Twenty years ago, we could not even imagine that there would be electronic health records. But here we are in an electronic friendly era. More and more things are transitioning to an electronic form as time goes on and the health record is no different. As technology is improving, there remains some question over whether to continue to store our medical records in a paper or electronic format. Both forms of filing health records have positive and negative attributes. However, time is proving that there are many more benefits to the electronic health record. Electronic health records are providing an easier transition between the flow of information between the different structures of the healthcare system. Overall care is becoming easier …show more content…
This includes higher safety measures ensuring patients privacy; patient information is accessible immediately to the appropriate parties; communication is more efficient between patients and healthcare professionals and improving overall quality of care. EHRs are updated and current, patient centered records that make the information entered available to the appropriate individuals immediately. While an EHR does contain data pertaining to all medical procedures and treatments performed on the patient, an EHR system is built to go beyond standard clinical data collected in a provider’s office and can be an all-encompassing view of a patient’s care (Ohno, 2014). More complete patient information available from EHRs enables providers to make well-informed care decisions quickly, helping to improve care and reduce safety risks (King, 2014). Ninety percent of physicians with EHRs reported that in general, use of their EHR systems enhanced patient care. The majority reported that EHR use helped them to gain access to a patient’s chart remotely, alerted them to potential medication errors, and critical lab results in a timelier fashion (King, 2014). When asked the majority agreed that the benefits to overall patient care far outweighed any disadvantages of the …show more content…
Instead of manually pulling paper charts to search for a lab result, it is just a simple computer search to find the information. Another important advantage is the fact that the record is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and doesn’t require an employee to pull the chart, nor extra space to store it. “Adoption of electronic health records has saved money by decreasing full time equivalents (FTEs) and converting records rooms into more productive space, such as exam rooms” (King, 2017). More importantly, electronic health records can be available to multiple healthcare workers at the same time, at numerous locations. For example, a billing clerk can be looking at the electronic chart, while the primary care physician and a specialist are analyzing clinical information all at the same time. Moreover, a patient’s information should be available to any emergency physician, so they can review records on patients who are not under their direct care. Furthermore, it is believed that electronic health records improve the level of coding. There are templates within the EHR that prompt the clinicians to add more details of the physical exam, thus justifying a higher level of coding (Ohno,
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.
Hundreds of thousands of physicians have already seen these benefits in their clinical practice.” This is proof that in Canada we should continue to introduce electronic health records and help smaller practises with policies to help with funding. The benefits of electronic health records can drastically improve the quality of health and health
To begin, there are numerous advantages throughout the EHR system. Considering this, enhancing patient safety is priority in the healthcare industry. Reminders, alerts, and pop-ups are just a few of the safety features an EHR can provide. These items can prevent medication errors, by alerting a nurse or physician of a blood sugar that is out of range, or a medication with too high of a potency, such as a wrong dosage amount. Reminders can be as simple as an immunization reminder to get a flu shot. Another example could be a drug interaction between NSAIDS such as i...
Portability can improve patient care. Patients no longer have to “tote” their cumbersome medical records around anymore. EHR’s give physicians and clinicians access to critical healthcare information in the palm of their hand, which ultimately leads to improved patient care outcomes. EHR’s also provide security to vital medical and personal healthcare information. Organizations like HIPPA defines policies, procedures and guidelines for preserving the privacy and security of discrete distinguishable health information (HHS.gov,
It was just yesterday when Electronic health records was just introduced in healthcare industry. People were not ready to accept it due to higher cost and consumption of time associated in training people and adopting new technology. Despite of all this criticism, use of Internet and Electronic Health records are now gaining its popularity among health care professionals, as it is the most effective way to communicate with patient and colleagues. More and more hospitals and clinics are getting rid of paper base filling system and investing in cloud base storage.
Unfortunately, the quality of health care in America is flawed. Information technology (IT) offers the potential to address the industry’s most pressing dilemmas: care fragmentation, medical errors, and rising costs. The leading example of this is the electronic health record (EHR). An EHR, as explained by HealthIT.gov (n.d.), is a digital version of a patient’s paper chart. It includes, but is not limited to, medical history, diagnoses, medications, and treatment plans. The EHR, then, serves as a resource that aids clinicians in decision-making by providing comprehensive patient information.
The main purpose of EHRs is to mainly exchange health information electronically to help improve quality and safety for patients. Four pros of EHRs is to provide accurate and recent information of the patients, allow for quick access to the patient records, share the health information securely, and make patient records and notes legible. These four points are important and necessary because the goal overall is to improve public health. Patient information should always be updated and current. Health professionals need to easily have access to patient records to either update them or verify the information. Also, health professionals can now avoid any discrepancies with electronic records verses when records were completely on paper.
The transformation of paper based health record to electronic health record is not an easy step for any providers or organizations but is a major step in the process of providing improved and efficient patient care. Every healthcare organization should have the vision of adopting EHR because it provides numerous benefits not only to providers but also to patient. It is the vision of every healthcare provider to offer the best health care possible. So implementation of EHR is a necessity.
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.
Miller, R., & Sim, I. (2004). Use of electronic medical records: Barriers and solutions. Retrieved June 29, 2011, from http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/23/2/116.short
Jerant, A. F., & Hill, D. B. (2000). Does the use of electronic medical records improve
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.
Electronic medical records not only effect health care professionals, but the patients of those health care providers as well. However, nurses spend the most time directly using electronic medical records to access patient date and chart. Nurses now learn to chart, record data, and interact with other health care providers electronically. Many assume that electronic means efficient, and the stories of many nurses both agree, and disagree. Myra Davis-Alston, a nurse from Las Vegas, NV, says that she “[likes] the immediate access to patient progress notes from all care providers, and the ability to review cumulative lab values and radiology reports” (Eisenberg, 2010, p. 9). This form of record keeping provides health care professionals with convenient access to patient notes, vital signs, and test results from multiple providers comprised into one central location. They also have the ability to make patients more involved in their own care (Ross, 2009). With the advancement in efficiency, also comes the reduction of costs by not printing countless paper records, and in turn, lowers health care
Studies have implied that, healthcare professionals who practice clinical features through EHR were far more likely provide better preventive care than were healthcare professionals who did not. (page 116). From 2004, EHR has initiated, even the major priority of President Obama’s agenda is EHR (Madison & Stagger, 2011). Health care administration considers EHR as the introduction of advanced technology which can improve patient satisfaction are can increase the financial incentives of the healthcare organization. Studies have pointed out that the federal policy is proposed to transform all medical records into EHR (Hebda & Calderone, 2010).
The purpose of the Electronic Health Record is to provide a comprehensive, standardized and universal digital version of a patient 's health records. The availability of a patient 's digital health record provides health information and data for critical thinking and evidence based decision-making, aggregates patient data for quality assurance and research. The Electronic Health Record has been, "identified as a strategy for effectively and efficiently coordinating and maintaining documentation of patients health histories and as a secure method of providing more informed clinical decision making" (MNA, 2006).