Sarah Glowa-Kollisch1, Kelly Andrade2, Richard Stazesky3, Paul Teixeira4, Fatos Kaba5, Ross Macdonald6, Zachary Rosner7, Daniel Selling8, Amanda Parsons9, Homer Venters10. 1. Director of Policy and Evaluation in the Bureau of Correctional Health Services at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. 2. Development Specialist in the Bureau of HCAI Information Technology and Initiatives at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. 3. Assistant Commissioner of the Bureau of HCAI Information Technology and Initiatives at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. 4. Director of Program Support and Evaluation in Transitional Health Care Coordination, Bureau of Correctional Health Services at the New York City Department of Healthand Mental Hygiene. 5. Program Evaluator in the Bureau of Correctional Health Services at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. 6. Medical Director of the Bureau of Correctional Health Services at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. 7. Deputy Medical Director of the Bureau of Correctional Health Services at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. 8. Executive Director of Mental Health in the Bureau of Correctional Health Services at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. 9. Deputy Commissioner of the Division of Health Care Access and Improvement, at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. 10. Assistant Commissioner of the Bureau of Correctional Health Services at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Abstract
The electronic health record (EHR) is a commonplace innovation designed to promote efficiency, quality, and continuity of health services. In the New York City jail system, we implemented an EHR across 12 jails between 2008 and 2011. During the same time, our work increasingly focused on the importance of human rights as an essential element to the provision of medical and mental health care for our patients. Consequently, we made major modifications to the EHR to allow for better surveillance of vulnerable populations and enable reporting and analysis of patterns of abuse, neglect, and other patient concerns related to human rights. These modifications have improved our ability to find and care for patients injured in jail and those with mental health exacerbations. More work is needed, however, to optimize the potential of the EHR as a tool to promote human rights among patients in jail.
The electronic health record (EHR) is a commonplace innovation designed to promote efficiency, quality, and continuity of health services. In the New York City jail system, we implemented an EHR across 12 jails between 2008 and 2011. During the same time, our work increasingly focused on the importance of human rights as an essential element to the provision of medical and mental health care for our patients. Consequently, we made major modifications to the EHR to allow for better surveillance of vulnerable populations and enable reporting and analysis of patterns of abuse, neglect, and other patient concerns related to human rights. These modifications have improved our ability to find and care for patients injured in jail and those with mental health exacerbations. More work is needed, however, to optimize the potential of the EHR as a tool to promote human rights among patients in jail.