Dr. Jack Kooy, a primary care physician in Penticton, BC, has built his career around providing exceptional patient care and fostering a culture of learning. With decades of experience, he remains committed to improving patient outcomes by embracing new technologies and using clinical data to guide his practice. His passion for growth and innovation sets a strong example for his peers and the medical students he mentors, proving that exceptional care is always possible at any stage of a career.
A cornerstone of his community, Dr. Kooy has spent years organizing Continuing Medical Education (CME) events for colleagues, mentoring future physicians, and continually optimizing his practice. Recently, his commitment to efficiency and accurate patient records led him to connect with the Health Data Coalition (HDC) and its Clinical Services Manager (CSM), Frank Fabian, to explore new ways of using data to improve patient care.
For Frank, working with Dr. Kooy carries a deep sense of purpose. When Electronic Medical Records (EMR) were first introduced in BC, the promise that clinical data could transform patient care was yet to be realized by many. The complexity of EMR systems, combined with a lack of accessible comparative data, made it difficult for most practices to turn data into meaningful insights that could be acted on for quality improvements purposes. Now, through his work with HDC, Frank sees that vision finally being realized. Helping physicians like Dr. Kooy harness clinical data to drive better patient outcomes brings a profound sense of pride and fulfillment.
During their initial HDC engagement meeting, it was discovered that it had been some time since Dr. Kooy had last accessed HDC Discover. “Dr. Kooy wasn’t fully aware of potential uses of practice trends,” Frank recalls. “But he was immediately curious about how his insights could be applied to benefit his practice.” While exploring his practice measures, one specific metric, blood pressure documentation, revealed an opportunity for improvement when compared to regional and provincial averages.
Dr. Kooy’s rates had fallen below both the provincial and regional aggregates, and the reason quickly became clear. With Frank’s experience with the Med Access EMR, he was able to quickly identify the issue. “Dr. Kooy had been entering blood pressure readings in the text box of his SOAP visit template,” Frank explains. “I showed him that entering vitals like blood pressure into discrete fields, rather than free text, was essential for accurate data capture and reporting”. Recognizing the opportunity to improve his documentation, Dr. Kooy was quick to adapt. Frank helped Dr. Kooy implement a new default Visit template that included discrete fields for vitals and measurements, ensuring patient data was captured in a way that could be accurately reported and analyzed. This change addressed a key documentation gap, but it also opened the door to further improvements.
During their discussion, Dr. Kooy mentioned that he routinely measured blood pressure and weight at every visit to ensure he always had the most up-to-date readings. Recognizing an opportunity to improve efficiency and capacity, Frank asked Dr. Kooy what timeframe he felt was appropriate for collecting these measurements. Frank then suggested configuring Clinical Decision Support (CDS) alerts to prompt capture of these measurements only when clinically necessary, ensuring that Dr. Kooy could maintain high-quality care while streamlining his workflow.
During a follow-up meeting, Frank and Dr. Kooy reviewed the updated blood pressure data, confirming its accuracy. They also configured additional CDS alerts for measures like Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio (ACR), and Body Mass Index (BMI).
For Dr. Kooy, the improvements have been both validating and empowering. “HDC is a tool that reinforces my efforts and helps guide my practice,” he shares. “It’s reassuring to know that I’m delivering the best possible care for my patients, particularly as I near the later stages of my career.” Frank emphasizes the significance of these changes for Dr. Kooy’s practice. “By updating his documentation processes and leveraging his practice data [in HDC Discover], Dr. Kooy is improving his current workflow while also setting his practice up for long-term success,” he states. “It’s a testament to his dedication to his patients and his profession.”
Dr. Kooy’s experience demonstrates how even small changes can drive meaningful improvements. Whether it’s refining documentation practices, implementing data-based CDS alerts, or re-engaging with tools like HDC Discover, these adjustments can enhance patient care, streamline workflows, and ultimately ignite joy in work to create a stronger, more efficient practice.
HDC Discover can help you unlock powerful insights about your patient population and streamline your practice operations. Contact HDC at info@hdcbc.ca to learn how you can transform data into meaningful action.