Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Implementation of electronic health records essay
Implementation of electronic health records essay
Advantages Of Implementing Electronic Medical Records
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Implementation of electronic health records essay
Executive Summary
The problem of paper medical records currently being used within the outpatient transplant clinic affects the employees and patients within the healthcare organization. The impact of which has resulted in decreased efficiency, productivity and a potential for compromised care. A successful solution would be to implement an electronic medical records (EMR) system that decreased wait times, reduced number of charting errors and discrepancies and increased the overall satisfaction for the patients.
The electronic medical record (EMR), sometimes called electronic health record (EHR) has become one of the most notable new technologies in healthcare. Electronic storage of healthcare information has been of interest worldwide for years. Recent reports on medical error rates and national mandates for conversion from handwritten documents have heightened its importance. The benefits of EHRs
…show more content…
Some are just inconvenient: waiting for vaccination records before a parent can take a child to camp or enroll the child in school, or making a trip across town to take the child’s records to another doctor. Others are critical: for example, treating a patient with a chronic condition or who is in a life-threatening situation far from home, but unable to supply the healthcare provider with detailed medical information.
To understand many of the issues that organizations and healthcare providers face when encountering EMR systems, it is important to understand the process that has led to the creation of many of the EMR systems as they stand today. Beginning in the1960s, computers were first introduced into the healthcare setting mainly for administrative purposes. This was similar to many other industries that were beginning to implement computers at the time. However, it didn’t take long for people to realize the enormous potential of computers to change the way that medical information was processed (Schwartz,
For years now, the healthcare system in the United States have managed patient’s health records through paper charting, this has since changed for the better with the introduction of an electronic medical record (EMR) system. This type of system has helped healthcare providers, hospitals and other ambulatory institutions extract data from a patient’s chart to help expedite clinical diagnosis and providing necessary care. Although this form of technology shows great promise, studies have shown that this system is just a foundation to the next evolution of health technology. The transformation of EMR to electronic heath record system (EHR) is the ultimate goal of the federal government.
Historically, physicians and nurses documented patients’ health information using paper and pencil. This documentation created numerous errors in patients’ medical records. Patient information became lost or destroyed, medication errors occur daily because of illegible handwriting, and patients had to wait long periods to have access to their medical records. Since then technology has changed the way nurses and health care providers care for their patients. Documentation of patient care has moved to an electronic heath care system in which facilities around the world implement electronic health care systems. Electronic health records (EHR) is defined as a longitudinal electronic record of
Unfortunately, the quality of health care in America is flawed. Information technology (IT) offers the potential to address the industry’s most pressing dilemmas: care fragmentation, medical errors, and rising costs. The leading example of this is the electronic health record (EHR). An EHR, as explained by HealthIT.gov (n.d.), is a digital version of a patient’s paper chart. It includes, but is not limited to, medical history, diagnoses, medications, and treatment plans. The EHR, then, serves as a resource that aids clinicians in decision-making by providing comprehensive patient information.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss how Electronic Medical Records (EMR), affects healthcare delivery. I will discuss the positives and negatives this issue has on healthcare and how it effects the cost and quality for healthcare services. In addition, I will identify any potential trade-offs to cost or quality. Lastly, I will discuss how the EMR affects my job as well as any challenges or opportunities this issue presents.
“An electronic health record (EHR) is a digital version of a patient’s paper chart. EHRs are real-time, patient-centered records that make information available instantly and securely to authorized users.” (healthit.gov) The EHR mandate was created “to share information with other health care providers and organizations – such as laboratories, specialists, medical imaging facilities, pharmacies, emergency facilities, and school and workplace clinics – so they contain information from all clinicians involved in a patient’s care.” ("Providers & Professionals | HealthIT.gov", n.d., p. 1) The process has proved to be quite challenging for providers. As an incentive, the government began issuing payments to those providers who “meaningfully use certified electronic health record (EHR) technology.” (hhs.gov) There are three stages that providers must progress through in order to receive theses financial incentives. Stage one is the initial stage and is met with the creation and implementation of the HER in the business. Stage two “increases health information exchange between providers.” ("United States Department of Health and Human Services | HHS.gov", n.d., p. 1) Stage three will be the continuation and expansion of the “meaningful use objectives.” ("United States Department of Health and Human Services | HHS.gov", n.d., p. 1) The hospital, where I work, initiated the HER mandate many years ago. In this paper, I will discuss the progression and the challenges that my hospital encountered while implementing the EHR mandate.
This statement has not only ran true for just the State of Nevada, but for cities throughout the United States and overseas, but what can technology do to provide a more efficient way to not just for overall better healthcare, and also protect the medical records of millions of trusting patients? With the implementation of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), there is less room for errors and more opportunities to gain the trust of the patients through medical experience, but how does the electronic medical records affect health care delivery? One way that healthcare delivery is affect is the quality of care. A patient is more like to see a doctor who is already acquainted with their medical history even if this is the patient’s first time visiting with a doctor that is filling in for their re...
The health industry has existed ever since doctors bartered for chickens to pay for their services. Computers on the other hand, in their modern form have only existed since the 1940s. So when did technology become a part of health care? The first electronic health record(EHR) programs were created in the 1960s around the same time the Kennedy administration started exploring the validity of such products (Neal, 2013). Between the 1960s and the current administration, there were little to no advancements in the area of EHR despite monumental advancements in software and hardware that are available. While some technology more directly related to care, such as digital radiology, have made strides medical record programs and practice management programs have gained little traction. Physicians have not had a reason or need for complicated, expensive health record suites. This all changed with the introduction of the Meaningful Use program introduced in 2011. Meaningful use is designed to encourage and eventually force the usage of EHR programs. In addition, it mandates basic requirements for EHR software manufactures that which have become fragmented in function and form. The result was in 2001 18 percent of offices used EHR as of 2013 78 percent are using EHR (Chun-Ju Hsiao, 2014). Now that you are caught up on some of the technology in health care let us discuss some major topics that have come up due to recent changes. First, what antiquated technologies is health care are still using, what new tech are they exploring, and then what security problems are we opening up and what is this all costing.
Advances in technology have influences our society at home, work and in our health care. It all started with online banking, atm cards, and availability of children’s grades online, and buying tickets for social outings. There was nothing electronic about going the doctor’s office. Health care cost has been rising and medical errors resulting in loss of life cried for change. As technologies advanced, the process to reduce medical errors and protect important health care information was evolving. In January 2004, President Bush announced in the State of the Union address the plan to launch an electronic health record (EHR) within the next ten years (American Healthtech, 2012).
The purpose of the Electronic Health Record is to provide a comprehensive, standardized and universal digital version of a patient 's health records. The availability of a patient 's digital health record provides health information and data for critical thinking and evidence based decision-making, aggregates patient data for quality assurance and research. The Electronic Health Record has been, "identified as a strategy for effectively and efficiently coordinating and maintaining documentation of patients health histories and as a secure method of providing more informed clinical decision making" (MNA, 2006).
Electronic Health Records are essentially a digital version of a patient’s paper chart. However that is just the simple answer of what an EHR is. The truth of the matter is that EHRs are that and so much more. EHRs are a comprehensive digital file of all of a patient’s health information that can be accessed anytime and anywhere; essentially providing real-time access to records by all relevant personnel. These records could contain for example your contact information, allergies, insurance information, medical history, and immunization records among other things. Having this information in this format will help medical personnel by reducing the chances of errors being made, reducing the chances of having duplicate tests performed, and could improve your overall quality of care tremendously. Also by having this information all medical professionals could have all of the current information about the conditions, treatments, tests, and prescriptions you as a patient may have. This in turn could improve the overall workflow of the medical facility by allowing personnel to save time and concentrate on other matters instead of spending time chasing down records and files and updat...
207-208, 2014). Besides the positive outcomes that an integrated information system brings to healthcare organizations, “many physicians are reluctant to implement EHRs due to financial constraints, usability concerns, and apprehension about unintended consequences, including the introduction of medical errors to EHR use”(Love et al., 2012). Nevertheless, “EHR systems offer opportunities to transform healthcare, but only if the systems are properly designed and used and the data in the systems are accurate (Bowman, 2013). Human errors can cause detriment to patients’ information and consequently to their health.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the implementation of Electronic Health Record’s (EHR). How to implement an EHR system within a healthcare facility, and my facilities current EHR system is provided for support. The definition and explanation of meaningful use is analyzed and applied to my facility’s status. The health insurance portability and accountability act (HIPAA) is related to the use of EHR’s and maintaining and incorporating patient confidentiality and security is analyzed. Concluding, is the benefits and risks of EHR systems in summary of this discussion.
The implementation of electronic medical records (EMRs) in healthcare, supplies on demand information to healthcare providers, and allow for immediate input and transmission of clinician orders fast tracking patient care. Interoperable EHRs will allow providers better access to clinical decision support, the latest medical research findings, as well as alerts and aids (Wager, Lee, & Glaser, 2013). In addition, information technology allows patients the capability to manage and control their own health care through health maintenance reminders and access to personal medical records, often referred to as personal health records (PHR). A major benefit for an organization to adopt information technology is in the reduction of overall medical costs related to decreased billing errors and an increase in medical
Studies have implied that, healthcare professionals who practice clinical features through EHR were far more likely provide better preventive care than were healthcare professionals who did not. (page 116). From 2004, EHR has initiated, even the major priority of President Obama’s agenda is EHR (Madison & Stagger, 2011). Health care administration considers EHR as the introduction of advanced technology which can improve patient satisfaction are can increase the financial incentives of the healthcare organization. Studies have pointed out that the federal policy is proposed to transform all medical records into EHR (Hebda & Calderone, 2010).
Electronic Medical Record (EMR) provides convenient access to the staff of the clinic. It also provides quick access to patients’ information each time staff wants to retrieve the data. Other than that, the system could help in solving record movement problems and at the same time improve the quality of the process. In terms of security, using the EMR is more secured compared to manual system as it can be restricted to certain user for example to medical officer and receptionist. The user needs to login into the system so that it can be easily monitored and identified who uses the system. As for the b...