Benefits of EHR

Electronic Health Record

As with handwritten office notes a lot can also be said about handwritten prescriptions. Among all the problems present with paper records, the biggest problem lies in the fact that handwritings are, often than not, found illegible and such documents cannot be store or shared electronically. Such data are most of the time not structured data and so remains incomputable and are hence not shareable with other computers and systems. Some of the other shortcoming of paper lies in the fact that they are easily destroyable, expensive to copy and difficult to determine and analyze who has seen them.

Electronic Health Record or HER represents an quantum leap in the ability to rapidly retrieve information and do trend analysis on the patient’s data among the medical fraternity and medical institutions around the globe.

So EHRs or Electronic Health Records are computer based equivalent of paper records, which are digitalized and so can be accessed onscreen from several locations.

Here are some of the best known advantages of having EHRs over paper records:

Renders accuracy

Sometimes as incomplete patient records can be just as dangerous as having no records at all, EHRs helps in making the patient’s health records as complete as possible. With all disparate information and data such as records from radiological tests, lab records, treatment plans, blood work records and data about the patient’s allergies and others, EHRs makes all these data accessible in a consolidated manner that helps in better diagnosis and treatment of the patients.

Increases efficiency

With the introduction of EHR patients are no longer needed to rely on their memory while filling out pages of detailed background information of their medical history. This is especially applicable when the patient needs to find new healthcare providers or visit referring physicians for their ailments.

Helps in coordinating healthcare services

It has been often noted that for critical aliments and diseases most people habitually visit more than just one doctor for managing their health issues. With the introduction HER technology, nowadays health care providers can communicate directly with each other while making informed decision in the matters of providing better understood treatment, while caring for their patients.

Reduces unnecessary testing

From blood works to X Ray, CT and MRIs it has been seen that when a healthcare provider cannot access these data in the right time, because they may not be aware that those test results already exists, they often repeat them, which is both a wastage and money and time. With the help of EHRs healthcare providers can look up within an instance the patient’s most recent lab or radiological records that saves a lot of time while dealing with medical emergencies.

Helps patients to access their own records

With the advent of EHRs, nowadays it has become much easier for patients to view and check their own health records, sometimes even online.

Apart from the above mentioned benefits Electronic Health Record Technology also helps in performing fast remote access to patient’s blood group, allergies and possible drug interactions which are documented in the EHRs and are most needed during accidents and similar crucial medical emergencies.

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