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Electronic Medical Records

The healthcare industry is constantly under pressure to reduce costs while at the same time providing higher quality care with fewer mistakes. However, due to increasingly complex treatment options and an ever-growing, ever-moving population, paper medical records have become outdated in modern medicine. A 2005 study conducted at Dartmouth University found that of $1.8 trillion spent on healthcare each year, about a third of the waste is on unnecessary tests, procedures and simple errors. Poor organization and incomplete or incorrect information is a direct cause of this waste.

These costly and sometimes fatal errors have led to a push for healthcare providers to turn to IT solutions; specifically, to convert traditional paper records into electronic medical records (EMRs). EMRs are computer-based electronic systems which store patient information in a digital format. Organizing medical information electronically has a number of benefits:

  • More convenient staff access to information
  • Increased accuracy in diagnosis and treatment
  • Automated checks for drug interactions
  • Managed prescriptions, scheduling, lab results and X-rays

EMRs streamline and simplify the process of storing and managing patient information, saving time and money.

EMRs are integrated into practice management systems which manage other aspects of medical office functions. Because every office has a different patient base, EMRs are customized to each practice’s needs. There are two basic types of digital records. A “born digital” record is one that never existed on paper; from the time the information was first collected it was stored electronically. The second type of EMR is made up of information that originally existed on paper (medical chart, X-ray, etc.) and was scanned into a database. Unlike a “born digital” record, scanned EMRs cannot be altered. Most digital records before 2000 are scanned EMRs.

Though EMRs are an excellent way to handle patient data, there are several drawbacks for healthcare providers who want to convert their offices.

  • Switching from paper to EMRs presents a significant challenge, since scanning old records is costly and extremely time consuming.
  • Data must be stored for the lifetime of the patient and the hardware and software that controls the system must stay up-to-date.
  • Patient privacy is a hot-button issue when it comes to EMRs. The Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 addressed the issue of patient privacy in regards to personal health information (PHI). It requires that a patient’s PHI is properly protected and that only authorized personel have access to digital records that contain a patient’s information.

Currently, the largest conversion to EMRs is underway in the UK. By 2010, the National Health Service (NHS) hopes to have 60 million patient records converted to digital format. This will allow for a centralized, real-time database of patient information (including medical history, prescriptions, previous treatment, drug allergies, and current address) that can be accessed from anywhere in the UK.

FierceHealthcare covers Healthcare technology from all angles and keeps healthcare administrators and managers up-to-date on electronic medical records (EMRs), electronic prescriptions, communication systems in health care, healthcare IT spending, and the latest healthcare technology news.

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