The medical field is an information-rich industry with a constant need for communication across the board. There’s no room for error. Pulling dusty charts from dimly lit storage rooms is just the beginning. The impossible-to-read handwriting, water damaged tests and loaned out, never returned charts only make paper-based filing that much more difficult and unappealing — especially with the advent of electronic health records.
Electronic health records (EHR) provide a comprehensive solution that compiles a patient’s medical history (including charts, labs and tests, vitals, medications and more), and then stores it alongside information about specific encounters and physician’s notes. No errors or interpretation needed. Some EHR software will even handle medical billing. The resources to make this jump are available, but what are the benefits of electronic health records?
Improved Care and Accuracy of Information
There are myriad benefits of electronic health records, but let’s begin with improved quality of care, accurate and reliable information and an immaculate sharing system. Gone are the days of interpreting handwriting. Instead, EHR provide practices with legible and complete documents which then help make it easy for coding and billing offices to follow-up with patients and receive referrals. This creates seamless communication between medical practices and their affiliated hospitals, labs and other clinics. EHR also ensure reliable medical alerts, reminders and warnings if prescriptions are written that interfere with another medication. Electronic health records raise the standard for accuracy and create a closer-knit medical community through conversation and communication.
Increased Patient and Provider Communication
Electronic health records also benefit the dialogue between patient and provider by allowing them to communicate directly through patient portals, emails and direct messages. Patients can access their charts and records without the cumbersome process of requesting their medical history, paying someone to pull a chart, sign a release, etc. These records and the ability to attain them improve the health outcomes of patient experiences and reduce a practice’s liability. It’s crucial to provide patients with a line of communication, and implementing EHR does just that by opening a dialogue about concerns, questions, comments and praise.
Cost Effectiveness and Savings
Those looking for a more durable bottom line will also benefit from electronic health records, their cost effectiveness and savings. With EHR, medical practices are offered decreased costs and increased productivity. The most significant advantage is putting the meaningful use incentive program into play. EHR aids in the guidelines set out by the meaningful use incentive program which pushes for engaging the patient and family, improving care conditions and public health and maintaining privacy and the security of a patient’s’ health information. All of these requirements are met with EHR and its ability to reduce paperwork, duplications of tests or prescriptions and errors in coding.
In an industry that demands precision, there is no room for archaic applications prone to error. The implementation of electronic health records offers the benefits of accuracy, open communication and cost efficiency. EHR puts information in the hands of those that need it when they need it most, which raises the bar and the bottom line. Every practice needs electronic health records and all EHR need a secure place to stay. EHR and online backup go hand-in-hand. Protect your health records with offsite, online backup from a reliable, HIPAA compliant provider. Find the best cloud backup solution for your medical practice, so you can put those handheld charts to rest at last and keep your EHR protected from loss.
