On November 19th eClinicalWorks, a market leader in Electronic Health Records (EHR), announced that the National Football League will be utilizing its software to modernize player medical information to comprehensive electronic records. Signing a 10 year commitment with eClinicalWorks, The NFL is making a strong statement about the league’s vow to improve the health and safety of its players.
Just as fantasy football statics are now available at nearly a real-time clip soon player medical records will also be readily available on the sidelines of NFL games. Physicians and coaches will soon have instant access to viewable medical information on tablets and smartphones to make vital decisions impacting player health. The NFL has come under more of a microscope as both past and present players have experienced life threatening repercussions from the same violent impacts that have made the league so popular. New rules have been instituted by the NFL to protect players and heavy fines and suspensions have been handed down to further discourage unwarranted violence in the game. By moving to comprehensive EHRs across the 32 team league, critical information will follow players from team to team so physicians can properly understand and treat each player’s unique injuries and healthcare needs.
“The NFL and its healthcare professionals pride themselves in maintaining a leadership role in sports medicine developments,” said Dr. Tony Yates, president of the NFL Physicians Society and member of the EMR Committee for the National Football League. “We are always looking for innovative ways to enhance healthcare within the organization. Electronic health records are the next logical step and we look forward to partnering with eClinicalWorks on this initiative.”
It will be interesting to see if more of the major sports follow the lead of the NFL in adopting EHR initiatives. Time will tell, but there is no question that accurate and up-to-date EHRs can make a dramatic impact in the fields of sports medicine, health of athletes and the product on the field.
About eClinicalWorks
eClinicalWorks® is a privately held leader in the electronic medical records market. The company’s comprehensive electronic health records and practice management solution is proven for every market segment: large practice group, as well as medium, small and solo practices regardless of specialty. With an established customer base across all 50 states, eClinicalWorks has been awarded multiple top industry honors including being named to the Inc. 5000 for the past six consecutive years. Based in Westborough, Massachusetts, more information can be found about eClinicalWorks comprehensive solutions online at www.eclinicalworks.com or by calling 866-888-6929.
