Inability to access EMRs at time of need a prime concern among patients

As the healthcare industry rushes to implement electronic medical records (EMRs) in order to increase efficiency and prevent errors, data shows that less than 1 in 10 Americans utilize electronic records. However, when asked about their primary concerns regarding medical records, patients' top response is that they won't be able to access their records when they need them.  Even when given access to this information, many patients find it difficult to decipher the medical jargon and make sense of the documents. It is clear that as the healthcare industry moves toward implementing EMRs that suit its own needs, patients themselves are being left out of the process.

"There is a large gap in the clinician – patient relationship," said Kai Worrell, CEO for Worrell Inc., a Minneapolis-based international design firm. "Instead of leaving patients in the dark, these electronic records could be used to inform and empower patients to take charge of their health."

Worrell recently set about addressing this issue by bringing together a team of its top designers, along with a thought-leading physician and a cardiac device patient. The result is a concept technology that was unveiled at The University of Southern California's annual Body Computing Conference on Sept. 24. Worrell's concept, called Pathway, is a series of web-powered devices that will compile, save and update medical records and coordinate educational resources in a patient- and physician-friendly way.

In addition to introducing the concept device at the conference, Worrell will also showcase a short film, entitled "Design We Can All Live With," demonstrating the power of engaging patients and clinicians in the design process. Documentarians were on hand at Worrell headquarters for the initial brainstorm, which included Hugo Campos, the cardiac device patient, and Dr. Gilanthony Ungab, a cardiac electrophysiologist. Design We Can All Live With highlights the discussion between Campos, Ungab, and the Worrell team as they explore the gaps in the care pathway and arrive at the key insights that contributed to Worrell's concept solution. To view the film on Worrell's Web site, click here: http://www.worrell.com/newmagazine/articles/2010/design-we-can-all-live-with

"I don't think of myself as a patient of the future; I'm a patient of the present," explains Campos in the film. "There is a very apparent gap between providers of care and patients. The Pathway concept is about providing access and helping patients make sense of their information."

"By bringing together the people that are actually impacting the way that healthcare is delivered, we can discover their needs and pair them with design solutions," said Kai Worrell. "That is where we break through and create novel and efficacious offerings."