Having an electronic system to streamline healthcare is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity. The number of advantages associated with hassle-free and smooth medical practices, along with sharing information with digitised methodologies and platforms, outnumber the traditional methods the ecosystem has been using. Statistics have shown that more than 86.9% of all office-based physicals in the United States alone have shifted to using EHR in their practice. The adoption rates are rising more, considering the benefits of this system.
For people who are still new and being introduced to this topic, “what are EHR systems?” might be a still relevant question. Essentially, these can be understood as electronic health records that are widely used as an online platform to store and record a patient's important medical history. This is often maintained by the medical provider over time and is known to include any key administrative and clinical information relevant to the person. The information is often comprehensive, including everything from the basic history, demographic details, diagnosis, progress notes, imaging, medications, tests, immunisations, lab data, etc.
The EHR automates access to this data and holds immense power in today’s times as it can greatly streamline the workflow of a hospital or a clinician’s office. It can, additionally, assist any other healthcare activities that are directly or indirectly needed in medical treatment. Often known to be the next step in the progress and upgradation of healthcare, EHRs can strengthen the relationship between doctors and their patients.
They also expand the doctors’ reach to more people, even outside their city or country, as they may get all the information they need online. The timeliness and availability of the data will enable and empower healthcare providers in the country to perform their job at a better speed and more effectively.
The increasing benefits of EHR systems have not been hidden from the people, which is why the adoption rate for the same has been increasing not only in renowned hospitals but also in clinics and smaller practices. Picking the right healthcare system can be tough as it involves the consideration of multiple criteria that can make it easier to decide whether it will be effective for use at that particular place. This is not a choice that can be made based on a couple of aspects. Most systems that use electronic mediums are not one-size-fits-all.
In fact, many large-scale hospitals believe that they need to customise and tailor-make their systems so that they can suit their needs to the fullest.
There are a few ways in which an EHR system can be configured. These may have their advantages and disadvantages for each practitioner based on their specific needs. Each professional's unique requirements make a specific system suited for them.
Now that one is aware of what is EHR, it will be easy to understand its benefits:
The most important decision that you will have to make is choosing the right EHR software for your practice.
EHRs have been making lives easy for a long time, especially in the medical field. This system makes patient care more efficient and accessible as the practitioners can use all the latest tools and technology to deliver the patient's needs. Choosing the right kind of system after assessing your needs would be an essential step to consider. Reap the benefits of this user-friendly and much-needed system and improve the overall healthcare facility.