Communication and Information Technology
Electronic Medical Records is a system whereby a client’s record can be kept or stored in electronic form. This will in return allow clinics and other medical facilities track all data on a given patient across a wide electronic information system (Skolnik 2010). Electronic Medical Records may contain very critical data on patients such as demographics, clinical sessions, scheduling data and even lab and screening results. This data will in return be tracked across a very wide health information system such as a hospital or even across many branches of given hospitals and this means that there will be easier access of patient information over a very short time. This means that the quality of medical care will go a notch higher.
Electronic Medical record system has in a very positive way offered a good platform of improving the cost as well as the quality of healthcare. This is seen through the way in which work has been made easier for the health practitioners as well as the patient. On the part of the patient who attends clinic at a given health care facility, there will be no worry of losing any data in regard to their ailments as all the data is safely kept somewhere for future reference. This can make work a lot easier for the doctor because all a doctor or a health practitioner will do is just log in and find all the details of a patient without much of a hustle (Wolper 2012).
All health related technologies more so EMR has been very effective to the users who have tried it because in a nutshell, it has been able to play a very significant role in improving the quality of healthcare as well as increased the safety and value of medication. It has proven to save more in regard to time and resources as less time is spent on documentation and improving efficiency in healthcare (Skolnik 2010). This in return has made it possible to have quality and safe healthcare anywhere and at any time. Data is easily gathered, stored and even analyzed and interpreted easily and within a very short time. This has then led to the reduction of medical errors thus risks that have been experienced in the past.
EMR proves to dramatically decreased time spent on paperwork. Ideally, on average a physician spends about fifteen hours in a week to document all that goes on in a facility more so filling in patient records. If EMR is to be used, this time will decrease dramatically to about three or four hours in a week (Wolper 2012).
. This then translates to a physician spending more time to other duties more so attending to patients. This therefore clearly shows that EMR saves physicians from a lot of paperwork and in return benefits patients as the saved time can be spent on them. This will result into an increase of patients who get enough attention from the physician thereby leading to patient satisfaction and it will have improved quality of healthcare
The EMR has got many other advantages over the bulky paperwork. It also offers a storage capability for quite a long period of time and there is no fear of totally loosing very important information. Accessing and updating of the records has also been made easier and updating of information is faster. The system also does provide medical alerts as well as reminders to the physicians and nurse (Wolper 2012). Above all these, the system is very good and efficient at detecting abnormal results and also life threatening problems because it has got some inbuilt intelligence capabilities.
EMR system has been resisted due to the fact that it is costly to implement. Before it starts to operate, a healthcare facility needs to have a good internet connection as well as enough computers in literary every office or department (Skolnik 2010). This will therefore translate into spending a lot of money trying to put all the logistics in place for it to run smoothly. Some potential users may be reluctant to try it because they don’t like this part of the bargain and therefore this has been seen to be a major hindrance to having such a facility in place. The time that will have been incurred in setting it up has been a major issue.
Another disadvantage that has been attributed to the use of EMR system is that some physicians have raised concern about the privacy, security as well as confidentiality of the information concerning patients. Some patients may never have wanted information about their ailments be shared with other people. A patient may want his or her information be known by only the doctor attending to him or her. If the information is let out to other clinic attendants then the right of the patient may have been infringed which may be viewed as morally wrong (Wolper 2012). The information will not be private and confidential anymore more so when it comes to patients suffering from terminal illnesses.
Most consumers acknowledge the fact that EMR is reliable and they strongly agree that it has brought efficiency as compared to the previous systems. It has improved communication among the staff as important messages are relayed from one place to another very fast and therefore quick responses have been seen which in the long run has positively influenced them(Wolper 2012). This therefore means that EMR is fast and efficient and has made world a lot easier. Regardless of this factor, some of its users think that it has to a huge extent affected their personal lives and privacy as they receive updates even when they are far from the facility. This at times make them cut their vacations and days off to get back to work and attend to emergencies.
In as much as it has all that it takes to solve major problems in the health sector, it is imperative that some slight improvements be made on the EMR system to ensure that it serves humanity well. One of them is that of it storing more information about the patient more than it does now. The billing information should be included so that the patient as well as the physician can have a clear record of all that has been going on in regard to the treatment of the patient as this information could be important (Skolnik 2010). Because the whole world is embracing this technology, it should be made possible that data can be transmitted all over the world.
Implementation of this system can bring about a positive financial return on the part of the facility and quality service to the patients. This is true because it does facilitate work flow therefore positively impacting every section of a healthcare facility from the care and attention given to the patient to the smooth running of the facility (Skolnik 2010). It should also help minimize the healthcare cost as it will help reduce procedures involved in the healthcare process. It should break all the existing barriers in order to help physicians access the patients’ records regardless of their geographical background.
The financial impact this technology has on any given organization that has embraced it is magnificent as it has helped cut down of cost. This means that this system is cost effective because it does relay a lot of required information to the right persons at a cheaper cost. This therefore means that scientific innovations have made tremendous changes and improvements the world over in this 21st century. The healthcare sector has benefited greatly with such innovations in place and much more is expected if the whole world embraces EMR.
References
Skolnik, N. (2010). Electronic Medical Records: A Practical Guide for Primary Care. New York:
Springer. Print
Wolper, L. (2012). Physician Practice Management. Sudbury: Jones & Bartlett. Print
