Electronic Medical Records: Online Guide

In medical practice, it’s essential to have a good system to maintain all the medical records. There are lots of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) based systems which are applicable to all types of medical practice. These systems can be purchased from various software developers. Before buying the software, it’s essential to evaluate the requirements. This would help you choose the best configuration at the best price.

Evaluating and deciding a suitable EMR is challenging because it’s one of the most important components of the hospital. It’s important to buy a reliable version that would cater to all the hospital’s needs. For instance, a small hospital would have different needs in comparison to a larger hospital. Once a suitable EMR is purchased, the next step is to focus on data entry. There must a good system to work on updating, searching, and displaying the contents. It’s also ideal to check if the system handles all the procedures involved in all kinds of hospital practices.

Benefits /Pros

There are lots of advantages of EMR but the prime advantage is speed. Data can be entered and retrieved very quickly so it’s extremely efficient in information management. EMR also has a huge data handling capacity, helping to consolidate information from different departments. In this way, a patient's data can be directly downloaded across departments. Another benefit of EMR is the price which is highly affordable and good for the environment. In the long run, EMR will prove to be more cost-effective because it can help to save storage space and manpower.

• EMR Benefits, Challenges and Uses
• Benefits of EMR at Mayo

Barriers/Cons

Even though EMR has many advantages, some doctors fear the change from traditional systems. In some cases, time and money constraints prove to be a big hurdle for converting to EMR. Furthermore, EMRs are not easy to construct. This is due to prevailing electronic data sources such as physician dictation systems, laboratory systems, and pharmacy systems. The difference in code systems also proves to be a barrier.

• Barriers & Solutions
• Advantages & Disadvantages

Key Differences Between Electronic Record Keeping and Paper-based Record Keeping

In most situations, electronic medical records would be more advantageous than traditional paper based work. In a typical EMR system, the paper charts of the patients are replaced by electronic storage. It would store all related data including x-rays, doctor’s note, medicine routines, and so on. An electronic storage system would have more advantages over a paper based system because the search and retrieval of information can be done in a matter of seconds. EMR enables hospital personnel and doctors to access patient's details very easily. This type of system also reduces the possibilities of the mistakes and misinterpretations due to ineligible handwriting because all the information is in digital format. EMR's facilitate other hospital functions including billing and insurance.

• Electronic Record Keeping
• Electronic Advantages

Legal Boundaries

It’s perfectly legal to use the EMR. Another important advantage of the EMR is its security. It grants access to the database only to authorized users so it would be hard for other parties to gain access to patient data and other information without user permissions. Moreover, electronic medical records have to be authenticated by its creator.

• The Legal EMR
• EMR In(Security)

Usage Statistics

In 2008, it was reported that almost 40% of office based physicians used electronic medical record systems (EMR). A number of physicians (about 20%) remarked that the system was minimally functional. Even though EMR has lots of advantages, doctors are yet to realize its full potential. According to a research, 67% of the physicians are apprehensive about using EMR.

• More EMRs in Physicians’ Office
• Use in the US in Recent Years