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The Electronic Medical Record (EMR)

Decent Essays

Introduction: The electronic medical record (EMR) is a technological tool that was created for the “long term collection of medical information about patients and populations” (Gunter & Terry, 2005). EMR’s can be established, collected, managed, and referred too by authorized personnel” (Gunter & Terry, 2005). According to the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) (2015) you can use EMR’s to “collect demographics, medical history, immunizations, problems/diagnosis, medications, vital signs, laboratory data, radiology reports, progress notes and other relevant patient information/data”. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) is the non-governmental organization committed to promoting technology-led system reform in the U.S. …show more content…

Amongst these functions, EMR’s should give physician’s access to patient information, such as diagnoses, allergies, lab results, and medications (AHRQ, 2015). EMR’s should provide access to new and past test results among providers in multiple care settings (AHRQ, 2015). EMR’s should computerize provider order entry, decision-support systems (to prevent drug interactions and improve compliance with best practices) and administration processes (scheduling systems) (AHRQ, 2015). EMR’s should also have secure electronic communication among providers and patients (AHRQ, 2015). EMR’s should give patients access to personal health records, disease management tools, and health information resources (AHRQ, 2015). Lastly, the IOM explains that EMR’s should have standards-based electronic data storage and reporting for patient safety and disease surveillance efforts (AHRQ, …show more content…

EMRs with clinical decision support (CDS) tools have been shown to have an increased adherence to evidence-based clinical guidelines and effective care (Menachemi & Collum, 2011). Studies focusing on EMR’s with computerized physician order entry (CPOE) have shown a 55% reduction in serious medication errors in hospital settings and a EMR/CPOE combined with a CDS reduced medical/medication errors by up to 86% (Menachemi & Collum, 2011). EMR’s have also been shown to be more effective than paper records because they decrease error due to handwriting issues, physical storage requirements and access (Gunter & Terry, 2005). Other advantages to the EMR include leveraging of other error-reducing technologies, accurate long-term tracking, limitless population data collection, and overall multifunction use (Gunter & Terry,

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