Electronic medical records (EMRs) are the digital equivalent of a patient’s paper-based records or charts at a clinician’s office. The term ‘EMR’ stands not only for the digital medical content but also for the broader system that captures, stores and assists in the management of a patient’s healthcare information. EMRs typically contain general information such as comprehensive medical history, diagnoses, medications, allergies, lab results and treatment plans for a patient as collected by the individual medical practice.
This post delves deeper into the meaning and scope of EMRs, explores their multifaceted advantages and answers common questions that arise in the context of modern healthcare technology.
What do Electronic Medical Records Mean in Healthcare?
The shift in patient record management from paper to digital has been a boon for improving healthcare organizations’ efficiencies. EMRs are one of the initiatives that have helped the healthcare industry embrace the digital age in a meaningful way.
The motivation for the move from paper-based records to EMRs stems from the critical need for readily accessible and accurate health information that supports real-time, informed decision-making in patient care.
What are Electronic Medical Records Used For?
EMRs are used for a variety of purposes by healthcare organizations and providers. Some of these purposes include:
- Centralized patient information – Consolidated patient information enables healthcare providers to gain a more comprehensive view of a patient’s health and make well-informed decisions.
- Coordination among professionals – Physicians, specialists and other healthcare professionals can access a patient’s EMR to coordinate better care options and boost consistency and transparency during patient care.
- Prescription management – Healthcare providers can send electronic prescriptions to pharmacies reducing the risk of errors and boosting the prescription management process.
Overall, EMRs are generally used for enhancing patient care, improving communication and collaboration among healthcare professionals in a single practice, optimizing workflow efficiencies and facilitating data-driven decision-making for patients.
Benefits of EMR Implementation for Healthcare Providers
Healthcare providers and organizations reap many benefits from the implementation of EMRs into their workflows and processes. Some include:
- Enhanced Patient Care: EMRs provide holistic and up-to-date information about patients at the point of care.
- Quick Access to Patient Records: Health professionals can access patient records quickly, thus speeding up decision-making processes.
- Accurate and Complete Documentation: The electronic format reduces the risk of data transcription errors and incomplete records.
- Secure Sharing of Information: EMRs enable secure sharing of data with authorized users across different healthcare settings.
- Improved Patient Participation: Patients can easily access their health records, leading to more involvement in their care.
- Efficiency and Productivity: With less time spent managing paper records, healthcare providers can streamline administrative tasks and focus more on patient care.
- Support for Diagnosis and Treatments: Advanced analytics and decision-support tools in EMRs can assist in diagnosis and establishing treatment protocols.
- Reduced Costs: Over time, EMRs can lead to cost savings through decreased paperwork, improved safety, reduced duplication of testing, and improved health.
What is the Difference Between EMR vs EHR?
An electronic health record (EHR) is also a digital version of a patient chart, but it is a more inclusive snapshot of their medical history. The main difference between EMRs and EHRs is that EHRs are designed to be shared with other providers, so authorized users may instantly access a patient’s EHR from across different healthcare providers.
The difference in transferability and shareability between these two patient data management tools illustrates the roles they each play to organizations and providers. EMRs are utilized primarily by one single practice and the different professionals present in that practice, whereas EHRs can “follow” patients wherever they go across providers and practices.
Improving Patient Care with Electronic Medical Records
EMR applications revolutionize patient care by streamlining access to patient medical history, empowering healthcare professionals to deliver personalized patient care more efficiently.
EMR systems are also designed to help patients and their families become more involved in the healthcare process. One example of this is seen when clinical summaries, available for more than half of all visits, are sent to patients within three business days. Each summary contains comprehensive and overarching information about the care provided during the visit and actively encourages participation from patients and their family members in the patient care offering process.
Patients can also become more involved in their care by exploring patient-specific education resources. EMR systems will provide links to articles, videos, and images that can help patients better understand their specific healthcare situation. With this technology, patients can make more informed decisions about medical procedures and lifestyle adjustments.
Using EMR systems, patients can quickly and easily receive electronic copies of their healthcare information upon request. In the event they choose to change healthcare providers, the universal detailed medical record will help give the patients’ new healthcare provider a comprehensive understanding of their medical history and current state of health. Healthcare facilities will still be able to exchange patient information if the patient does not request it.
Deeper Insights: EMR FAQs
What are the 4 types of EMRs?
The four types of EMRs often discussed in the field include:
- On-Premise EMR – Located within the healthcare organization’s server. While these EMRs are traditionally more costly and complex to use, they offer a greater level of data security and personalization for the organization’s needs.
- Application Service Provider– Provided by the healthcare organization’s vendor’s server. This is a more cost-efficient EMR option and professionals can access patient data anywhere with an internet connection.
- Software as a Service (SaaS) – Located on the healthcare organization’s vendor’s server. Practices don’t worry about maintenance and these EMRs are updated with the latest versions.
- Cloud-Based – Hosted on the vendor’s servers with browser and web accessibility. While less secure than on-premise EMRs, Cloud-based EMRs offer extended services beyond SaaS EMRs like customer support.
What is an example of an EMR?
An example of an EMR would be the electronic chart in a clinician’s office that contains the medical and treatment history of the patients within the practice. It’s a singular record, confined to one healthcare provider’s domain.
What is the most popular EMR?
Among the array of EMR software available, some top the list for their widespread use and robust feature sets. Epic Systems, Cerner, and Meditech are commonly cited as popular systems leveraged by healthcare organizations.
Foster Your Growth in Healthcare with USF Health
USF Health’s Morsani College of Medicine offers online master’s degrees and graduate certificates in healthcare informatics and health analytics, which are designed to sharpen your skills and knowledge in the healthcare field so you can make a difference in the dynamic, fast-paced healthcare industry.
Students in the Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics program learn the latest processes for electronic storage and secure sharing of vital patient medical records, as well as integrating informatics and clinical sciences with quality patient care. The Graduate Certificate in Healthcare Analytics can provide you with a foundation of knowledge and skills to master the collection, organization and analysis of health data using the analytics life cycle.
These programs serve as a foundation for growing your skills in electronic healthcare data management and help make you a vital part of a healthcare informatics team and a distinguishable candidate in the health informatics job market.
USF Health’s programs have a proven track record of student success stories such as Sabita Maharjan, a graduate of the Master of Science in Health Informatics.
“While working as a medical technologist, I was impressed by how technology made our jobs so much easier through electronic medical records. I was then interested in the technology field while still being associated with healthcare.”
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