Electronic Medical Records: A Medical Renaissance “With tens of thousands of patients dying every year from preventable medical errors, it is imperative that we embrace available technologies and drastically improve the way medical records are handled and processed.” - Nev. GOP Rep. Jon Porter This statement has not only ran true for just the State of Nevada, but for cities throughout the United States and overseas, but what can technology do to provide a more efficient way to not just for overall better healthcare, and also protect the medical records of millions of trusting patients? With the implementation of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), there is less room for errors and more opportunities to gain the trust of the patients through medical experience, but how does the electronic medical records affect health care delivery? One way that healthcare delivery is affect is the quality of care. A patient is more like to see a doctor who is already acquainted with their medical history even if this is the patient’s first time visiting with a doctor that is filling in for their re...
For years now, the healthcare system in the United States have managed patient’s health records through paper charting, this has since changed for the better with the introduction of an electronic medical record (EMR) system. This type of system has helped healthcare providers, hospitals and other ambulatory institutions extract data from a patient’s chart to help expedite clinical diagnosis and providing necessary care. Although this form of technology shows great promise, studies have shown that this system is just a foundation to the next evolution of health technology. The transformation of EMR to electronic heath record system (EHR) is the ultimate goal of the federal government.
Historically, physicians and nurses documented patients’ health information using paper and pencil. This documentation created numerous errors in patients’ medical records. Patient information became lost or destroyed, medication errors occur daily because of illegible handwriting, and patients had to wait long periods to have access to their medical records. Since then technology has changed the way nurses and health care providers care for their patients. Documentation of patient care has moved to an electronic heath care system in which facilities around the world implement electronic health care systems. Electronic health records (EHR) is defined as a longitudinal electronic record of
Woo, A., Ranji, U., & Salganicoff, A. (2008). Reducing medical errors with technology. Retrieved March, 2012, from http://kaiseredu.org
“An electronic health record (EHR) is a digital version of a patient’s paper chart. EHRs are real-time, patient-centered records that make information available instantly and securely to authorized users.” (healthit.gov) The EHR mandate was created “to share information with other health care providers and organizations – such as laboratories, specialists, medical imaging facilities, pharmacies, emergency facilities, and school and workplace clinics – so they contain information from all clinicians involved in a patient’s care.” ("Providers & Professionals | HealthIT.gov", n.d., p. 1) The process has proved to be quite challenging for providers. As an incentive, the government began issuing payments to those providers who “meaningfully use certified electronic health record (EHR) technology.” (hhs.gov) There are three stages that providers must progress through in order to receive theses financial incentives. Stage one is the initial stage and is met with the creation and implementation of the HER in the business. Stage two “increases health information exchange between providers.” ("United States Department of Health and Human Services | HHS.gov", n.d., p. 1) Stage three will be the continuation and expansion of the “meaningful use objectives.” ("United States Department of Health and Human Services | HHS.gov", n.d., p. 1) The hospital, where I work, initiated the HER mandate many years ago. In this paper, I will discuss the progression and the challenges that my hospital encountered while implementing the EHR mandate.
In this paper you will find that the transition from paper health records to electronic medical record is a transition that requires a lot of time and precise preparation and planning. Looking through the paper you will see that there are factors that need to be implemented. You first definitely have to have your medical records. Next you have to know the role that HIPPA will play in your transition because of regulation and violations. Then, you have to prepare for potential problems that you could possibly face. Next, you will see there are several things to evaluate from how long it will take to cost. You will see prices for workstation and the number of staff that you need to carry out your plan of action.
Errors caused by system problems can be prevented by working with your vendor to reset user preferences as needed. In order to preserve data quality and protect patient safety, it is very important that all medical records contain correct information for the safety and treatment of the patient. It is very important to note any cha...
This paper will identify the use of Electronic Health Records and how nursing plays an important role. Emerging in the early 2000’s, utilizing Electronic Health Records have quickly become a part of normal practice. An EHR could help prevent dangerous medical mistakes, decrease in medical costs, and an overall improvement in medical care. Patients are often taking multiple medications, forget to mention important procedures/diagnoses to providers, and at times fail to follow up with providers. Maintaining an EHR could help tack data, identify patients who are due for preventative screenings and visits, monitor VS, & improve overall quality of care in a practice. Nurse informaticists play an important role in the adaptation, utilization, and functionality of an EHR. The impact the EHR could have on a general population is invaluable; therefore, it needs special attention from a trained professional.
Advances in technology have influences our society at home, work and in our health care. It all started with online banking, atm cards, and availability of children’s grades online, and buying tickets for social outings. There was nothing electronic about going the doctor’s office. Health care cost has been rising and medical errors resulting in loss of life cried for change. As technologies advanced, the process to reduce medical errors and protect important health care information was evolving. In January 2004, President Bush announced in the State of the Union address the plan to launch an electronic health record (EHR) within the next ten years (American Healthtech, 2012).
Technologically speaking every country seeks to be at the top of the list for advancement. The electronic medical record (EMR) is also an upcoming technology that allows physicians to) practice more powerful quality improve programs with paper-based records (Miller, & Sim, 2009). Adopting EMR’s is not a low cost venture, or an easy task. According to Miller, and Sim, (2009), “Quality improvement depends heavily on a phys...
The purpose of this paper is to discuss how Electronic Medical Records (EMR), affects healthcare delivery. I will discuss the positives and negatives this issue has on healthcare and how it effects the cost and quality for healthcare services. In addition, I will identify any potential trade-offs to cost or quality. Lastly, I will discuss how the EMR affects my job as well as any challenges or opportunities this issue presents.
Physicians and organizations are now evaluating patients with electronic data collection to improve a patient’s care.... ... middle of paper ... ... References Nembhard, I. M., Alexander, J. A., Hoff, T. J., & Ramanujam, R. (2009). Why Does the Quality of Health Care Continue to Lag?
This article lists the good and the bad involved with the use of electronic health records. For some of the good they explore preventative health, improved data accessibility, and computerized physician order entry. A few of the bad that they explore are the cost of set-up and maintenance, productivity, and delays in documentation. I liked this article because of the differences it explores and the broad about of information it covered. The usefulness of this article in gaining knowledge of the differences was very helpful.
The Effect of Electronic Health Records Preserving patient data digitally has been the goal in health care for numerous years. The change from paper records to electronic health records has been a slow process. When a patient comes to a hospital, doctor’s office, or outpatient clinic the information that is provide by the patient and about the patient would be document in a computer system. This would allow easier access to records, easier storage, access for research, as well as many other benefits. In 2009 the United States enacted The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) to provide incentives for hospitals and physicians to transition to electronic health records (EHR) (King, Patel, Jamoom, & Furukawa, 2013).
Over the past decade, technological advances have paved the way for nurses to provide, quality, safe, standardized and individualized patient care (Saba & McCormick, 2015). The use of the Electronic Health Records (EHR) to manage patient data is quickly becoming widespread in the healthcare industry. The emerging use of the Electronic Health Record, is transforming how nurses care for patients. By creating and implementing an electronic, comprehensive, standardized method of recording patient data, nurses can facilitate and coordinate patient care with members of the multidisciplinary healthcare team. The use of the Electronic Health Record will promote positive
Ragavan, V. (2012, August 27). Medical Records Pals Malaysia : 17 Posibble Reasons How Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Might Support Day-to-Day Patient Care. Retrieved from Medical Records Pals Malaysia: http://mrpalsmy.wordpress.com/category/emr/