Electronic health records should be part of disaster planning

Two years ago, most of the 1 million people displaced by Hurricane Katrina had no way to provide critical information to caregivers, and those with chronic conditions faced delays in treatment. Amidst widespread hazards, such as the Southern California wildfires in October 2007, electronic health records proved vital to Kaiser Permanente. During the fires, medical offices in the San Diego area were opened and closed each day based on the fire line and wind orientation. These short-notice changes meant that members were often directed to a medical office they hadn't previously visited. With the help of Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect™ (KP's electronic health record), patient care was significantly enhanced and made much safer by providers' ability to electronically access members' medical history, current prescriptions, lab results, etc. Physicians whose normal work locations were closed were redirected to alternate medical facilities, while others worked from home. KP HealthConnect™ allowed them to do so with virtually no limitations through remote access. KP HealthConnect™ afforded them the ability to return phone calls to members, refill prescriptions, review lab results, schedule future appointments (as needed) and direct members to open medical offices. Patients also took advantage of KP HealthConnect™ with Kaiser Permanente's personal health record. Called My health manager, it is linked directly to members' electronic medical records, allowing them to manage their health online from anywhere, at any time. Users had 24/7 online access to lab test results, eligibility and benefits information, and even their children's immunization records. With secure e-mail messaging, members could communicate with their doctors at anytime, from anywhere. In the case of the Southern California wildfires, the number of e-mail messages sent to providers in October 2007 increased by 35 percent, from 34,500 to 46,000.