Electronic Medical Records Improve Quality of Care
Due to advances in medical knowledge, people live longer lives; the average life expectancy of an American is now 78.5 years. While this is good news for all of us, it also means that common chronic health problems have the potential to become more prevalent in the country.
Fortunately, health care specialists have access to many more investigative and treatment options that weren't available a few decades ago. Since family physicians are unable to know everything, it is essential for patients to work with multidisciplinary teams. However, these specialists need to coordinate their efforts and draw medical-related information from a single, consolidated data source. Therefore, having efficient access to a secure database of shared knowledge and patient information is mandatory.
Fortunately, since medical technology is a hot topic in the health care industry, the sector is growing really fast. The new wave of digital health records includes advanced features, which have the potential to improve communication between health care professionals and patients. But how well do these tools serve their purpose?
Several studies have been conducted with the goal of answering that question, and the results aren't surprising. While some physicians think that stability needs to be improved, most of them appreciate the convenience of having all the needed information in one place, as well as the decision support features which allow specialists to detect potential drug interactions and overdosages, or provide allergy warnings.
Under these circumstances, it is not a surprise that Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) have replaced paper-based records in clinicians' offices. They store the patients' medical history and treatment in a digital format, which makes it much easier to save the data, retrieve it, examine it, process it, and then print the results (if needed).
According to the National Physician Survey, EMRs have proved to be beneficial to over 70% of the surveyed physicians, giving doctors access to information which was unavailable during the paper chart era. Due to these modern technologies, primary care providers can easily generate graphs which highlight weight variations over time, blood pressure changes, etc.
EMRs make it very easy for doctors to track specific patient data, even if the person chooses to work with several health care providers. The records are universally compatible, so the data can be read correctly by any specialist who has access to a standard application.
Electronic Medical Records help patients as well, increasing safety. People who are registered into an EMR system can receive better care, because the medical personnel will know right away if the patients have been prescribed other medications, if they have any allergies, etc.
Some hospital units send their patients clinical summaries which are derived from EMRs and include a summary of the visit, the prescribed medications, specific medical advice, and so on. Due to this, patients and family members can get more involved in the process, being able to help themselves or their loved ones. The summaries will often provide links to articles and videos which can help people understand their medical condition and make the required lifestyle changes, with the goal of improving their overall health.
