Electronic health records will be used to manage the health data of U.S. athletes competing in the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in London, which begin July 27, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) announced last week
USOC is switching to EHRs and replacing "pallets of paper" that historically had to be shipped to the games. About 700 athletes and 3,000 records will be included in the EHR system--GE Healthcare's Centricity Practice Solution. The 96 physicians that are part of Team USA are currently being trained on the system, according to an article in Healthcare Informatics.
"EMR technology will allow us to better monitor and analyze the health of Team USA athletes, not only when they receive care at our facilities, but also when they are competing and training around the world," Dr. Bill Moreau, USOC managing director of sports medicine, said in a statement. "Our elite athletes have dedicated themselves to performing at the highest levels in sport and I believe this technology will help us to support them with the highest levels of sports medicine."
USOC and GE have agreed to use the EHR system at least through the 2020 games.
Other U.S. based programs such as the Peace Corps and the U.S. Coast Guard also recently have embraced EHR technology. Additional electronic programs also will be used in a healthcare context at the Olympics, such as surveillance tracking systems to help monitor potential infectious diseases.
To learn more:
- read the announcement
- here's the Healthcare Informatics article