Evolution Of Health Care Info Systems. Physician’S Offices

Going back hundreds of years, we can trace the history of health care. Although it has evolved over the years, it all has a common goal; to heal those who are ill. Technology is one of the major evolutions and now plays a big role in the health care system. It helps patients to be more involved with their healthcare. They can make appointments, follow up on test results, and contact their doctors. Back then, they didn’t even have all the medicine we have now, let alone the technology. We can only imagine what is in store for the future.

In order to meet the requirements set forth by the Federal Government many health care institutions began the painstaking process of seeking out an electronic program. These institutions sought to purchase a system that would have the capacity to interact with other programs, and the flexibility to allow all clinical personnel easy access to pertinent medical information such as labs, diagnostic test results and past medical history.

Paper-based health records have existed since the time of Hippocrates. The most significant change in paper-based health records occurred in the 20th century with the development of electronic health records (EHRs), due to evolution of technology (Rocha & Rocha, 2014). The development of EHRs began in the mid-1960s. Since that time, EHRs have continued to advance. Many institutions are now placing a greater effort in the utilization of this advancing technology (Atherton, 2011). The main purpose of EHRs is to increase efficiency of care and organize and improve quality of data storage through new resources and applications (Rocha & Rocha, 2014). EHRs play a vital role in the healthcare system, patient care, and

Electronic medical records (EMR) can improve healthcare performance and cost efficiency in healthcare facilities. Improving healthcare performance includes patient safety, quality of care, and health status of the patients. Patient safety with medication errors continue to escalate, costing health care systems billions of dollars each year (Seibert, et al., 2014). An estimated 450,000 adverse drug events-medication errors that result in patient harm-occur annually, approximately 25% of which are preventable (Seibert, et. al, 2014). Overall, having an EMR helps improve healthcare delivery: no illegible handwriting, information can be shared on an instantaneous basis within a healthcare institution or between institutions, and review of previous

Health information is a very important topic as it impacts patient care. It can be a wonderful addition to the ever-changing healthcare system. In addition, health information technology can be very useful in assisting medical personnel, however,

The handwritten documentation has been the usual way of recording medical data since the nineteenth century. However, the fast development of computer technology has led to the advancement and use of electronic medical records (EMRs) throughout the past several decades (Jerant & Hill, 2000). The evolution from a paper to an electronic setting can be somewhat straightforward. The two leading reasons why most facilities chooses to convert to EMRs is patient care and safety. Health-care Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) presented its EMR adoption model in 2005 and now tracks the implementation growth of more than 5000 U.S hospitals (Traynor, 2011).

The use of electronic health record systems, better known as EHR systems, has skyrocketed within the last five years. Now required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the EHR has been widely adopted throughout the United States for a number of reasons. it is best known for saving time on charting and billing, however other functions of the EHR can include patient demographics such as allergies, medications, and history, consents and directives, E-prescribing, alerts and reminders, medical reconciliation, and patient education. The EHR also offers other interfaces that are required to exchange information with other providers, laboratories, pharmacies, the patient themselves, and appropriate government agencies when necessary. Some EHR systems even offer programs for patients to use to access their chart and input data, which makes visits easier for physicians because their current symptoms are already in the chart before their

Slide 11: Human errors, such as medication errors or allergy errors, are minimized with alerts on the electronic health record. The electronic health record has shown to reduce the number of missing charts (82%), and improves data accessibility to patient records and documentation remotely (75%) (Narisi, 2013). By eliminating paper charting, the EHR makes all patient’s data and information available at all times to all physicians. The EHR improves patient care delivery by reducing the error of hand-written orders and allows for other physicians to access the order. This is great for when the doctor orders a medication to start stat, and puts the order into the EHR, so the nurse can start the medication right away (Palma, 2013).

The other terms used to describe EMR include hospital information system (HIS), computerized system (CS), and computerized physician order entry system (CPOE). This computerized setting supports the patient’s EMR across inpatient and outpatient environments and is used by health care providers to manage, monitor, and document health care delivery within a care delivery organization. The health care industry has learned from other industries that computers facilitate the speed of communication, the accuracy of information, capacity for information storage, data retrieval, and date revision. Leaders in the health care industry are developing computerized clinical record systems to manage the huge volume of

Over the last 20 years dramatic changes have occurred in the health care industry. “Health care technology has exploded over the last 20 years, not just in the arena of medical diagnosis and treatment, but also in the area of health information and documentation” (The art of patient care, 2008, p. 1).

It is also to be expected that an EHR will have an electronic troubleshooting summary directory that outlines a patient’s major illnesses, surgeries, allergies and medications (Bell, Thornton 2011). We all have been witness in seeing a healthcare professional open a hefty paper chart, only to have loose or unfastened lab results plummet out of the file. We have also seen where a healthcare provider must re-order a test due to misplaced paper results or charts. According to Healthit.gov,important notes that are in paper charts go missing as much as 25% of the time. Even if the chart is obtainable; particulars are misplaced in 13.6% of patient encounters and 20% of laboratory tests are re-ordered because previous information is not accessible. This statistic has immense patient safety, productivity and financial implications(Bell, 2011, Costino,A.2013).

One healthcare management related topic that is relevant to the current healthcare environment is the promise of convenience and cost-benefits that EMR (electronic medical record) systems claim to offer to the providers and staff that will utilize them. For the past 10 years, the U.S. government has campaigned and incentivized healthcare providers to adopt utilization of a certified EMR system. There are many reasons for this change. The change allows for efficiency, easier access to statistical data, increased safety, and decreased cost. The adaptation of an EMR system grossly influences the healthcare environment because it has initiated a huge shift in how healthcare is delivered and documented.

Information technology in the health sector is evolving swiftly, affecting how health care provider practice in acute care settings. Electronic health records (EHRs) allows electronic documentation of current and historical health, tests, referrals, and medical treatments as well as permitting providers to order diagnostic tests and medications electronically. EHR systems have the prospective to improve communication between physicians and patients by making data more readily accessible.

Technology and it use is a very powerful key in the health care system. It is so powerful to the point where the health care system cannot function without it. Both hospitals and clinics are depends on it to resolve problems also make life easier for both doctors and nurses. Technology has become the medical field backbone; it is very healthful to everyone in the medical field or the healthcare system such as doctors, nurses, students, professors, and patients. It provides an easy way for everyone in the medical field to operate in a stress free environment starting from the hospitals or clinics owners down to the least workers which are the janitors. Both new and existing technologies are needed in every

Over the years many things have contrubuted to the advancement of the electronic age in the health care system. In the beginning, the primary function of the information system in the healthcare setting was administrative tasks, such as billling. That has changed over the years. According to Blackwell (2008) “As IT developed, systems were marketed for the specialist medical departments and niche markets developed, for example, for laboratories, pharmacies, diagnostics, imaging and intensive care.” Although email, telemedicine, and electronic transfer of records have impacted healthcare today, understanding how they can impact health care 5 years from now can be equally as important. This paper will