EMR Cost Benefit Analysis

The documentation of patient care is a necessity in the modern health care system due to the importance of accurate information in determining medical care. Proper documentation not only allows health care providers to make informed decisions related to patient care, but it also serves as a reference during potential litigation. Historically, patient care was documented on physical paper charting. However, the modernization of patient care documentation has utilized computers as the primary medium over previous paper methods. Currently, the electronic medical record (EMR) is gaining popularity in the medical community due to its ability to improve patient outcomes by preventing medical errors and serve as a more economical method of documentation. The growing popularity of the EMR as a more cost effective method for charting has been somewhat shadowed by doubts of its cost saving benefits. These doubts as well as the significant sunk costs of EMR implementation may serve as a barrier for organizations. The purpose of this paper is to provide a cost benefit analysis of the electronic medical record to inform health care professionals of the potential effects the EMR will have on their practice. …show more content…
However, the EMR has a plethora of benefits that come with its adoption. Due to the EMR not being bound to a physical form, multiple individuals may document and obtain information on the same patient simultaneously from any computer connected to the EMR. This prevents congestion between providers seeking to provide care to the patient which saves