TMF Uses Twitter to Improve Patient Care

TYLER – Using the latest social media technology, Trinity Mother Frances Hospitals and Clinics invited the public to follow the launch of the revolutionary electronic health record (EHR) technology, ConnectCARE, live on Twitter today. Those with a Twitter account were able to follow the system’s public debut at @TMFHC and tune in for a Twittercast that included updates, pictures, and videos. The Twittercast ran from 7 till 10 a.m. TMF officials say TMF’s Twittercast was one of the first in the U.S. to launch an EHR system.

During this wave of the launch, TMF activated ConnectCARE in the Trinity Clinic physician offices, as well as for the processes of scheduling, registering, and billing patients. ConnectCARE will be launched for acute patient care in the TMF hospitals in December. A TMF news release says physicians, IT professionals, and key medical personnel Tweeted the public launch as it was happening. The release says that gave TMF patients the first window into how ConnectCARE will make accessing their records and communicating with their doctor’s office easier, faster, and with less paper.

According to officials, the fundamental feature that ConnectCARE brings is an integrated and unified patient-centered database. Officials say patients will benefit by having online access to much of their clinical information. Officials add that this information will also be available to caregivers at every point of care across the system.