Sutter Health is in the process of deploying an electronic health record (EHR) system networkwide. This newest commitment expands on EHR technology already benefiting patients within many Sutter-affiliated physician organizations. Sutter's aggressive online system will electronically connect more than 5,000 physicians, 25 hospitals and millions of patients across its not-for-profit Northern California network. The inpatient-outpatient system will be one of the first in the United States to include secure patient access to EHR data.

Advocated strongly by such industry organizations as the Pacific Business Group on Health, the Institute of Medicine and The Leapfrog Group, an EHR can improve efficiency in care delivery and help reduce health care costs by powerfully combining all inpatient and outpatient data into a single computerized system. It can put each patient's most up-to-date health history at their caregivers' fingertips – no matter where the patient receives care.

• What is an EHR?
• How can an EHR improve the care I receive?
• How can an EHR make the care I receive safer?
• How can an EHR make the care I receive more efficient?
• Is this EHR system new to the Sutter Health network?
• When will my doctor be up and running with the EHR?

What is an EHR?

The EHR is an electronic record of a patient’s health history. It includes important information like test and imaging results, medication history, doctors’ notes and general health history – from childhood allergies to surgeries.

It ultimately replaces the paper chart currently used to store the same information. The electronic version of the record can be made available to the patient's caregivers in different locations, more quickly and efficiently.
Back to top

How can an EHR improve the care I receive?

It provides doctors with immediate access to your health information wherever you go in our Northern California Sutter Health network.

Whether you end up in the Emergency Department, or a nurse needs to phone an on-call physician in the middle of the night, your chart can be accessed to support important treatment decisions.

It gives your doctors another important tool in treating illness and disease. The EHR is connected to a robust library of medical information that can help physicians in making diagnoses and treatment plans based on the latest medical research.

In some cases, it can generate automatic reminders by mail or e-mail to notify you that you’re due for a checkup, test or immunization.

Just as important, our EHR will allow patients to view important portions of their own health histories and test results online, so you can work even more closely with your doctor to improve your health.
Back to top

How can an EHR make the care I receive safer?

Because doctors' orders and prescriptions are entered into a computer rather than in handwritten orders, pharmacists and other caregivers have no trouble interpreting the information. This greatly reduces the possibility of transcription errors and other medical mistakes.

And Sutter Health's integrated patient record will uniquely include state-of-the-art patient safety systems like bar coding for patient/drug identification.
Back to top

How can an EHR make the care I receive more efficient?

Caregivers will no longer need to search or wait for your patient chart. In addition, lab results and X-rays can be sent electronically to your doctors as soon as they are completed, for immediate analysis, diagnosis and treatment.
Back to top

Is this EHR system new to the Sutter Health network?

Creating electronic health records is not new practice for our integrated health system. The new project expands on EHR technology already benefiting patients at five Sutter-affiliated physician organizations and hospitals.

Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) has been using an EHR since 1999.

In 2002, via PAMFOnline, PAMF was one of the first medical groups in the country to connect patients with their electronic health record.

Sutter Gould Medical Foundation in Modesto; Sutter Medical Foundation in Sacramento; Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento; Marin General Hospital in Greenbrae; and Novato Community Hospital also have been using EHR technology.
Back to top

When will my doctor be up and running with the EHR?

Sutter Health is in the process of deploying an electronic health record (EHR) system networkwide. This commitment expands on EHR technology already benefiting patients within five Sutter-affiliated physician organizations and hospitals. Sutter's aggressive online system will electronically connect more than 5,000 physicians, 25 hospitals and millions of patients across its not-for-profit Northern California network. The inpatient-outpatient system will be one of the first in the United States to include secure patient access to EHR data.
Back to top