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Electronic health records advantages and disadvantages essay
Annotated bibliography Advantages and disadvantages of the electronic health record
Electronic health records advantages and disadvantages essay
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Introduction
An Electronic Health Record (EHR) is an electronic version of a patients paper written chart. EHR’s are real time records that contain information for each individual patient and are made available instantly and securely to authorized personnel. There are many benefits of EHR implementation in the healthcare setting. From less paperwork to saving time and costs, increased quality of care, progressing patient care to improved efficiency and productivity. However, throughout this paper we will be discussing some of the success factors and/or pitfalls that an ambulatory setting has experienced that has helped shape their success.
Background
In the US there are growing stakeholders and legislative demands to incorporate EHR’s into healthcare settings, with the goal of leveraging health information technology to reduce costs, improve patient safety, and track quality indicators.1 With the meaningful use initiative to provide incentives for those organizations and facilities who implement
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Five factors appeared critical to facilitate successful management of ambulatory EHR implementations.1 The first factor was commitment. That meant support from leadership and also support from financial resources. The second factor was convincing/converting. This meant actions should be taken to convince hesitant new users of the system. The third factor included communication. As well all know, communication is a very important aspect to any new project, strong communication skills throughout all individuals involved will lead to a more successful implementation. The fourth factor was coordination. This involved keeping a balance between the clinicians and the IS. The more hand in hand they work with, the smoother the implementation. Last but not least, change management. This was a critical factor that involved framing the implementation process using concepts from organizational change
The federal government has taken a stance to standardized care by creating incentive programs that are mandated under the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) of 2009. This act encourages healthcare providers and healthcare institutions to adopt Meaningful use in order to receive incentives from Medicare and Medicaid. Meaningful use is the adoption of a certified health record system that acquires or obtains specified objectives about a patient. The objectives or measures are considered gold standard practices with the EHR system. Examples of the measures include data entry of vital signs, demographics, allergies, entering medical orders, providing patients with electronic copies of their records, and many more pertinent information regarding the patient (Friedman et al, 2013, p.1560).
The U. S government passed the American Recovery Act in 2009 that established incentives and penalties to promote EHR use. From this legislation the Meaningful Use Program for EHR’s s was created. Through The Meaningful Use Program the U.S. government is able to support the adoption and use of EHR technology to enhance and revolutionize health care. The goal of the program is to increase EHR adoption, improve quality, safety, reduce disparities, and improve public health (hmsa , 2012).
“Meaningful Use” implemented in July, 2010, set criteria’s for physicians and hospitals to adhere, in order to qualify for certain financial incentives and to be deemed meaningful users (MU) of the EMR. Meaningful use in healthcare is defined as using certified electronic health record to improve quality, safety, efficiency, and reduce mortality and morbidity. There are 3 stages of meaningful use implementation. The requirements for the 3 stages are spread out over a period of 5 years. MU mandates that physicians meet 15 core objectives and hospitals meet 14 core objectives (Hoffman & Pudgurski, 2011). The goal is to in-cooperate the patient and family in their health, empower autonomy to make decisions while improving care in all population.
The case study by Elizabeth Layman (2011) is a very comprehensive compilation of the implementation of electronic health records, in relation to the Health Information Services Departments. Through this study Layman documents the conditions to be implemented to achieve satisfactory application of the change-over from the conventional pen and ledger system to computer documentation of patient’s records maintained by health networks.
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 federal government has taken deliberate steps to ensure that EHR systems are strong, secure, and able to communicate with each other. “Certification” is a way to enforce standards. Hospitals, doctors and other eligible practitioners can earn incentive fees under the meaningful use program, by adopting certain standards and earning certification. EHRs are certified after passing tests of their functionality, reliability, security, and compliance with the standards. Certification provides assurance to purchasers and other users that an EHR system offers the necessary technological capability, functionality, and security to help them meet the meaningful use criteria established. Providers and patients must also be confident that the EHR systems they use are secured, can maintain data confidentiality, and can work with other systems to share information. Certification of EHR systems is an important step in ensuring that meaningful use requirements are met and that the benefit of improved patient care is realized.
Meaningful Use (MU) is defined as a healthcare provider’s usage of certified EHR technology in a way that can be measured largely in quality and in quantity. By establishing meaningful use using an Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) certified EHR program; healthcare providers can collect stimulus money, as arranged through the HITECH act of 2009. MU is designed to improve healthcare quality, efficiency, safety, and help to reduce health disparities. Also this helps to maintain privacy and security of patient healthcare information. (EHR Incentives & Certification, 2014)
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.
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.
The objective of electronic health records (EHR) and health information technology (HIT) is to make health care more efficient and safer by providing both patients and health professionals alike with information to reduce duplication and promote preventive care, and inform decision-making. But many challenges arise for the adoption of these technologies, particularly in the medical community, traditionally reluctant to organizational and technological change. Also
Over the last several years, electronic medical records are becoming more prominent in health care facilities, replacing traditional written records. As many electronics are becoming more prevalent with the invention of numerous smartphones and tablet devices, it seems that making medical records available electronically would be appropriate for the evolving times. Even though they have been in use to some extent for many years, the “Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health section of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act has brought paperless documentation into the spotlight” (Eisenberg, 2010, p. 8). The systems of electronic medical records mainly consist of clinical note taking, prescription and medication documentation,
The Meaningful Use program is a detailed curriculum set in place to validate the use of electronic health records, at the same time, managing privacy and security of patient’s confidential information (Medicare, 2010). By the same token, attaining a Meaningful Use program will play a factor in whether an institute will be given expenditures from the federal government by either the Medicare (EHR) Incentive Program or the Medicaid (EHR) Incentive Program (Medicare, 2010). Generally speaking, this system was implemented to improve the quality of care for patients, increase security measures, and decrease healthcare discrepancies (Medicare, 2010). Additionally, the Meaningful Use program encourages p...
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
This is a digital rendition of a patient’s paper chart. They are actual time, patient-centered records that make data accessible right away and securely to approved users. Although an EHR has the medical and treatment histories of patients, this system is created to move beyond regular information composed in a provider’s office and can be comprehensive of an expansive view of a patient’s care. (Health IT. Gov, 2018).