Network Diagram

The use of the EMR has improved the Nation’s health and economy (HealthIT, 2016). While I

It is no secret that the medical profession deals with some of population’s most valuable records; their health information. Not so long ago there was only one method of keeping medical records and this was utilizing paper charts. These charts, although still used in many practices today, have slowly been replaced by a more advanced method; electronic medical records or EMR’s. “The manner in which information is currently employed in healthcare is highly inefficient, which slows down communication and can, as a result, reduce the emergence and

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

“a paperless, digital and computerized system of maintaining patient data, designed to increase the efficiency and reduce documentation errors by streamlining the process.”(Santiago, n.d., para. 1)

Going Paperless: Electronic Medical Records versus Paper Medical Records “Is it time to make the switch?”

A lengthy list of EHR benefits supports the evolution from paper to electronic medical record keeping. One such benefit, the significant reduction of needed storage space. Bulky paper charts require a lot of space and misplaced charts waste time and effort to locate. Since EHR data remains on the computer, medical practices no longer require secure on-site storage, and electronic files eliminate misplacing files. Another benefit to data remaining on the computer rather than a medical chart, electronic records allow immediate access from several locations. EHRs provide emergency room personnel access to allergies and other pertinent information of unconscious patients. The on-call physician accesses patient information from their home computer, rather than driving to the medical

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

EMR concerns are plaguing the health care industry today that requires change. Healthcare professionals, such as nurses, are on the front lines in the defense against medical errors. Closing the gap between current clinical and hospital practices and the various approaches to improving patient safety requires changes that are cultural and systemic in nature. The greatest challenge to hospitals using an EMR system is the expense of the new system, and the challenge nurses face with technology adoption in usage of EMR and protection of records. Even though spending depends on both the hospital size and the technologies were chosen, implementation and installation of a Health Information Technology system, which includes EMR, are often multi-year investments. The transition from a paper-based system to an electronic system is a very complicated process within every hospital establishment. The transformation is time-consuming and involves numerous staff from across the hospital, including Information Technology personnel, physicians, nurses, ancillary providers, etc. Although hospitals work hard at managing the changes required to move toward an electronic environment, there is no guarantee that hospital personnel will properly utilize the expensive new IT system or EMR. Therefore, the training in the EMR integration is required to all medical staff to have an efficient and uncomplicated system.

As useful as the EMR is to patient care there exist a few drawbacks when records are transformed from paper into the digital form. Even though patient health records can only be accessed from inside the hospital’s computers, the EMR can be accessed from anywhere inside the hospital or from another hospital or clinic within the same organization. Before the implementation of the EMR, healthcare staff had to go directly to the patient 's physical chart and thumb through pages of information. Now, with the EMR, any hospital employee can access any patient 's information anywhere inside the hospital. EMRs are more easily accessible, even to personnel not involved in the

Many health care facilities are already starting to use an electronic health record in some of their departments. An electronic health record is a system that allows health care employees to input patient information into a computer system and saves that information into a database for the facility. The information that is being stored directly into the computer system is patients’ personal information (name, date of birth, address, emergency contact information, insurance information, and primary care physician and/or admitting physician), medical history, allergies, current medications, nurses and doctors’ notes, and other information that may pertain to the reason for the visit. Radiology and lab results are also saved into the electronic health record. Even though some health care facilities use a computer system to save some information, there may also be paper work that is also being used. This paper work is scanned into the facilities database so that it can also be saved and viewed if necessary.

Electronic Medical Record is a digital version of the traditional paper-based medical record that is used within a single facility like a doctor’s office or a clinic (Jones, Dixie A. Jul 2010). In addition,

Goal for implementation of using EMR in a hospital facility would include 100% reduction in medication errors. To measure the outcome on reduction in medication error by use of the EMR, data would be collected by scan rates of the nurses. After installation and six months of use of the EMR, a mandatory survey can help give management an idea of how well the nurses are adapting and accepting the EMR. Scan rates will be monitored every month by management to evaluate progress of the nurses, use of the EMR, and tracking of potential medication error. The respondents to the survey would identify whether certain factors were major or minor barriers or were not barriers to the adoption of an EMR and whether it increased or decreased potential medication errors on patients. The survey would be taken annually for five years, by nurses working on a medical-surgical

Today, it is a common practice for patients to hold video conferences with physicians to save time and money normally spent on traveling to another geographic location or the time spend sending health information to specialist or doctor in the world. With more hospitals and practices using medical technology like mobile devices on the job, physicians now have access to any type of information they need, from “drug information, research and studies, patient history or records, and more within mere seconds” (Healthcare Business, 2014). The ease at which these mobile devices can be carry around provides physicians with the needed information. Applications that aid in identifying potential health threats and examining digital information like X-rays and computerized tomography (CT) scans also contribute to the benefits that information technology brings to medicine (Healthcare business, 2014).

Better coordination of care – With digital records, clinicians can more easily coordinate and track patient care across practices and facilities. For example, the Mayo Clinic2 offers a “one-stop care” system that provides the services a patient needs—office visits, testing, surgery, hospital visits—under one roof so services can be coordinated and scheduled over the course of a single visit, rather than time-consuming multiple visits. Clinicians across specialties and disciplines also collaborate on

Further, the speaker notes how information has impacted the healthcare system. Notable changes are the implementation of the electronic health record (EHR). Digitization in the healthcare system is evident, and many practitioners have noted with the era of advancing technology, many prefer to use paperless information as opposed to dealing with piles of documents.