What are electronic health records?
Electronic health records, also called electronic patient records or computerized patient records, are collections of the medical history of patients over a period of time within an institution. These histories have been digitally recorded and include comprehensive information relevant to a patient’s health: demographics, previous medical records, vital signs, medications, immunizations, progress reports, health issues, laboratory and radiology data.
An EHR, as electronic health records are more commonly known, can be shared by multiple health care facilities through a network connection and EHR software. This means that a patient’s records in a New York City hospital can be sent immediately to a clinic in Los Angeles without anyone having to bother sending hard copies. The use of electronic health records is intended to facilitate work in the health care industry by making information more accessible and simplified. Electronic health records also document other care-related activities, such as quality management, evidence-based decision support, and outcome reporting. The electronic health record aims to strengthen the bonds between health workers, such as doctors, nurses and clinicians, and their respective patients. This is because quick and easy access to data is believed to help healthcare providers make more informed and confident decisions regarding their patients, enabling them to deliver better services.
An EHR improves medical situations in several ways. One is that electronic health records reduce the chances of medical errors because they contain all the necessary information, which in turn leads to more accurate and clear reports. For example, EHR software includes features like Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE), which is a virtual list for doctors to follow when prescribing medications for their patients. This reduces risks to the patient’s health and saves a lot of money in the long run. Additionally, electronic health records minimize the need for duplicate testing, effectively reducing delays that can affect a patient’s treatment and medication.
There have been several problems surrounding the idea of electronic health records. Its drawbacks include exorbitant start-up costs and a concern about decreased productivity on the part of healthcare workers, since most doctors and nurses are reluctant to spend time learning a new system. The most pressing issues regarding electronic health records are concerns about the privacy and security of patient records, especially in sensitive cases such as psychotherapy sessions, as well as legal liability in the implementation of software systems EHRs that may malfunction.
However, the use of electronic health records continues to be seen as the trend towards great improvements in the health care system nationwide. It is seen as reducing overall costs by a large percentage in the long run, providing access to previously hard-to-obtain data that will aid research and evidence-based medicine, and possibly uniting all healthcare institutions in a single system in the future. for better coordination and record keeping. Looking at the big picture, electronic health records are seen as the answer to long-term preservation of medical records and will ultimately benefit everyone in the healthcare field.