Abstraction
For old ages the wellness attention industry has explored methods to better the manner patient information is managed. Electronic medical records were developed to work out many. if non all. issues environing paper medical records and the direction of patient information. Storage. discernability. handiness and security of medical records are a few of the countries where electronic medical records excel over paper medical records. Instantaneous entree and improved truth ensuing from electronic medical records can greatly better a patient’s quality of attention. prevent serious injury to patients. and finally save lives.
Fiscal facets play a big function in the execution of electronic medical records. While there are many cost-saving advantages to electronic medical records. the initial cost of execution loads many if non most wellness attention installations. This load may forbid wellness attention installations from the ability to implement electronic medical records. Overall. doctors and patients agree that electronic medical records will assist better patient attention and efficiency.
Health Information Technology: Electronic Medical Records
For old ages the wellness attention industry has explored methods to better the manner patient information is managed. Paper medical records are cumbrous and necessitate a batch of storage infinite and forces to keep them. Transfering paper records between wellness attention installations and professionals is really boring and time-consuming. To work out many. if non all. issues environing paper medical records. electronic medical records were developed. Electronic medical records relieve the issue of big warehouses of storage and boring transferring of information. every bit good as many of the other concerns affiliated with paper records. While there are many advantages to electronic medical records. there are besides some ruins. such as the initial cost of execution and the fiscal load this topographic points on health care installations.
Storage
Harmonizing to journalist John Csiszar. infirmaries and medical installations have warehouses filled with decades-worth of paper medical records ( 2012. Storage subdivision. parity. 1 ) . Paper medical records non merely take up rather a spot of infinite. they are besides non eco-friendly ( Csiszar. 2012. Storage subdivision. parity. 1 ) . Another drawback of paper medical records is that they deteriorate over clip due to paper being degradable and the more a paper record is handled. the faster it deteriorates. This poses major effects. particularly for patients who have chronic medical issues that require multiple reappraisals of their records. Electronic medical records are far easier to hive away than paper records.
Csiszar provinces. “Electronic [ medical ] records can be stored on computing machine thrusts that require much less infinite and fewer resources to produce” ( 2012. Storage subdivision. parity. 1 ) . Electronic medical records can besides be stored and accessed everlastingly. without concern of impairment. as is associated with paper medical records ( Csiszar. 2012. Storage subdivision. parity. 1 ) . This is highly good for wellness attention suppliers as they are able to reexamine patients’ medical histories repeatedly without hazard of deteriorating or detrimental records.
Discernability
It is by and large acknowledged that the readability of a hand-written papers is dependent upon the calligraphy of the author. Legibility of handwriting varies with the person. Medical nomenclature. particularly for those unfamiliar with medical specialty. can be disputing to decode in paper medical records ( Csiszar. 2012. Legibility subdivision. parity. 1 ) . This discernability job can take to miscommunication among wellness attention suppliers and dangerous mistakes. which in bend can take to hapless attention. injury. and even decease of patients. Csiszar notes. “One of the clear benefits of electronic [ medical ] records is that font is more or less standardised and clear across all records” ( 2012. Legibility subdivision. parity. 1 ) . The lucidity provided by electronic medical records saves clip for the reader. and clip is critical during medical intervention ( Csiszar. 2012. Legibility subdivision. parity. 1 ) . Improved truth ensuing from the lucidity of communicating can forestall serious injury to patients and finally save lives.
Entree
When it comes to accessing a patient’s medical record. paper records are by far the most exasperating to recover. In order for wellness attention installations or suppliers to portion patient records with other installations and suppliers. paper medical records must be copied and mailed. faxed. or scanned into the computing machine and emailed ( Csiszar. 2012. Access subdivision. parity. 1 ) . These procedures can be really time-consuming and finally impact the result of a patient’s status. Electronic medical records are designed to be easy shared among wellness attention suppliers. particularly suppliers employed by the same wellness attention company. Electronic medical records can be shared about outright via electronic transmittal or direct entree to a computing machine storage system ( Csiszar. 2012. Access subdivision. parity. 1 ) . This instantaneous entree can greatly profit a patient’s quality of attention. peculiarly when clip is of the kernel.
Security
Both paper and electronic medical records can be debatable when protecting patient privateness. Harmonizing to the Health Resources and Services Administration ( HRSA ) . portion of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. three of the most common security hazards include: “ ( 1 ) the hazard of inappropriate entree. ( 2 ) the hazard of record meddling. and ( 3 ) the hazard of record loss due to natural catastrophes” ( 2012. parity. 2 ) .
Hazard of Inappropriate Access
Regardless of the format of a patient’s medical record. it is ever vulnerable to a hazard of inappropriate entree ( Health Resources and Services Administration. 2012. parity. 3 ) . For paper medical records. the hazard of inappropriate entree occurs when persons gain entree to enter storage countries. happen records left in patient or test suites. receive misdirected facsimiles. or other similar scenarios ( Health Resources and Services Administration. 2012. parity. 4 ) . The HRSA provinces. Since entree to paper [ medical ] records implies physical entree. procuring against inappropriate entree is accomplished by segregating records into separate locked storage countries ; curtailing physical entree to storage countries ; entering mark in and subscribe out processs ; and keeping records managing preparation and other similar processs ( 2012. parity. 4 ) .
With electronic medical records. inappropriate entree takes topographic point in one of two ways: ( 1 ) an unauthorised user accesses a patient’s record ; or ( 2 ) an authorized user violates conditions of the appropriate usage policy ( Health Resources and Services Administration. 2012. parity. 5 ) . Harmonizing to the HRSA. “Electronic [ medical ] records can besides be capable to breaches of web security that may let a hacker to derive entree to user certificates and thereby short-circuit the entree control protections” ( 2012. parity. 5 ) . It is of import for wellness attention installations to hold rigorous web entree guidelines and security every bit good as an appropriate usage policy that is reviewed by freshly hired staff and routinely reviewed by all staff.
Hazard of Record Tampering
Medical records can be manipulated or tampered with in many ways. including altering day of the months of records. come ining deceitful informations. or altering entries. Any person who has entree to a patient’s paper medical record has the ability to take pages. add or wipe out entries. or other deceitful Acts of the Apostless ( Health Resources and Services Administration. 2012. parity. 7 ) . Tracing the beginning of altered paper medical records is really hard and sometimes impossible. Electronic medical records are much more hard to fraudulently pull strings because the ability to do alterations to an electronic record depends on the rights assigned to a specific user.
Persons with privileges to modify informations have the ability to add. cancel. or alter informations or full records ( Health Resources and Services Administration. 2012. parity. 8 ) . An electronic medical record can besides be tampered with by straight accessing information stored on the waiter utilizing a waiter history instead than a user history ( Health Resources and Services Administration. 2012. parity. 8 ) . Fortunately. any entree or use to electronic medical records can be tracked and therefore is traceable. Identifying the individual who may hold fraudulently accessed or modified a record is much easier through electronic medical records than through paper medical records.
Hazard of Loss Due to Natural Catastrophes
Harmonizing to the HRSA. “Fires. inundations or other environmental catastrophes attack physical locations and can ensue in the complete loss of both paper and electronic medical records” ( 2012. parity. 9 ) . An advantage to electronic medical records is that they can be continuously backed up to off-site storage. Therefore. the records can ever be recovered. even if the physical medical installation is damaged.
Fiscal Aspects
In recent old ages. infirmaries countrywide have been faced with huge force per unit area to implement wellness information engineering systems. such as electronic medical records. Harmonizing to Jay J. Shen. PhD and Gregory O. Ginn. PhD. CPA. The enterprise to implement wellness information engineering has persisted through two disposals. First. during the G. W. Bush Administration. the place of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology was created by executive order in the Department of Health and Human Services.
Subsequently. in the B. H. Obama Administration. Congress passed The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 ( 2012. p. 61 ) . The outlook of implementing wellness information engineering is the betterment of hospital public presentation with respect to cost and quality of attention to the consumer and the wellness attention system. The downside of these enterprises is the oppressing fiscal reverberations endured by non-profit infirmary systems.
Positive Financial Aspects
By implementing wellness information engineering. particularly electronic medical records. infirmaries can cut down the costs associated with quality patient attention. Shen and Ginn province. Hospitals should be able to cut down the costs associated with medical mistakes by placing harmful drug reactions or possible allergic reactions utilizing the information provided by … [ electronic medical records ] . Hospitals should besides be able to take down costs by easing preventive medical specialty and assisting doctors manage patients with complex chronic conditions by using the information provided by … [ electronic medical records ] ( 2012. p. 62 ) .
Electronic medical records aid to increase efficiency and cut down cost by: ( 1 ) diminishing the demand for medical written text and physically pulling charts ; ( 2 ) motivating suppliers to order generic drugs alternatively of brand-name drugs ; and ( 3 ) cut downing duplicate diagnostic trials and surveies ( Shen & A ; Ginn. 2012. p. 62 ) . Electronic medical records contribute to lowered costs while bettering the efficiency and quality of attention for infirmaries. patients. and the full wellness attention system.
Negative Financial Aspects
In recent old ages. merely a little per centum of wellness attention installations have implemented electronic medical records. even though these installations have the ability to see significant cost nest eggs and betterments in quality of attention ( Shen & A ; Ginn. 2012. p. 62 ) . “This low rate of acceptance is attributed in big portion to fiscal barriers. ” provinces Shen and Ginn ( 2012. p. 62 ) . Some of the fiscal barriers lending to the low acceptance rate of electronic medical records include: ( 1 ) important capital demands ; ( 2 ) absence of clear grounds demoing a positive consequence on investing return ; ( 3 ) high care disbursals ; and ( 4 ) high human resources costs associated with the demand for an increased figure of information engineering staff ( Shen & A ; Ginn. 2012. p. 62 ) . Another fiscal barrier for wellness attention installations is that although they endure the cost of implementing electronic medical records. the suppliers and remunerators experience the fiscal benefits from the cost nest eggs ( Shen & A ; Ginn. 2012. p. 62 ) .
Physician and Patient Perception of Electronic Medical Records Overall. research shows that electronic medical records have been well-received by the base of doctors and patients affected by their execution. Sage Healthcare Division. a unit of Sage North America. conducted a survey that examined the consequence of electronic medical record execution on doctors and their patients ( Healthcare IT News Staff. 2011. parity. 1-2 ) . The survey indicated that the bulk of patients and doctors have a positive perceptual experience of electronic medical records ( Healthcare IT News Staff. 2011. parity. 1 ) . Healthcare IT News Staff specify. “According to the survey. patients felt more comfy with doctors that used … [ electronic medical records ] . and more significantly. felt that the information contained in the medical record was more accurate when they physically saw information being entered electronically” ( 2011. parity. 3 ) .
Betty Otter-Nickerson. President of Sage Healthcare Division. noted. “… [ W ] vitamin E learned … [ that ] … patients like to see their direct information entered into the record as they said it. non as the physician interpreted it” ( Healthcare IT News Staff. 2011. parity. 4 ) . She besides noted that patients who participated in the study said they had greater assurance in suppliers who used electronic medical records and encouraged their doctors to follow more affiliated engineerings such as electronic medical records ( Healthcare IT News Staff. 2011. parity. 6-7 ) . “… [ D ] irect feedback from patients gives suppliers an chance to larn how to better their patterns and their patient relationships. ” stated Otter-Nickerson ( Healthcare IT News Staff. 2011. parity. 7 ) .
Key Findingss
* Physicians and patients have a positive overall perceptual experience of patient attention that was documented electronically ( 62 per centum of doctors and 81 per centum of patients ) ( Healthcare IT News Staff. 2011. parity. 5 ) . * About half of patients positively perceived their doctor when they were noted to be documenting electronically ( 45 per centum ) ( Healthcare IT News Staff. 2011. parity. 5 ) . * Over half of doctors find real-time entree to patient records to be the biggest benefit of utilizing electronic medical records ( 60 per centum ) ( Healthcare IT News Staff. 2011. parity. 5 ) . * One of the most of import benefits noted by doctors is the ability to easy portion information with other doctors. installations. and remunerators ( Healthcare IT News Staff. 2011. parity. 5 ) . *
The bulk of patients and doctors agreed that electronic medical records will better the quality of attention in the health care industry ( 78 per centum of patients and 62 per centum of doctors ) ( Healthcare IT News Staff. 2011. parity. 5 ) . * Both patients and doctors have concerns about patient privateness and the security of electronic medical records ( 81 per centum of patients and 62 per centum of doctors ) ( Healthcare IT News Staff. 2011. parity. 5 ) . * The most of import benefits noted of electronic medical records were: ( 1 ) they give doctors real-time entree to patient records ; ( 2 ) they help doctors firmly portion patient information with other suppliers ; and ( 3 ) they help the physician better the quality of patient attention ( Healthcare IT News Staff. 2011. parity. 5 ) .
Decision
Electronic medical records are a utile tool in bettering patient satisfaction. quality of attention. and the efficiency of the wellness attention industry. Electronic storage options relieve the load of big warehouses and the hazard of deteriorating repeatedly viewed medical records. Instantaneous entree and improved truth ensuing from electronic medical records can greatly better a patient’s quality of attention. prevent serious injury to patients and finally save lives. The ability to easy place persons who may hold fraudulently accessed or modified a record helps to protect truth of records and patient privateness. Although the initial execution costs of electronic medical records can be rather backbreaking. the cost-saving benefits will go on to turn. Patients and doctors agree that electronic medical records will better patient quality and efficiency of attention.
Mentions
Csiszar. J. ( n. d. ) . Paper vs. electronic medical records. Retrieved November 12. 2012. from Chron: hypertext transfer protocol: //smallbusiness. chron. com/paper-vs-electronic-medical-records-40354. hypertext markup language Health Resources and Services Administration. ( n. d. ) . What are the privateness and security hazards of electronic vs. paper wellness records? Retrieved November 12. 2012. from U. S. Department of Health and Human Services: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. hrsa. gov/healthit/toolbox/HealthITAdoptiontoolbox/PrivacyandSecurity/securityrisks. hypertext markup language Healthcare IT News Staff. ( 2011 ) . Survey: Patients believe EMRs bring truth to their records. Retrieved November 15. 2012. from Healthcare IT News: hypertext transfer protocol: //www. healthcareitnews. com/news/study-patients-believe-emrs-bring-accuracy-their-records Shen. J. J. . & A ; Ginn. G. O. ( 2012 ) . Fiscal place and acceptance of electronic wellness records: A retrospective longitudinal survey. J Health Care Finance. 61-77.
