Assessing the Value of Electronic Medical Records

The EMR is a software program used to enter patients information into a computer, which organizes and stores the information. I believe most offices will keep the paper charts in a very safe location or shred it. But I think because of the confidentiality that any and all information or records relating to patients is considered privileged. basically saying keeping all information about the patient confidential.

information is loaded into the individual’s medical record to provide an ongoing record of the

Possible benefits included positive patient outcomes as a result of improved quality of care, decreased medical errors, increase in financial revenue for organizations, better ability to conduct research, reduced cost of healthcare for patients, and an overall improvement in health for the general population (Menachemi & Collum, 2011). Disadvantages that were found in the review of literature included the initial cost to implement the electronic health record, continuing maintenance costs, and interruption in workflows that adds to the brief loss in productivity that occurs from healthcare providers having to learn a new system (Menachemi & Collum, 2011). There are also concerns about maintaining confidentiality (Menachemi & Collum,

Over the past few years, we have notice a significant change in the workflow of a healthcare organization. This change is caused by the technological advancements of Health Information Technology (HIT). One of the many technological advancements of HIT is the Electronic Health Record (EHR). Electronic health records are a patient’s paper chart in a digital format. It always contains real time information and can be easily accessible. With EHR put into act, it has the ability to electronically view and share a patient’s medical history, past and current medications, immunization dates, any diagnoses or allergies, as well as testing and lab reports. It is also used to document and store data, in addition with many more abilities. It is important to understand the purpose, application, challenges, and advantages of an electronic heath record. In order to get a greater understanding of its use, we will use a private family medicine practice as the foundation for implementing the EHR.

EMR system documents the examination, diagnosis, and treatment of a patient. This information is vital for the current and

The Role of Electronic Health Records and Health Information Exchange in the Delivery of Quality Healthcare

The healthcare industry is in the midst of a major change from paper based medical record keeping to electronic medical record keeping. As part of the American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act was passed (Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, 2014). HITECH is the U.S. Government’s first major contribution to the change from paper to electronic health information technology by setting meaningful use incentive program for Medicare and Medicaid providers that met certain requirements. Healthcare professionals that meet the meaningful use criteria will be awarded financially, and those that don’t meet the 2015 guideline will be penalized. We live in an electronic world of instant access to information and by adopting health information technology we give providers better and easier access to more information which in turn allows them to make a more informed diagnosis and treatment plan for the patient. The electronic health record (EHR) is part of the new information technology. According to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (2014.), EHR’s provide many benefits such as improvement in the quality of patient care; improvement in the coordination of patient care; more accurate diagnosis and better outcomes; a higher level of patient participation in their own care; and cost savings for the practice

In 2011, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality recorded that Americans made nearly 40 million hospital stays (Pfuntner). Each of these stays in each of the 4,000 hospitals and medical centers across the nation produced, at the very least, one medical record. Every healthcare provider needs to process and maintain these records with haste and accuracy. Failure to do so can result in a multitude of repercussions, ranging from the mistreatment of patients to errors in reporting to insurance that create a cycle of rising costs for both patients and healthcare providers. ERP systems, or Electronic Medical Records system as it has come to be known in the healthcare industry aim to serve a field with an exponentially growing need for

The Inner City Clinic is experiencing problems with medication prescribing errors and seeks a resolution to this problem through use of electronic medical records and registration medication reconciliation. The Institute of Medicine reports in the work entitled "Preventing Medication Errors" that the "average hospitalized patient is subject to at least one medication per day. This is reported to confirm previous research findings that medication errors represent the "most common patient safety error." (Barnsteiner, nd, p.1) Medication reconciliation is described as follows:

We live in a digital age where everything from photos to important documents is saved or stored online. This includes the use of electronic medical records. The electronic medical record (EMR) is useful in assisting physicians to have a complete and thorough health history of the patient. The EMR serves as a continuity of care from one hospital to another within the same organization (Hsieh, 2014). Consulting physicians also have quick access to recent diagnostic imaging, progress notes, and lab results. EMRs can help manage patients with chronic disease states, aid in data collection for use in research, and prevent adverse drug events (Hsieh, 2014).

Implementing to electronic medical records has many benefits such as reducing medical record errors, accuracy, having medical record access immediately, reducing medication errors and improving patient care. Monetary incentives are given to providers who demonstrate meaningful use. For those who do not, they face reduction in reimbursement amounts. “In 2017, reduction in reimbursement is 3%.” (National Center for Medical Records, n.d.)

Hillestad, R., Bigelow, J., Bower, A., Girosi, F., Meili, R., Scoville, R., & Taylor, R. (2005). Can electronic medical record systems transform health care? Potential health benefits, savings, and costs. Health Affairs,24(5), 1103-1117. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.24.5.1103

The scenario selected for this evaluation project focuses on the electronic health record. The scenario involves patient documentation, clinical decision support, and performing nursing notes. The project involves evaluation and implementation of EHR. The electronic health record and clinical decision support are not only relevant to my current organization but also are particular interest of mine. The electronic health record has helped to reduce the amount of paper which was a nightmare to maintain with the number of new patients being admitted daily. The electronic health record has also reduced the amount of missed documentation and errors. Any clinician can testify to the wasted time and poor communication among providers that sometimes results because antiquated paper records still predominate in our offices and on the hospital wards (Shortliffe, E. H., Tang, P. C., & Deimer, D. E., 1991). The clinical decision support system has been a great assistance to clinicians. Nurses, health visitors and midwives, as the largest group of healthcare professionals, record and generate most of the information used to maintain and improve patient care (Levy, S., & Heyes, B., 2012). Clinical support systems (CDSS) integrate information (ideally from high-quality research studies) with the

Electronic medical records (EMR) software is a rapidly changing and often misunderstood technology with the potential to cause great change within the medical field. Unfortunately, many healthcare providers fail to understand the complex functions of EMRs, and they rather choose to use them as a mere alternative to paper records. EMRs, however, have many functionalities and uses that could help to improve the patient-physician relationship and the overall quality of patient care. In order for this potential to be realized, both the patient and the healthcare provider must have a deeper understanding of EMR purpose and function. In this paper will highlights the historical developments and its potential effects on the patient physician relationship in order to

Electronic medical records had a great impact in the ushering in of the age of Nursing Informatics. (Himss, 2010)EMRS present healthcare professionals with the ability to retrieve and organize data in a quick and efficient approach. With information so readily available, patient safety increases and we know that patient cost goes down. This happens because patient medications, allergies, history, demographic, and treatment information is more collectively available.