If you are involved in healthcare, you, no doubt, understand how the acronym “EMR” or electronic medical records is used. Without this essential data, you would have great difficulty treating a patient or assisting in his therapy.
An electronic medical record is a comprehensive digital version of the paper medical chart. Not only does it contain a patient’s history, it also features lab or clinical results, radiographic imaging, immunizations, allergic responses and personal details.
Therefore, when EMR systems are used, they must be digitally designed so they are safe and secure. Not only is doctor-patient confidentiality at stake, so is the patient’s health if the system is compromised in any way. Therefore, an EMR system not only makes it easier for the doctor and his staff to collaborate and use the information of a patient for care, it is also designed so the information can be accessed 24/7, safely and securely.
The Purpose of Digitizing Records
An EMR system today features amenities that allow a doctor and his healthcare team to keep track of a patient’s data, overview his history and maintain a schedule of exams or preventive assessments or therapies.
On a broader scope, an EMR system may be comprised of electronic health records that can be shared with insurance providers and other team members across the healthcare network. Whether the system is designed to be used internally or among healthcare providers inside and outside a healthcare facility, it greatly elevates the type of care a patient receives.
As a result, diagnoses and treatment plans can be implemented at a quicker pace so a patient receives the care he needs in a shorter amount of time. EMR system upgrades are also helpful in analyzing a health care provider’s outreach with respect to overall patient care, public health and resource management. Synchronization of the information then can be used on varied tiers, allowing everyone in the health care team to benefit from its use.
However, that does not mean that just anyone can have access to the information. Again, security safeguards have been built in to audit who has access to the material. Therefore, patient-doctor confidentiality still remains at the center of using the digital technology.
A Simplified Approach
Using a digitized EMR system today is quite different from the way patient care and information was handled in the past. The whole process has been simplified because of the technology. Systems today can be designed to handle patient care in specific specialty practices as well as in family practices. The idea is to collaborate care so the workflow is more efficient and a patient’s care is more beneficial overall.
The medical field today features advanced and innovative procedures as well as IT that are far more accessible. Needless to say, electronic medical records are vital if not helpful to today’s medical teams.
