A new record locator platform helps St. Louis-based SSM Health effectively identify and locate patient records in the EHR and see clinical visits that may have occurred outside of the health system.
The National Record Locator Service, powered by Surescripts, allows providers to search for and access a patient's EHR, regardless of hospital, health system or EHR vendor. It aims to provide clinicians with a comprehensive view of a patient's clinical history at the point of care.
SSM Health has implemented the National Record Locator Service across its enterprise, accessible by more than 10,000 clinicians in three states using its Epic EHR.
"When a patient arrives in one of our emergency departments, urgent care clinics or physician's offices, Surescripts National Record Locator Service enables the care team to access valuable clinical information from other providers who have previously treated the patient, regardless of where they received care of the EHR software used," said Richard Vaughn, MD, CMIO of SSM Health. "By having a more complete care history, we can make faster and better decisions, avoid reordering expensive tests and help ensure that our patients receive the best care possible."
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