One of the most transformative changes that has occurred in the medical industry in recent years is the advent of electronic medical records Also known as electronic health records (EHRs), they are improving the lives of patients and medical professionals alike. The advantages of EHRs are clear: better patient care, efficient functioning of health institutions, and the empowerment of both patients and doctors.
Let’s take a moment to better understand some of the benefits of EHRs and how they are improving healthcare.
1. Medical Records Accessible in Real Time
A particular advantage of EHRs is that patient data is available in any department at any time. Unlike paper cards and documents, which can only be accessed in one place at a time, EHRs are available to any authorized staff in multiple health departments and facilities. This means that test results, diagnostic images and relevant patient health history can be entered and shared with the medical team in real time, instantly.
This comprehensive view of patient data is especially advantageous for emergency medicine, remote physician access to patient records, or in complex cases that require multiple specialties working as a team to provide treatment.
2. Support for Patient Safety and Privacy
Industry security and privacy standards for EHRs include:
- Secure database storage with multiple backups to ensure files are never lost.
- Information access controls and audit logs that track and record each instance of patient record access with date, time, and user ID.
- Contingency planning with redundant backups to ensure record recovery in the event of a localized natural disaster or other healthcare facility-specific disruption. and auditing that track and log each instance of patient record access with date, time and ID of user.
3. Improvement of Safety and Patient Care
Primary care physicians, specialists, nurses, laboratory and imaging technicians are involved in creating vital data sets that create the patient’s medical record. By providing the clinical team with up-to-the-minute patient data as it is ordered, performed and results obtained, the electronic health record acts as the communication hub and information repository that improves patient safety and care.
Physicians can be granted remote access, allowing them to view patient records and place orders while away from the healthcare facility.
4. Medical Efficiency and Cost Savings in Health Centers
Electronic health records can significantly reduce administrative costs and facilitate better coordinated care. EHRs allow healthcare institutions to manage patient visits more efficiently, minimizing treatment errors and enabling simplified documentation, resulting in cost savings for hospitals and physicians.
The efficiency provided by EHRs allows medical staff to do more and provide better care, saving time on communication and updating patient records, as well as reducing budgets for non-medical expenses.
5. Overview of Healthcare Analysis
EHRs improve the personalization of healthcare and allow health issues to be addressed proactively and preventatively. EHR software allows healthcare institutions to better anticipate patient care trends and outcomes across populations and regions in a proactive and preventative manner. It is now possible to study patterns and correlations to gain invaluable information related to diseases and medical conditions.
When taken as a whole, the data provided by electronic health records can advance patient care and improve operational efficiency for the betterment of the entire healthcare industry.
Modernizing Health Care with Electronic Health Records
When used to their full potential, electronic medical records will improve patient care, physician efficiency, and the medical industry as a whole. Of course, there are many more advantages of EHRs. HarmoniMD has the experience and ability to implement and transform any healthcare facility into a powerful healthcare network for the greater good.
HarmoniMD is revolutionizing healthcare. We invite you to contact us today to find out how we can help you.
