The Increased Usage of Electronic Health Records?

Answer 1

Electronic health records are being used more and more as the technology continues to improve. The benefits of electronic health records far outweigh the cost and time it takes to transfer old files into the new format. Many hospitals are currently undergoing the process of creating digital files for all of their patients.

The Difficulty of Conversion

The amount of paper that is stored with patient information in any given hospital is overwhelming. Though most doctors and medical administrators agree that electronic health records would improve their ability to serve patients, the daunting task of scanning documents into the computer system has held most hospitals back from the conversion process. Recent upgrades in scanning equipment have helped to speed up the process, however, and many institutions are beginning to implement digital files as a regular part of their operations. As technology improves, the number of electronic health records will continue to increase.

Instant Updates

Once a medical institution is completely working form electronic health records, doctors and nurses can communicate about patients instantaneously. Doctors will carry laptop computers that are tied into the health records of the hospital, and they will make changes to their orders as they stand in a patient’s room. There is no chance for a time lag between a doctor’s changed orders and a nurse receiving the changes. Everything is transmitted automatically to anyone who has access to the records anywhere in the hospital. Doctors also have instant access to any previous notes they have made about a patient, or notes from nurses who have worked with the patient.

Better Accuracy

The ability of doctors and nurses to immediately change information about any patient who has electronic health records greatly reduces the possibility of mistakes in treatment. The doctor has immediate access to a patient’s entire file at the click of a button, so he or she is always fully informed on every aspect of treatment and symptoms. Since the information is changed universally throughout the system, the chance that someone will miss a change and give the patient an incorrect dosage or treatment is also greatly reduced. Electronic health records will revolutionize the effectiveness and efficiency of medicine.