According to Memorial Care Health System, “The delivery of health care services is undergoing a tremendous digital evolution, thanks to increasing adoption of electronic medical record systems. Many experts believe this digital way of maintaining patient records will lead to significant cost savings, decreases in medical errors, and improvements in health” (memorialcare.org). Knowing what EHRs are and how they can be used in the health system, leads us to why we need electronic health records.
Electronic health records eliminate the errors that arise from trying to depict someone else’s handwriting. They also speed up the time it takes a health care professional to enter medical data. EHRs are not just needed to make it easier for the health …show more content…
Medicine is an information-rich enterprise. A greater and more seamless flow of information within a digital health care infrastructure, created by electronic health records, encompasses and leverages digital progress and can transform the way care is delivered and compensated” (healthit.gov). Electronic health records make it possible to give more detailed patient medical histories to other providers safely and more quickly. We need EHRs to allow for more coordinated care among our various doctors, from doctors to pharmacies, doctors to various hospitals, and from doctors to various other health care professionals. Electronic health records allow us to instantly get our health information to and from different doctors when needed. When our health histories are transferred to new doctors more complete care can be given since a full view of a patient’s medical history is …show more content…
Doctors can see what medications and treatments you are currently on or have been on in the past, which gives them a more complete picture of your health. This can be useful in an emergency situation; when normally doctors wouldn’t have instant access to you chart, with EHRs they would and are able to make more appropriate health decisions sooner. For example, if you are traveling and get into an accident or have a health issue and then get taken to a different doctor than usual, the doctor can get immediate access to your health record. Once they have your electronic health record they can give you proper care given your taking into consideration your health history along with your current state. The doctor will know what medications you are on, your ongoing medical conditions, treatments, and etc., so they will be able to give better care.
EHRs also have the ability to share information with the patient. This enables patients to be more engaged in their health care. Not only will electronic health records improve our personal care, they will also improve our community’s care. “Just as the revolution in information technology has already changed the way in which organizations understand the people they serve, the revolution in health information technology will change the way we address the health of our communities and our nation”, (healthit.gov)
Electronic health records eliminate the errors that arise from trying to depict someone else’s handwriting. They also speed up the time it takes a health care professional to enter medical data. EHRs are not just needed to make it easier for the health …show more content…
Medicine is an information-rich enterprise. A greater and more seamless flow of information within a digital health care infrastructure, created by electronic health records, encompasses and leverages digital progress and can transform the way care is delivered and compensated” (healthit.gov). Electronic health records make it possible to give more detailed patient medical histories to other providers safely and more quickly. We need EHRs to allow for more coordinated care among our various doctors, from doctors to pharmacies, doctors to various hospitals, and from doctors to various other health care professionals. Electronic health records allow us to instantly get our health information to and from different doctors when needed. When our health histories are transferred to new doctors more complete care can be given since a full view of a patient’s medical history is …show more content…
Doctors can see what medications and treatments you are currently on or have been on in the past, which gives them a more complete picture of your health. This can be useful in an emergency situation; when normally doctors wouldn’t have instant access to you chart, with EHRs they would and are able to make more appropriate health decisions sooner. For example, if you are traveling and get into an accident or have a health issue and then get taken to a different doctor than usual, the doctor can get immediate access to your health record. Once they have your electronic health record they can give you proper care given your taking into consideration your health history along with your current state. The doctor will know what medications you are on, your ongoing medical conditions, treatments, and etc., so they will be able to give better care.
EHRs also have the ability to share information with the patient. This enables patients to be more engaged in their health care. Not only will electronic health records improve our personal care, they will also improve our community’s care. “Just as the revolution in information technology has already changed the way in which organizations understand the people they serve, the revolution in health information technology will change the way we address the health of our communities and our nation”, (healthit.gov)