A recent news article from RedOrbit explains one way in which emergency room doctors dealing with patients who have diabetes have been able to help them reduce their number of emergency room visits. According to the article, the secret lies in the implementation of electronic record keeping systems by hospitals.

The article cites research published in a recent edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). According to this research, hospitals that have begun using electronic health records have seen an overall decrease of 5.5 percent in hospitalizations and emergency room visits for diabetic patients.

The article attributes this decrease to the increase in quality of care that hospitals are able to provide to patients thanks to the convenience of electronic records. This output of improved care, says the article, is cumulative in such a way as to add up to fewer repeat visits needed by patients, with each necessary visit becoming that much more efficient.

"It makes sense that utilizing advanced record keeping helps doctors work better and easier," remarks Kris Crawford, South Carolina emergency room physician. "These systems help hospitals keep their massive amounts of patient information better organized. And the more organized a doctor is, the better they can work and the better off their patients are for it."

The actual study, says the article, involved researchers reviewing the health records of almost 170,000 diabetes patients over the age of one year old, both before and after the implementation of electronic health records systems. For every 1,000 patients studied, says the article, 29 fewer visited the ER and 13 fewer needed hospitalization after the systems went online.

Kris Crawford, South Carolina ER doctor, hopes to see this trend branch out into other areas of patient care as well, thereby keeping ER physicians less busy by reducing the need for them in the lives of their patients.

ABOUT:

Kris Crawford, South Carolina resident, is a busy man with a lot of different skills and positions. He works primarily as an emergency room doctor with the McLeod Medical Center, the same place where he completed his medical training after receiving his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. He is also an accomplished emergency room physician with the Lake City Community Hospital. Outside of his ER work, Crawford has also firmly established himself in the republican political circle as a leading voice with firsthand insight into many healthcare concerns. His common sense approach to public policy has earned him both high praise and a position within the South Caroline House of Representatives. Crawford also serves Florence County as a volunteer Deputy Sherriff, and he is a member of multiple special state committees. Outside of his work, he is also a dedicated family man to his wife and four daughters.