Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and Electronic Health Records (EHR) definitions are confused a lot. Electronic Medical Record is an application environment that comprises of clinical data repository, clinical decision support, pharmacy, computerized provider order entry, and clinical documentation applications. It contains the patients’ electronic medical records in inpatient and outpatient environments. Healthcare practitioners also use it to record, monitor, and manage the health care delivery within a medical Centre. All the data in the Electronic Medical Record is the legal record of patient experience in that medical facility. The information is the property of the medical facility (Gabriel, Furukawa, Jones, King, & Samy, 2013).
Electronic Health Records contain more than the data collected in the health care provider’s office since they also include the patient’s medical history. It contains information from all health practitioners involved in the patient’s care and all practitioners involved can access the information. The data can also get shared with other health care providers such as specialists. The records are the property of the patients, and its use can span across multiple hospitals in different regions and states (HealthIT, 2013).
The use of Electronic Medical Records has replaced the use of paper-based medical record. Research has shown that the use of traditional paper-based records can be illegible, difficult to access in several places and unprotected from unauthorized users. Electronic Medical Record has managed to overcome all these challenges (Hersh, 2002).
Benefits of EMR and EHR Implementation
According to Cann (2014), the patients’ records are a repository in that all health practitioners’ observations get stored in them. Information on physical examinations, surgeries and laboratory test is included. The nurses and medical assistants’ notations can also get stored in these records. The records are also used as proof of insurance to companies that a patient received medical care. They indicate which facility the patient visited and what they got treated for which facilitates reimbursements from the insurance company.
Cann (2014) found that the records also act as a medium of communication between specialists and other medical professionals. The health care providers can consult other professionals using those records. Since the data in Electronic Medical Records belongs to the hospital, they are admissible in a court in case of a malpractice claim. Medical professionals can also use the information to conduct research by comparing patients’ records with similar conditions.
According to Garrett and Seidman (2011), a fully functional EHR system allows all members of the medical team and the patient to access the latest medical information. The main benefit of EHR systems is that the information gathered by the primary health care provider about the patient is accessible in case of emergencies. For example, information about life-threatening allergy can get accessed in case of any emergency even if the patient is unconscious. A patient can also access their records to view their medical progress which can motivate them to keep taking their medications or keep up with lifestyle changes.
Challenges of EMR and EHR Implementation
According to Hersh (2002), the main challenge of using EMR is its integration in the busy hospital workflow. Research has shown that Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) requires more time from the medical providers although the time is gained elsewhere through error reduction and the automation of the EMR features. Another related challenge is determining the optimal computing device in the hospital setting. Handheld computers are increasingly popular in most hospitals. They are of great value since most usage is focused on entry and retrieval of simple data, for example, writing prescriptions. These devices are however not favorable for another usage such as image viewing and literature access.
The challenges associated with the implantation of EMR can differ among facilities. Most healthcare facilities report that they struggle with paying for EMR implementation. Most facilities claim that it is difficult for them to secure grants and loans needed to support EMR implementation. Health care facilities also lack sufficient funds to acquire broadband. The use of broadband service is crucial for the effective use of EMR. Workflow changes are also a common challenge in the implementation of EMR. In some facilities, the medical staff are not cooperative to the changes, and they make it difficult for an implementation to take place. About one-third of the medical facilities also lack skilled Information Technology personnel in order to adequately implement and use Electronic Medical Records (Cann, 2014).
According to an article by University Alliance (2014), most health care providers and patients are concerned about the medical privacy with Electronic Health Records. Although the traditional paper records were tedious and inefficient, they did not face threats of cyber-attacks. The occurrence of a security breach would harm patients and cause legal issues to health care providers. Most privacy concerns are about unauthorized access to records and records tampering. Medical facilities are advised to consider such risks when selecting the security policies during EHR implementation.
The use of EHR systems can present usability challenges. The use of multiple screens, too many options in the system make the medical practitioners frustrated. Most medical facilities have also not set time to train their staff on the use of the new system. Not understanding how to use the EHR system can result to low productivity in the facility (University Alliance, 2014).
References
Cann, W. (2014). EMR Challenges, Benefits and Tips for Integration. Retrieved from http://www.insight.com/insighton/healthcare/emr-benefits-challenges-and-tips-for-integration/
Gabriel, M. H., Furukawa, M. F., Jones, E. B., King, J., & Samy, L. K. (2013, September). The Implementation and Use of Electronic Health Records to Achieve Meaningful Use among Critical Access Hospitals. ONC Data Brief No. 12. Washington, DC: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Retrieved from http://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/cahdata_brief12.pdf
Garrett, P., & Seidman, J. (2011). EMR vs. EHR – What is the Difference? Retrieved from http://www.healthit.gov/buzz-blog/electronic-health-and-medical-records/emr-vs-ehr-difference/
HealthIT. (2013, June 1). What are the Differences between EMR, EHR and Personal Health Records? Retrieved from http://www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/faqs/what-are-differences-between-electronic-medical-records-electronic
Hersh, W. R. (2002). Medical Informatics Improving Health Care through Information. Journal of American Medical Association, 288(16). 1955-1958. Retrieved from http://skynet.ohsu.edu/~hersh/jama-02-informatics.pdf
