EHR: Electronic Health Records

EHR, Electronic Health Records are electronic version of a patient’s medical history (Zeng 2016). Electronic Medical Records includes vital clinical information of a patient’s care. This information is maintained by the health care provider and it includes the patient’s demographic information, problems, progress notes, medications, vital signs, past medical history, immunizations, laboratory test results and radiology reports. Electronic Health Records has been very beneficial to health care providers. It has improved the coordination of care and streamline the workflow of health care professionals. According to an article written in North Caroline Medical Journal, Electronic Health Records are more beneficial than paper records because

electronic health records allows providers to track data over time, identify patients appointment for preventive care and screenings, monitor patients through their vital signs and immunizations, and improve the overall quality of health care services provided.
The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, HTECH, has provided an incentive for health care providers to implement an electronic health record system in their practices. According to Zeng, if a health care provider can demonstrate proof of a meaningful use of electronic health records over a five year period they will receive a monetary incentive, between $44,000 to $63,000, through the Medicare and Medicaid health care insurance program. Health Care providers who fail to implement electronic health records and provide proof meaningful usage of electronic health records by 2015 would be penalized by receiving a 1 to 5% reimbursement deduction.
In this paper I will discuss the steps to implementing Electronic Health Records into a practice, how to train on Electronic Health Records and how to address key concern of staff about the implementation of Electronic Health Records.