Electronic Health Records, or EHR, is revolutionizing the
coordination, standardization, sharing, and analysis of health information like
never before. It is helping to create and facilitate interdisciplinary teamwork
amongst physicians, as well as transfer medical records in a matter of seconds.
Lack of communication or coordination has always been a prominent problem
within the healthcare field and EHR is beginning to have a significant impact
on a facilities infrastructure; and most importantly, patient outcomes.
EHR can be a powerful source for quality improvement and
performance measures. It can store demographic data, aid in managing appointments
and schedules, streamline billing, as well as, facilitate communication between
doctors and patients. Information now has the ability to be shared within a
community or across country through a single integrated application. This type
of access, data collection and comparison allows a patient’s entire medical
history to be at a physician’s fingertips. A physician is able to direct a more
sound course of treatment more effectively and efficiently than ever before,
thus delivering a higher standard in the quality of care directly into the
hands of the patients. EHR not only improves quality and delivery of care, but
safety as well.
EHR will ultimately, in my opinion, reduce health care costs;
increase safety and quality not only for the patient, but health care
facilities too. Better coordination and organization of care will have effects
on things such as reduction of patient readmission rates for recurring or
chronic conditions, increase desirable outcomes, increase efficiency and
productivity of medical facilities, and increase the overall health of patients
by having the ability to more easily direct, or redirect a course of
treatment. Meaningful
implementation of EHR ultimately has the ability to improve health not only of
the individual, but a community as a whole.
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