EHR contributions to healthcare safety essay
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Benefits of EHR in the Healthcare Sector
Introduction
Many healthcare institutions are embracing the use of Electronic Health Records as promoted by insurance companies, state and federal governments. Electronic Health Records refers to a systematic collection and storage of patients’ information in a digital format that can be easily shared in different healthcare settings across connected information networks EHR contributions to healthcare safety essay. This record includes; radiological images, laboratory results, patient medical history, and demographics, the status of immunization, medications, biodata, and information on billing among others. This system is designed to accurately store information as well as captures the state of a patient over time (Gupta, 2016).
Benefits that EHR has brought to healthcare that the paper medical record did not
- Paper medical records as previously used was time-consuming as health records officers spent much time searching for patients records during scheduled visits. The Electronic Health Records is time-saving since patient data is stored in a central database with ease of access to meet patient’s needs (Amatayakul, Lazarus & Medical Group Management Association, 2015)
- Paper medical records easily got lost hence losing entire patient information. In other occasions, particular sections of patient information got lost hence affecting the delivery of care. This resulted in patients being subjected to similar laboratory and radiological tests hence additional costs. However, electronic health Records has a backup system which ensures that patient information is not lost which guarantees quality and efficient healthcare services (Amatayakul, Lazarus & Medical Group Management Association, 2015)
- Paper medical records do not provide an efficient flow of patients’ medication history including allergies to medications, compliance, drugs a patient has taken over time and the outcome after treatment. Without this information, it becomes easier for errors such as giving a similar medication that a patient poorly responded to twice among others EHR contributions to healthcare safety essay. However, with the Electronic Health Records, there is increased compliance and sufficient information to initiate treatment options (Amatayakul, Lazarus & Medical Group Management Association, 2015).
How EHR has changed the way healthcare functions today
The impact of Electronic health records in the healthcare sector today is huge and cannot be underestimated. It has resulted in quality of care improvement, productivity, and improvement in finances, improvement in Job satisfaction and improvement in customer satisfaction. Under improvement in quality care, integration of evidence-based clinical guidelines that results to easy management of acute and chronic diseases are evident. Improvement in finances can be related to efficiencies in billing and coding of visits. Improvement associated with job and customer satisfaction can be attributed to how easy EHR enable healthcare providers to comply with regulations and rapid and remote access to entire patient information respectively (Walker, Walker e.t al., 2015) EHR contributions to healthcare safety essay.
Description of my own healthcare experience as a patient and how EHR has been a benefit to my care
EHR has enabled quick access to my medical records during scheduled hospital visits which makes the entire system time saving and efficient. Since it facilitates the provision of entire medical and personal information to a healthcare provider, it has ensured improved delivery of my care as a patient as well as providing additional education information.
Conclusion
Following the benefits of the Electronic Health Records as compared to Paper medical records to a patient, healthcare institution, personnel among others, it is vital that all healthcare organizations embrace this system to ensure efficient, timely, accurate and patient-centered approach in the management of patients. In addition, healthcare organizations which have already embraced this system should ensure back up of information and appropriate security measures to enhance confidentiality and security of patient information. EHR contributions to healthcare safety essay
References
Amatayakul, M., Lazarus, S. S., & Medical Group Management Association (2015) Electronic health records: Transforming your medical practice Englewood, Co: Medical Group Management Association.
Walker, J. M., In Walker, J. M., In Bieber, E. J., & In Richards, F. (2015) Implementing an electronic health record system London: Springer
Gupta, A. (2016). Advances in Healthcare Informatics and Analytics Springer International Publishing
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We have focused on specific functionality that makes healthcare safer, which contributes to improved quality and outcomes for our patients. Describe at least two specific functions that the EHR can provide to healthcare to make it a safer environment. EHR contributions to healthcare safety essay
Specific Functions That The EHR Can Provide To Healthcare To Make It A Safer Environment.
EHRs Reduce Errors, Improve Patient Safety and Outcomes
EHRs ensures a safer healthcare environment by improving the patient outcomes and diagnostics. This helps the healthcare providers to gain access to accurate and complete patient records which can be relied upon to provide better medical care. It also provides a systematic and quick identification of operational problems (Amatayakul, Lazarus & Medical Group Management Association. (2015). As a result, EHRs can reduce medical errors. EHRs also play the role of automatically checking for any problem that may arise when new medications are prescribed for allergic and chronic complications (Balgorsky, 2014). EHRs then alert the clinician on the potential conflicts that may arise from the use of the alternative drugs. As a result, it improved patient outcome, safety, and diagnostic results. It also provides emergency repose to enable the emergency staff to respond immediately especially when the patients are unconscious (Health IT.Gov, 2017). Besides, EHRs has the potential of exposing any potential safety issue so as to avoid such consequences, thus improving the safety of the medical environment for better patient’s outcome.
Securely Sharing Electronic Information with Patients and Other Clinicians
EHRs perform the function of providing a secure platform for sharing electronic information with patients and other healthcare providers. This leads to a safer and more reliable prescription to the patients. Besides, it has the ability to improve the interaction between the patients and healthcare providers thus creating a safe environment that fosters healthcare convenience (Balgorsky, 2014). As a result, the clinicians can easily provide a complete documentation, more legible, streamlined and accurate billing and coding of all the patient data. This means that the data of the patient will be secure and its integrity and privacy upheld, leading to a safe healthcare environment. EHR contributions to healthcare safety essay
References
Amatayakul, M., Lazarus, S. S., & Medical Group Management Association. (2015). Electronic
health records: Transforming your medical practice. Englewood, Co: Medical Group
Management Association
Balgorsky, B. J. A. (2014). Essentials of Health Information Systems and Technology. Sudbury:
Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Health IT.Gov (2017). Benefits of EHRs. Available at https://www.healthit.gov/providers-professionals/improved-diagnostics-patient-outcomes. Accessed on 2/11/2017. EHR contributions to healthcare safety essay
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