According to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources, around 256,000 West Virginians have diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes. On September 10-12, nurses, physicians, pharmacies and other health care professionals from around the state gathered in Charleston for the Diabetes Workshop and Symposium. The theme of this year’s event was “Bridging the Gap with Education”.

Manager of Clinical Outcomes Research for HEALTHeWV, Kathy Platter, spoke about improving the quality of care and bridging the gap through the use of electronic health records. Platter highlighted the success of the HEALTHeWV system at Wheeling Health Right and how electronic records can improve patient care and streamline the communication process at health care facilities.

Platter says besides better care and improving communication, the system also eliminates extra trips for patients, especially those in rural areas of the state. Currently, twenty-one health clinics in West Virginia use HEALTHeWV’s electronic health records system. The Diabetes Symposium and Workshop was sponsored by West Virginia University (WVU), Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC), and by the West Virginia Diabetes Prevention and Control Program.