Somerset Hospital Transitioning To Paperless Records

By 2015, the federal government will require all hospitals to go paperless by keeping all patient records and documents electronically. One local hospital is trying to stay ahead of the game by making the transition now.

Like most hospitals across the Alleghenies, Somerset Hospital handles everything on paper -- patient records, doctors' notes, lab results and medications. But, patients there will soon see some big changes.

The hospital already has the network, the software and a five-year plan, but with the help of federal stimulus money, they're making the switch now starting with each patient's chart.

Jonathan Bauer of the hospital said medical providers there currently use computers on wheels, but they will soon have a personal computer in every room.

Not only will all of the rooms be outfitted with new computers and papers scrapped, but doctors will order patients' medications online. From there, the order goes to the pharmacy, a robot picks up the medication and delivers it to the floor.

Somerset will be only the fourth hospital in the world with that type of robot. In addition, the new system will make it easier if a patient has to transfer hospitals or doctors.

"If that physician needs access, (they'll) just log in to our website, hit a button and pull up everything they need to see on that patient," Bauer said.

There are a few different phases to complete the project, but he said patient records will all be digital by Nov. 1.