What Is An EHR System? | Definitions, Benefits, Problems & Trend For Electronic Health Records
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Electronic Health Records is showing how the world is evolving, from is every sector of life. A lot of changes have eaten deep into every system bringing in new ways that things can be done differently which has bring more ease and accessibilities.
Our focus on this article will be on the Electronic Health Records, it’s definitions, the benefit attached to it and it shortcomings. We are going to briefly take you on this interesting journey. Get yourself a cup of coffee or any of your favorite drink, keep sipping it gradually, sit comfortably and stay glued to your reading gadget.
Taking a deep look at the term “Electronic Health Records”, it is a three letter word that means a lot on its own. For better understanding, we are going to take a short look at each of the words for better understanding.
Definitions Electronic Health Records
Electronic
Derived from the word electron, electronic basically is concerned with the movement and the control of electrons, dealing with studying it effects and actions in gases, semiconductors, vacuums.
Health
Health has to deal with the physical and mental being of people, either they are in good form or suffering from a disease or illness. Health encompasses the good and well being of people.
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Record
Record is an act of documentation or a form of keeping information about a particular event of someone which might guide or influence future decision about the event or the person involved. Record makes it easy to flashback to vital information or history of someone or event.
Electronic Health Records ?
Health is a major part of human being that commands our existence or non-existence. The state of health of every beings have powerful influence on how greatly we can all make impact in this life. Health is regarded as a passport, a pass book, a key, or password which helps you to gain access and at the same time stay alive.
The importance of health cannot be overemphasized and that is the reason why having a complete record of your health is very vital and important. Record keeping of your health information will help, and give health officials access to vital information’s about your body system which will guide them further in knowing the right treatment to give you.
Health record is a must have for everyone and considering the population of the world right now, having everyone’s health record documented on paper comes with a hectic process especially when you need to have access to it, that is where electronic means of keeping those record comes in.
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Electronic health records saves you and health officials the stress of carrying loads of documents around and it will facilitate easy access to information’s about your health.
Definition Of Electronic Health Records
Electronic Health Record is a digital means through which detailed information and medical information’s about a patient is kept or stored by a health service provider which can also be used by other health practitioner’s if the need should arise at every point of health enquiry.
Usage of Electronic health record comes with ease without the need of going about carrying documents.
Electronic Health Records includes the following information
Patient’s family history
Almost every family have a particular hereditary health issues that is predominant in their families. It is important to have the health history of every patient’s family which will help to guide and determine the type of treatment that will given to the patient in-line with their family health history.
Immunization Information/Status
Every electronic health records must also contain information’s about the immunization status of a patient for better treatment and to avoid repetition of immunization that a patient has received earlier.
Patient’s Allergies
This is very important as our body reacts to things and treatment differently. Having this in your electronic health record will help health officials know what and what not to prescribe for you.
Medication History
Patient must have in their electronic health record information’s about previously used medicines and the ones they are presently using.
Previous Treatment History
It is important for every patient to include every types of treatment that they have gone through in the past in their electronic health record.
Results from Lab(s)
This includes results from different tests previously done at labs. It involves: X-ray, genotype result, scan results , blood group test.
Personal Information
All electronic health record must carry a name for easy identification. Other personal information’s include: date of birth, relationship status, phone numbers, information’s about the patient’s next of kin, house address
Financial Information
Providing the details of your financial status in your electronic health record will help inform drug prescription putting the price of the drug into top consideration in conjunction with your financial status.
Numbers of Hospitalization
Just in case the patient have been admitted in the hospital before for a particular health issue, it is important to in that in the electronic health record.
It is important to give out every necessary information’s needed to be in an electronic health record in order to aid proper treatment. Every of the information will guide treatment process, they will all be out into utmost consideration before any steps can be taken by health professionals.
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Benefits Of Electronic Health Records
If put to right use, electronic health records comes with a lot of benefit both for the patient and health professionals.
Without much delay we will take you through benefits attached to usage of electronic health records.
Supports Quality Health Care
The existence of Electronic health record will contribute to having a quality health care from health practitioners as it will be used to inform every decisions that will be taken. Electronic health records will ensure perfection and eliminates assumptions in for health professionals. It gives them (health professionals) accurate idea and knowledge on what to do.
Consumes Less Time
Instead of running or walking around to look for files that consist of patient’s information at the point of treatment, electronic health record saves you the stress as your opt to use the already arranged health information’s of the patient on a computer. It saves time and gives room for health professionals to attend to more patient without delay. Like we all know, time is very important and should be spent wisely.
Easy Sharing of Information’s
With electronic health record, on the part of health professionals, sharing of health information’s about patients are done with stress. In cases of referrals, patient or health professionals don’t need to start explaining as the electronic health record is self explanatory with every necessary and needed information.
On the part of the patient, they can choose to share their health record with anyone from the corner of room.
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It Helps to Reduce Cost of Operation
This benefit is applicable mostly to the health service providers. The rate at which papers are been used will be reduced. By not purchasing lots of paper, health providers will be able to reduce the cost of operations and having more savings that can be used on other things.
Easy Management of Problem List
A well detailed electronic health record helps to display health problem that a patient has experienced or is presently battling with. On the health providers part, having first-hand information’s about the health problem of a patient will allow for proper modifications’ prescription for treatment of such health problem.
Links Record to Source
Every information’s and record on the Electronic health record is traceable to it original source which will help to confirm the originality of the record. So in a situation where a patient has an appointment with a different healthcare professional or might not be able to use the same healthcare center due to some reasons, the healthcare professional can easily have the knowledge of where the patient is coming from through the patient’s electronic health record.
Quality Communication between Health Care Providers
Electronic health record helps to bridge a gap of better, good and quality communication between health care providers. Even without any physical or phone communication, just at the glance of a patient’s electronic health record, healthcare providers can easily decode vital information’s about the data provided in the patient’s electronic health record.
Limit Errors
No one is above mistake but some mistakes/errors can be costly and deadly especially the ones that deals with health. It is very important for health professionals to have access to detailed and complete information’s about their patient to avoid error. In the process of carrying out their duties, access to patient’s Electronic health record can help reduce errors that can be committed by health professionals.
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Privacy and Security
Electronic health record comes with top security measures that is meant to help safeguard patient information’s that are uploaded on the system. Information’s on the electronic health record are of highest importance as it includes basic and necessary information that should not be made public, but only to health professionals.
Enhances Patient Access
Joining a bus, train or driving out all the time to the hospital can be a bit stress especially in a situation where the hospital is far from you. It saves patient the stress of going around to get health information’s about themselves for a health care providers. They can easily use the internet from the corner of their home to gain access to the information that they want to use.
DISADVANTAGES OF ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS
Incorrect Data
If the medical information’s on a patient’s electronic health record is not updated as the time a new examination is done or a new discovery was made, it may pose a bigger threat because health care providers will be misinformed about the current medical state of the patient. This might lead administration of wrong drugs.
Causes Unnecessary Fears for the Patient
Electronic health record encompasses the full information about patient’s health and some information might be so frightening to the sight of patient about their health. Health care professionals don’t beat around the bush while giving report about people’s health, in this sense, some information’s might be too raw for a patient to see and over look. This may create fear for the patient.
Loss of Health Information or Data
Important health information or data about patient might be destroyed or lost while trying to switch from the regular paper documentation to electronic health record. Proper attention should be given to the process. Inaccurate or incomplete information or data about a patient’s health will stall medical process.
Cost of Implementation
Setting up or switching to electronic health record might consume a lot of time and money. Being the latest trend in the health line currently, health care providers are pushing for the implementation as it comes with some other benefits for them as an organization but electronic health record vendors have seen it as an opportunity to charge more than the usual because of it wide acceptance in the medical world. Switching to electronic health record comes with financial implications.
Adopting electronic health record will come with extra training of health workers. It’s a new system of keeping information’s, to get used to it and use it perfectly well, health staffs must undergo trainings, a constant one to keep them updated and well informed about trends in electronic health record. This will involve bringing in experts of EHR which will be facilitated with money and it will also take time.
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Inconveniences
The usage of electronic health record is powered with regular constant supply and in a situation where there is no power supply, it might stall usage and this might lead to considering other options to power the system/computer. Health providers must also have stand-by tech team in case of a technical issues. Technical issues are inevitable, and whenever it happens, it leads to inconveniences.
CONCLUSION
Electronic health record is one of the latest trends in the medical world. The advent of covid-19 brought EHR to limelight and it has so far enjoy wide acceptance. It offers lots of benefit and also has it shortcomings too. It advisable for patient to switch to EHR as it saves time, reduces stress, injects some creativity into the medical system. At the same time, it is expensive, requires regular updating. But most importantly, good attention must be paid to it usage to get desired results.
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