Electronic medical records as tools for quality improvement in ambulatory practice: theory and a case study.

Information management is critical in today's health care environment. Traditional paper-based medical records are inadequate information management tools. Electronic medical records (EMRs) overcome many problems with paper records and are ideally suited to help physicians increase productivity and improve the quality of care they provide. The Department of Family Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina uses the Practice Partner Patient Record EMR system. Department members have developed a quality improvement model based on this EMR system. The model has been used to improve care for acute bronchitis, diabetes mellitus, tobacco abuse, asthma, and postmenopausal osteoporosis.