Electronic Health Records: Definition and Examples

Table of Contents

Defining EHR
Examples of EHR
Conclusion
References

There is a clamor for greater efficiency in the field of health care. This desire for greater productivity and cost-efficiency is due in large part to rising medical costs. One of the popular strategies utilized by health care institutions to achieve this particular goal is the application of IT-based solutions categorized as Electronic Health Records (EHR). Health care workers must have an in-depth knowledge on how to use EHR in order to improve health care delivery systems and to reduce the cost of health care in this country.

Defining EHR

EHR is an example of a paperless system (Amatayakul & Lazarus, 2005). The use of IT-based technologies enabled professionals and managers all over the world to transmit, record, and access critical information without the need to deal with problems associated with conventional recording systems. In the past, the use of paper-based documentation made it difficult for health care workers to effectively and efficiently record medical processes and other activities related to medical care. Just a glance of the cluttered records room at any hospital underscores the problem relatd to the use of conventional system that allows health workers to store and access medical records. The hurdles that created cost-efficiency problems for paper-based recording systems were eliminated with the implementation of EHR.

EHR is a system that use IT-based technologies. For example, users store data using electronic files in a computer-based system. This process is different from the use of paper charts and other paper-based documentation systems that are vulnerable to human error and natural disasters. For example, it is easy to misfile cards and paper charts compared to electronic files. At the same time, floods and fires can easily damage paper-based filing systems. However, a well-developed EHR system relies on the use of redundant or repetitive storage technologies (Amatayakul & Lazarus, 2005). For instance, it is possible to transmit data to servers that are located far from the health care facility. It is also possible to use third party service providers to store the said data for safe-keeping purposes (Busch, 2008).

Examples of EHR

At the heart of an EHR system is a computerized medical records software (Busch, 2008). A popular example of an EHR system is EpicCare, a product manufactured by Epic Systems Corporation. EpicCare uses a computerized system that enables the health care worker to take notes and document symptoms while in the process of interviewing the patient. Using mobile devices and other computer hardware products, the health care worker does not only record data using a paper-less system, he or she is also empowered by the ability to store the said data in a computer server that is accessible by other health care professionals (Cambridge Health Alliance, 2016).

Another popular example of an EHR system is iPatienCare. This particular system is not only effective when it comes to data storage and retrieval requirements. It is also a powerful system in regards to tracking individual patients. The use of specific codes guarantee the avoidance of dangerous and costly mistakes (iPatientCare, 2016).

The proponent of this study discovered the value of an EHR system. As a nurse, an EHR framework similar to the iPatientCare system was used to track the administration of medication, and it was a powerful safeguard against human error. In the past, nurses were not empowered to focus on the needs of the patients, because they were afraid to make costly mistakes. In other words, the fear of committing medication errors hampered a nurses capability to spend more time with patients, as time and energy were spent making sure that proper medication was applied. However, the use of an EHR system similar to iPatienCare system provides peace of mind to health workers, so that they have the capability to focus on more important tasks. Nevertheless, the current system utilized in certain hospitals may require an upgrade especially when it comes to the improvements needed in the user interface of the computerized system. The proponent of the study thought that it was a daunting task to learn how the computers accept and retrieve data from computer servers. An improved system makes it easier for new nurses to learn how to encode data and to access the same from the servers.

Conclusion

IT-based technologies are not only transforming the way people live, this type of cutting-edge technology is also transforming the health care delivery systems of hospitals and other health care facilities. Health care workers are inundated with various requests and information coming from the external environment making it easier to make mistakes. The probability of human error is much higher using the conventional way of recording patient information and medication requirements. However, the use of EHR systems provided a better way for delivering health care. The positive impact was manifested by the significant reduction of dangerous and costly mistakes. As a result, this type of technology was helpful in lowering health care costs. Nevertheless, there is room for improvement, especially when it comes to improving the user interface so that the EHR system is percevied as user-friendly.