Understanding the Electronic Health Record and
Its Impact on the Healthcare System
Health information management (HIM) professionals are the main ones responsible for managing health records. In traditional healthcare practices, health records are collected and stored in paper file folders. These records are maintained in doctor’s offices, hospitals, and other healthcare settings. Technological advances have improved the paper based health record management systems. These systems are being replaced with electronic health records, and legislation is being implemented to encourage the use of electronic health record (EHR) systems (Sayles, 2014). The continued improvements made through the use of electronic health records will continue to …show more content…
They identified the limitations of paper based health records and set goals for the implementation of electronic health records (EHR). President George. W. Bush said, “By computerizing health records, we can avoid dangerous medical mistakes, reduce costs, and improve care” (State of the Union Address, 2004). He discussed a 10 year plan to provide most Americans with electronic health records by 2014. He wanted to reduce the number of medical errors, improve health care quality, and lower the cost of our countries health care system. In addition to the health care issues discussed, he emphasized the development of Health Information Standards (State of the Union Address, 2004). The ideas presented by President Bush in the State of the Union Address promoted the importance of the electronic health record and its use in the healthcare field today. It provided a national awareness of electronic health records. This awareness helped in the development of legislation and studies done on the implementation of electronic health records. These studies have researched the electronic health records, its usability, and the healthcare professionals with electronic health …show more content…
National healthcare leaders and politicians have attempted to help with the implementation of electronic health records. They have produced national, state, and local legislation to help promote the successful use of electronic health records in today’s health care system. These laws include the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH). AHIMA (2010) analyzed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). It described its goals and its implementation issues. The ARRA was developed to provide financial initiatives to healthcare providers for the implementation of electronic health records. Turk (2015) further explained that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act expanded the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). It attempted to improve the safety and privacy of patient health information. It provided an increased awareness of patient privacy, and identified several areas needing improvement. According to AHIMA
Its Impact on the Healthcare System
Health information management (HIM) professionals are the main ones responsible for managing health records. In traditional healthcare practices, health records are collected and stored in paper file folders. These records are maintained in doctor’s offices, hospitals, and other healthcare settings. Technological advances have improved the paper based health record management systems. These systems are being replaced with electronic health records, and legislation is being implemented to encourage the use of electronic health record (EHR) systems (Sayles, 2014). The continued improvements made through the use of electronic health records will continue to …show more content…
They identified the limitations of paper based health records and set goals for the implementation of electronic health records (EHR). President George. W. Bush said, “By computerizing health records, we can avoid dangerous medical mistakes, reduce costs, and improve care” (State of the Union Address, 2004). He discussed a 10 year plan to provide most Americans with electronic health records by 2014. He wanted to reduce the number of medical errors, improve health care quality, and lower the cost of our countries health care system. In addition to the health care issues discussed, he emphasized the development of Health Information Standards (State of the Union Address, 2004). The ideas presented by President Bush in the State of the Union Address promoted the importance of the electronic health record and its use in the healthcare field today. It provided a national awareness of electronic health records. This awareness helped in the development of legislation and studies done on the implementation of electronic health records. These studies have researched the electronic health records, its usability, and the healthcare professionals with electronic health …show more content…
National healthcare leaders and politicians have attempted to help with the implementation of electronic health records. They have produced national, state, and local legislation to help promote the successful use of electronic health records in today’s health care system. These laws include the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH). AHIMA (2010) analyzed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). It described its goals and its implementation issues. The ARRA was developed to provide financial initiatives to healthcare providers for the implementation of electronic health records. Turk (2015) further explained that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act expanded the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). It attempted to improve the safety and privacy of patient health information. It provided an increased awareness of patient privacy, and identified several areas needing improvement. According to AHIMA