At Cleveland Clinic, a complimentary, online program called DrConnect bridges the communications gap. By providing real-time patient updates, the program makes referring physicians a part of the care team and takes professional collaboration to a whole new level.

"DrConnect is a godsend," says Loretta Isada, MD, an Akron-area cardiologist." The information it provides is incredibly helpful. I have operating notes, discharge summaries, medication lists, lab results and everything else I need at my fingertips."

Cleveland Clinic's DrConnect program is utilized by thousands of physicians in more than 30 countries around the world. These professionals are linked to a sophisticated electronic medical record (EMR) system that unifies the main campus hospital complex and its many other facilities into what is essentially a common practice environment.

Designed to meet the needs of busy medical practices, DrConnect generates a single, daily email notification to alert physicians each time something new is added to their patient's EMR. These emails contain no private patient information, and only the physician or authorized personnel can view them.

Healthcare institutions without an EMR system often depend on patients to keep track of their own medical information. "People are sent home from those hospitals with stacks of papers, including copies of lab reports and so forth, which patients often misplace," says Dr. Isada.

With the DrConnect program, there is no need to wade through stacks of papers or place calls to hospitals to request information. "The program offers instant communication and continuous updates," says Dr. Isada. "It's easy and nicely organized, and you can select information relevant to you. Signing up is really simple. You just fill out a brief form and make up a password. That's basically it."

The DrConnect site is secured using 128-bit encryption between Cleveland Clinic and the user's computer. All it takes is access to the Internet for physicians who are not a direct part of Cleveland Clinic to feel like active members of the treatment team.

"My patients in Canton have the mindset that Cleveland Clinic is far away," says Loretta Isada, MD. "You'd think I was sending them to Siberia. But for me, it's only a click away — a computer mouse click, that is."