example, when a patient completes an appointment at Loyola, the referring physician will receive an email alert. The physician then can log on to a secure account and read physician notes, see lab and radiology results or view the entire chart. The referring physician will receive an email alert when there is a significant event in the patient's care, such as a doctor's appointment, test result, emergency room visit or hospitalization. (The referring physician decides what events will trigger email alerts.)
"The system definitely improves continuity of care," said referring physician Dr. Lori Weiss, a pediatrician at Primary Care Associates in Berwyn. "I wish that more tertiary care centers provided outside access to their electronic health records."
Weiss added that now that she has better access to medical information on her patients, she is referring more of them to Loyola.