Electronic Medical Records
Electronic Medical Records (EMR) are a collection of patient information that is stored and accessible digitally. EMRs make medical records more readily accessible to healthcare professionals by making records available from virtually any computer. EMRs were introduced in 1972 to improve accuracy and efficiency of creating, editing, adding to, and reviewing medical records (Electronic Health Records, 2012).
Quality of Care
It is arguable that EMRs have greatly enhanced the quality of medical care. New England Journal of Medicine, found evidence that practices with EHR provided better quality care (Benefits of EHRs, 2014). EMRs improve care coordination by more effectively and efficiently the sharing …show more content…
American action forum also states that improving medical records to one hundred percent electronic is very important for the adaptability of the health care field. The trillions of dollars spent in the health care field could potentially be reduced by using updated medical record systems. Starting near the beginning of 2015 centers for Medicaid began giving out nearly thirty million dollars of incentives for physicians who switch to EMR (Electronic Medical Record Systems, 2013). Following the Hitech Act there was a large push for updating the way medical records were kept. Nearly half a million healthcare organizations took advantage of this incentive and transferred to …show more content…
While wide accessibility to patient information may improve patient care it also reduces the privacy of said patient information. Any healthcare professional in a hospital may access any patient’s information in that hospital, this interferes with privacy for obvious reasons. Also, when information is made digital it is susceptible to being accessed by hackers. In 2015 over 94 million electronic medical records were breached (Electronic Medical Record Systems, 2013). While the issue of hackers is specific to electronically kept information, the privacy and security of medical records have long since been an issue in health care, even with paper records.
Potential/indirect uses
EMRs create a vast collection of patient information and documentation that is stored infinitely. The mass collective patient information creates the potential for population-based studies and statistical analyses (Benefits of EHRs, 2014). Such studies can be used for quality improvement, resource management, and public health communicable disease surveillance (Benefits of EHRs, 2014). Additionally, EMRs have more recently been used as a reference in malpractice lawsuits due to their exact and timely record keeping (Dowling,
Electronic Medical Records (EMR) are a collection of patient information that is stored and accessible digitally. EMRs make medical records more readily accessible to healthcare professionals by making records available from virtually any computer. EMRs were introduced in 1972 to improve accuracy and efficiency of creating, editing, adding to, and reviewing medical records (Electronic Health Records, 2012).
Quality of Care
It is arguable that EMRs have greatly enhanced the quality of medical care. New England Journal of Medicine, found evidence that practices with EHR provided better quality care (Benefits of EHRs, 2014). EMRs improve care coordination by more effectively and efficiently the sharing …show more content…
American action forum also states that improving medical records to one hundred percent electronic is very important for the adaptability of the health care field. The trillions of dollars spent in the health care field could potentially be reduced by using updated medical record systems. Starting near the beginning of 2015 centers for Medicaid began giving out nearly thirty million dollars of incentives for physicians who switch to EMR (Electronic Medical Record Systems, 2013). Following the Hitech Act there was a large push for updating the way medical records were kept. Nearly half a million healthcare organizations took advantage of this incentive and transferred to …show more content…
While wide accessibility to patient information may improve patient care it also reduces the privacy of said patient information. Any healthcare professional in a hospital may access any patient’s information in that hospital, this interferes with privacy for obvious reasons. Also, when information is made digital it is susceptible to being accessed by hackers. In 2015 over 94 million electronic medical records were breached (Electronic Medical Record Systems, 2013). While the issue of hackers is specific to electronically kept information, the privacy and security of medical records have long since been an issue in health care, even with paper records.
Potential/indirect uses
EMRs create a vast collection of patient information and documentation that is stored infinitely. The mass collective patient information creates the potential for population-based studies and statistical analyses (Benefits of EHRs, 2014). Such studies can be used for quality improvement, resource management, and public health communicable disease surveillance (Benefits of EHRs, 2014). Additionally, EMRs have more recently been used as a reference in malpractice lawsuits due to their exact and timely record keeping (Dowling,