What Is Electronic Health Records?

1360 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The EHR system allows the health care providers to save and retrieve patient’s data, promoting improvement in clinical, organizational, and societal outcomes

The Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and strategic ways patients can be engaged in their health decision-making Abstract-This paper aimed to inform the readers to provide the concept of health information technology, mainly concentrated on electronic health records (EHR) and how it benefits overall quality of health services. Even though EHRs are widely accepted and have been adopted increasingly, patient engagement still lower than the average expected. Reasons are discussed why patient engagement has been low while the adoption of EHRs increases. The paper draws some research findings and provides examples to illustrate how patient disengagement affect the quality of care. It also discusses what appreciable tasks have done among …show more content…

If health information technology has been adopted widely, there would be more than $81 billion annually save in the United States only (Gee & Newman, 2013). Despite the vast improvement of health information technology in the current century when compared to the past, there still some challenges in adopting the technology. For example, patients and healthcare providers’ frustration with the current system, and a high cost of the information technology can be mentioned. However, healthcare organizations are thoroughly delivering care, access the patients’ health data, run their analysis for better health outcomes, and gain opportunities to better quality improvement through many electronic health delivery systems (Health information technology, n.d.; Wager, Lee, & Glaser, …show more content…

EHRs are “a real-time, patient-centered” records that make health information available promptly and bring any patients’ health information together in one place such as medical history, medications, diagnosis, laboratory test results, immunization records, allergies and even medical images, and many others. The use of electronic health records (EHRs) continuously increases. An ability to collect secure patient data electronically, and supplies the information to the providers upon a request is one of the features in EHR. The system can also bring together information from more than one health care organization and any past and current clinical services of the patient that helps the health care professionals in providing quality services. Within this scope, EHR benefits health care providers to enter orders directly into a computerized provider order entry (CPOE) system, provides tools in decision making like, alerts, reminders, and provides access to the new research findings and evidence-based guidelines (Wager, Lee, & Glaser, 2013, pp. 134-37). The United States is creating large investments to boost the adoption and use of interoperable electronic health records (EHRs)

Show More
Related

  • Current Status of the Electronic Health Records in the United States

    921 Words  | 2 Pages

    Jha, A. K., Burke, M. F., DesRoches, C., Joshi M. S., Kralovec P. D., Campbell E. G., & Buntin M. B. (2011). Progress Toward Meaningful Use: Hospitals’ Adoption of Electronic Health Records. The American Journal of Managed Care, 17, 117-123

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Meaningful Use And The EHR

    1629 Words  | 4 Pages

    The preliminary effects of the Meaningful Use Program have began to have an impact on improving the quality of care and its’ safety and efficiency. I gained a greater understanding of information technology and it’s role and importance to my current and future practice. I learned the goal of the Meaningful Use Program isn’t just to install technology in facilities across the nation its so much more. The goals are to empower patients and their families, reduce health disparities and support research and health data. The EHR can prevent medication errors, reduce long term medical costs, improve population health and through the Meaningful use program the vision of this program is becoming reality.

    Read More

  • The Three Stages Of Meaningful Use In Healthcare

    1274 Words  | 3 Pages

    “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.

    Read More

  • Privacy and Confidentiality in the Electronic Medical Record

    1798 Words  | 4 Pages

    According to HIMSS The Electronic Health Record (EHR) is a longitudinal electronic record of patient health information generated by one or more encounters in any care delivery setting. It includes information from patient demographics, medications, to the laboratory reports. Introduction of Electronic Medical Records in healthcare organizations was to improve the quality care and to lessen the cost by standardizing the means of communication and reducing the errors. However, it raises the “eyebrows” of many when it comes to patient confidentiality and privacy among healthcare organization.

    Read More

  • EHR Implementation and Effects on Nursing

    2310 Words  | 5 Pages

    The implementation of electronic health records (EHR) continues to make an impact on nursing and patient care throughout the country. As a part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, all public and private healthcare providers were required to implement electronic health records in their facilities by January 1, 2014. By demonstrating “meaningful use” of the electronic medical record, facilities are able to maintain Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement levels. Providers who show that they are meeting the “meaningful use” criteria during EHR use will receive an incentive payment from Medicare and Medicaid. “Meaningful use” is “using certified technology in EHR implementation to improve quality, safety, efficiency, and reduce health disparities; engage patients and families; improve care coordination; and maintain privacy and security of patient health information” (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2013).

    Read More

  • Health Care IT and Quality Health Care

    1126 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Healthcare Delivery Issues

    994 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • The Electronic Health Record Mandate

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    “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.

    Read More

  • Electronic Health Records: Annotated Bibliography

    1502 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Electronic Health Record Implementation Essay

    1021 Words  | 3 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • Affordable Health Information Exchange (HIES)

    1488 Words  | 3 Pages

    As EHRs expand their functionality to include recall and reminder alerts, clinical decision supports, mhealth, and more complex tasks, they are considered comprehensive (Magnuson, 2014). Through this evolution, providers and patients will be able to share access to electronic health information that allows them to collaborate in joint, informed decision making which has the potential to greatly impact patient and population health (Healthit.gov, 2014) as it involves a clinical shift from the treatment of conditions to prevention through behavior and lifestyle modification (Magnuson, 2014). The management of patient collaboration will shift from being primarily the responsibility of the patient to that of accountable organizations. Shahid Shah, an award-winning Government 2.0, health IT, and medical device integration software expert, outlines the five stages of EHR maturity in patient care collaboration

    Read More

  • Future Direction in Healthcare in America

    795 Words  | 2 Pages

    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?

    Read More

  • Essay On Electronic Health Record

    1590 Words  | 4 Pages

    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).

    Read More

  • Effective Management in Healthcare Organizations

    987 Words  | 2 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Impact Of Health Information Technology On The Quality Of Patient Care

    1293 Words  | 3 Pages

    Journal Title: Impact of Health Information Technology on the Quality of Patient Care. Introduction: Our clinical knowledge is expanding. The researchers have first proposed the concept of electronic health records (EHR) to gather and analyze every clinical outcome. By the late 1990s, computer-based patient records (CPR) were replaced with the term EHR (Wager et al., 2009).

    Read More

More about What Is Electronic Health Records?

Open Document