INFORMATICS OF ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS ESSAY

INFORMATICS OF ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS ESSAY

This paper will evaluate the implementation of electronic health records (EHR.) Utilizing EHR to maximize patient centered care and helping the patients take control of their healthcare. Increasing the information patient have while assisting healthcare providers will provide effective continuity of care within a facility. Electronic health care systems have both advantages and disadvantages to healthcare. The advantages of an EHR benefit both the patients and the healthcare providers. EHR systems “suggest a simple automation of clinical documentation, in fact their implications are broad, ranging from what ways in which care is delivered, to the types of interactions providers have with patients in conjunction with the use of technology, to the research surrounding EHR’S that will inform disciplinary practice for tomorrow (Mastrian, 2017.) The major advantage is the ability of shared information for patient care. When facilities can communicate and evaluate other healthcare being provided for the same patient, safety being the number one advantage for the patient, continuity of care is maintained. When a patient has testing, medications, or evaluations from providers, interactions can greatly impact the wellbeing of the patient. Another advantage is when facilities connect with one another, the patient’s care can be provided over multiple systems. These systems could merge together or be separate but share information. This allows for great variability in the providers, they can document in various setting and can change settings without further education. This allows for healthcare providers to share information even when their departments may not have direct contact with each other. EHR also helps patients take control of their healthcare and become an active participant (IOM, 2003). With easily usable systems a patient can monitor their medications, schedule appointments, and show providers who
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INFORMATICS OF ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS 3 are not in the shared system their health information with the touch of a button (IOM, 2003). Years ago, patients would have to sign releases for their own health information and it could take days or weeks to receive the pertinent information to provide care. This leads into one of the disadvantages. Many times, these systems do not update for a few hours or days, patients may need information that is not accessible to them until released within the system. At times a provider may not even be able to evaluate the test or information that they themselves ordered. Although many of these EHR systems are easy to navigate, many patients who are aging may not have the ability to utilize computers and navigate multiple systems. Other disadvantages are that users are not always able to understand the systems that are not as user friendly or require specific data to function properly. Many of the facilities have specialized locations that have
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INFORMATICS OF ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS ESSAY