INTRODUCTION Many countries have established national initiatives to implement integrated medical information system to improve nation’s healthcare system and to ensure patients with quality and efficiency of health care services, and Malaysia is no exception. According to Ching et al (2012) the rapid changes in the medical environment have greatly accelerated and increased hospitals’ demand for the quality and quantity of information processing. In Malaysia currently, the Health Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai has announced that the government hospitals nationwide will be able to serve patients faster by 2015 when medical records are accessible online. The Health Ministry of Malaysia declares that multi-million ringgit have been allocated annually for computerization programme to create an electronic records database of all patients by converting hardcopy records. According to Liow in Local Pharmacy News (2011) by implementing the electronic medical records the Malaysian government hospitals can share the information thereby speeding up medical services and patients will have shorter waiting time and faster diagnosis of illness as the nation’s healthcare system and medical data of both outpatients and inpatients are computerized. At the first phase of computerizing medical records, it is expecting that at least 20 Malaysian government hospitals would able independently retrieved their records. In fact, the first phase of the project is expecting to be completed by 2015 and the computerization will covered major hospitals in the states and followed by smaller hospitals and clinics. Therefore, when all the 20 Malaysian government hospitals have completed digitalizing medical records, the Health Ministry will set up the onlin... ... middle of paper ... ...some of these hospitals already have full implementation of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and other others have partial implementation. This variety and diversification of choosing different hospitals add to the stability of the sample. All of the following hospitals are located in different places in Selangor that cover all parts of Selangor; will be targeted in the questionnaire. In every 20 Malaysian government hospitals listed, the quantitative data were administered in person. Rusnah (2006) argue that this had several advantages, enriching the data obtained from the questionnaires by give the instructions on how to fill in the questionnaires were provided and clarification of ambiguous terms and response to any queries by the respondents were dealt with instantly. As the result, the researcher can ensure the rate of return to the maximum possible extent.
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.
Did you ever think about how much time is spent on computers and the internet? It is estimated that the average adult will spend over five hours per day online or with digital media according to Emarketer.com. This is a significant amount; taking into consideration the internet has not always been this easily accessible. The world that we live in is slowly or quickly however you look at it: becoming technology based and it is shifting the way we live. With each day more and more people use social media, shop online, run businesses, take online classes, play games, the list is endless. The internet serves billions of people daily and it doesn’t stop there. Without technology and the internet, there would be no electronic health record. Therefore, is it important for hospitals and other institutions to adopt the electronic health record (EHR) system? Whichever happens, there are many debates about EHR’s and their purpose, and this paper is going to explain both the benefits and disadvantages of the EHR. Global users of the internet can then decide whether the EHR is beneficial or detrimental to our ever changing healthcare system and technology based living.
To be considered meaningful users of the EMR, the qualified applicant must use clinical content that is consistent and standardized across systems and healthcare settings, use decision support tools such as alerts and reminders, have the ability to collect and store raw data from documentation that can be used for reporting purposes, collect and report data to the state. Reporting of data will help to improve public health and awareness and provide sharing of information between systems (Tripathi,
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.
Healthcare professionals associated with medical billing and coding know the progress the technology has made so far. In the last few decades, medical billing and coding has switched from being a paper-based system to a computerized format. Under HIPAA laws, medical practitioners had to develop new software in order to send out electronic bills. With the advent of electronic medical records (EMR), with one touch of a button, doctors, Nurse Practitioners and PAs can gain access to all the care a patient has ever received from every healthcare facility the patients visited previously and can figure out possible illnesses. This enables statistical documentation of the population as a whole as well. EMR can also make the healthcare system more transparent and allow integration with reimbursement data. As the healthcare system changes, this will prevent unnecessary costs and make it easier to get the reimbursements needed to treat a patient.
In order for hospitals and other health care facilities to prevent the thousands of deaths and injuries that occur every year due to medical errors; health care systems were required to implement new record keeping technology. This technology has made patient information and treatment accessible to all who needed to see it. This is especially important when a patient has more than one attending physician and their care relies on each doctor knowing what the other one has done, serving as the prime communication tool between doctors. If organizations do not centralize their technology and essentially their patient databases, the potential for duplicate work or inefficient patient care can exponentially increase. These high tech medical records can help protect physicians and hospitals alike against any lawsuits that may be filed on behalf of their patients. By correctly and thoroughly documenting all symptoms, illnesses, treatments, medication dosages, and diagnosis’ the doctor and health care providers can effectively prove what actions were taken with the patient, communicate with third party billers, and even use the gathered information for teaching purposes. Keeping a precise record of a patient’s medical treatment makes a large difference in many aspects of health care; especially when a negligence tort or claim is filed against the hospital and/or a doctor.
Nirel, N., Rosen, B., Sharon, A., Blondhiem, O., Sherf, M., Smuel, H., et al. (2010). The impact of an integrated hospital-community medical informaiton system on quality and service utilization in hospital departments. International Journal of Medical Informatics , 79, pp. 649-657.
EMRs provide a common access point where clinicians and health care providers can review and document information about clients and their care. These records are essential to improving efficiency and increasing client safety (Electronic Medical Records, n.d.). Electronic reports are an enabling technology that allows medical practices to pursue more powerful quality improvement programs than is possible with paper-based records (Miller, Robert; Sim, Ida). Clinicians and clients do not have to worry about errors occurring due to the poor legibility of handwritten paper medical records. EMRs facilitate the continuity of care before, during and after hospitalization because all the data in one place. Think of the amount of time and money employees spend on phone calls, emails, and faxes ...
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.
Health information management involves the practice of maintaining and taking care of health records in hospitals, health insurance companies and other health institutions, by the use of electronic means (McWay 176). Storage of medical information is carried out by health information management and HIT professionals using information systems that suit the needs of these institutions. This paper answers four major questions concerning health information systems.
We can look at the patient’s allergies, their vital signs, and even their most recent weight which is important when we have a patient with Congested Heart Failure. Being able to share a patient’s medical record and all their health care encounters is so vital in the complete care of a patient. Being able to assess a patient’s medical record electronically is also important when it comes to prescribing medications because it can alert the provider to potential conflicts with other medications that the patient has been prescribed. And if a patient comes into the emergency room unconscious from an accident, the provider can still look up the patient and adjust care as needed. The electronic medical record is important in the transition of care of a patient from one provider to another. For example, when a patient is hospitalized and then discharged, they are asked to follow up with their primary care doctor within two weeks. With the provider being able to consider the patient’s electronic medical record they can see what care the patient received while they were hospitalized and vice versa, the emergency room provider is also able to consider the patient’s electronic medical record to see the care plan for the patient and the care the patient has been receiving from their primary care provider. According to HealthIT, Electronic Medical Records can reveal potential safety problems when they occur, helping providers avoid more serious consequences for patients and leading to better patient outcomes. Electronical Medical Records can help providers quickly and systematically identify and correct operational problems. In a paper-based setting, identifying such problems is much more difficult, and correcting them can take
The present environments for healthcare organizations contain many forces demanding unprecedented levels of change. These forces include changing demographics, increased customer outlook, increased competition, and strengthen governmental pressure. Meeting these challenges will require healthcare organizations to go through fundamental changes and to continuously inquire about new behavior to produce future value. Healthcare is an information-intensive process. Pressures for management in information technology are increasing as healthcare organizations feature to lower costs, improve quality, and increase access to care. Healthcare organizations have developed better and more complex. Information technology must keep up with the dual effects of organizational complication and continuous progress in medical technology. The literature review will discuss how health care organizations can provide effective care by the intellectual use of information.
Our clinical knowledge is expanding. The researcher has first proposed the concept of electronic health record (EHR) to gather and analyze every clinical outcome. By late 1990s computer-based patient record (CPR) replaced with the term EHR (Wager et al., 2009). The process of implementing EHR occurs over a number of years. An electronic record of health-related information on individual conforms interoperability standards can create, manage and consult with the authorized health professionals (Wager et al., 2009). This information technology system electronically gather and store patient data, and supply that information as needed to the healthcare professionals, as well as a caregiver can also access, edit or input new information; this system function as a decision support tools to the health professionals. Every healthcare organization is increasingly aware of the importance of adopting EHR to improve the patient satisfaction, safety, and lowering the medical costs.
From state and federal levels, the healthcare industry has come a very long way, experiencing changes along the way. The development of advanced technology that has enhanced the quality of healthcare delivery systems will help all patients to be able to benefit. Doctors are able to access patient records at a faster rate and respond to their patients in a much more timely fashion. E-mail, electronic transfer of records and telemedicine will give all patients and physicians the tools needed to be more efficient, deliver quality care and deliver quality telecommunication at a faster pace than before.