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Electronic health record systems store medical records in digital format, providing benefits such as portability and reduced errors. However, security and compatibility concerns must be addressed, and user resistance must be overcome. Governments have launched programs to encourage adoption.
An electronic health record system is a system designed to store medical records in an electronic format. Storing medical records in a digital format has a number of benefits which have led to growing adoption of electronic health record systems worldwide, and several governments have launched extensive programs designed to encourage medical facilities, clinics and individual physicians to convert to digital documents. Electronic records have also been promoted by some patient rights advocates.
In an electronic health record system, information about a patient is entered electronically, rather than being maintained in a paper record. This information can include anything from emails exchanged between healthcare professionals to share information about a patient, to records of specific diagnoses, prescriptions, and procedures, along with results of lab work and notes from physical exams and interactions with the patients. Essentially, everything involving the patient could be recorded in an electronic health record system, with some systems featuring interfaces for both patients and physicians, while also allowing patients to record data.
The big advantage of storing information electronically is that it becomes much more portable. A patient with electronic health records could easily switch providers, provide emergency medical personnel with helpful information, and seek a second opinion. Electronic records can also neatly collect information in one location, which reduces the problem of medication errors, miscommunication, and other problems that can abound when a patient’s records are scattered across multiple files and databases. Electronic record keeping can also facilitate billing through medical billing software that interfaces with an electronic health record system.
One of the biggest problems with electronic health records is the concern for security. Patient information is confidential and systems of record must develop ways to protect patients so that their medical records are not compromised. Cross-platform compatibility is also a big deal. For example, if two doctors’ offices use different electronic health record systems, it may not be possible to exchange data between the two systems. Similarly, systems may have difficulty converting or reading files written by older versions of the system or by different programs.
The design of an electronic health record system must be comprehensive, with plenty of room to grow, and the systems must also take into account the concerns of individual users. Some doctors and nurses are very resistant to using electronic systems, and the learning curve can be steep for people with no computer experience.
