Early experiences in using computerized patient record data for monitoring charting compliance, supporting quality initiatives and assisting with accurate charging at Allina Hospitals & Clinics.

Allina Hospitals & Clinics has been an early adopter of electronic medical records in both their hospitals and clinics. This article describes some of the ways their hospitals monitor the quality of the data and adherence to documentation policies, as well as how they use the data from the computerized patient records for healthcare quality initiatives, medical research and support of accurate charging. A key feature of their work is real-time, on-demand reporting from any workstation.