Electronic health record (EHR) maintains the health information of a patient electronically. It provides higher quality accurate data along with safer care for the patient. EHR also enhances the quality of management for the health organisation (or provider) which results in better health care. The patient records become accessible and more coordinated. The patient data is also secure with EHR. Since all the information is at once place, providers benefit from effective patient diagnose reducing medical errors and providing safer prescription.
EHR has changed the face of medical billing. It has helped in improving the productivity of providers. It has provided them optimum work-life balance. Practitioners have admitted meeting their business goals efficiently after switching to EHR. It also streamlines coding and billing in the practice. The duplication of work is considerably reduced which enhances safety and improves health.
But the EHR has had its own share of issues in past. Many practitioners have reported that it has poor “usability”. A potential medication error can put the patient at risk. Another issue is that of increased time spent doing the documentation.
Let us have a look at how we can get optimum value from electronic health records:
Put efforts to get the precise data:
EHR flourishes in a space where data is considered valuable. It thrives on data. If you want to get optimum value of EHR then you must start a culture that is data oriented. For the best EHR experience, each and every data has to be recorded regularly and accurately. The data makes it easier to precisely measure the quality, which in return helps in creating real and unambiguous electronic health record. As a provider put your efforts in getting the best data (accuracy, complete, quality research). It will increase the efficiency of EHR where the data is accessible and aggregated.
Extend the research benefits of EHR:
EHRs have the ability to record the data of millions of people. So enormous collection of human health data cannot sit idle. The benefits of EHR can be extended by making a secondary use of this data. If it is used for further improvement in EHr, it can significantly reduce the costs related with clinical research.
Pay attention to the analytics in order to develop them and use them for extensions in the technology. It demands the involvement of the top members of health organization, along with the clinicians and statisticians. Until and unless there is alliance between all of these, one cannot transform it well in the EHR. A well developed data culture and program is adapted quickly by the practitioners across the country.
Improve the quality of EHR through Data evaluation:
The data in EHR is complete in itself. It saves the cost of patient recruitment and data collection. Utilising this data for actual patient’s diverse medical care would be a huge breakthrough in itself. It will escalate the rate of new medical discoveries.
The data pertaining EHR is analyzed thoroughly before putting it to work. Before setting it for practice, the data is refined and tested. It sets the best practice for healthcare industry. The recommendations to improve the best practices are always welcomed. It is important to contribute the information to create a data driven culture. It helps the value of electronic health grow exponentially. Updated model which can be shared and implemented widely will help in improving the quality of healthcare.
Electronic health record has proved to be of utmost benefit for the medical practice. It has improved healthcare and decreased the otherwise escalating healthcare cost. A better EHR will impact the quality and safety of patients avoiding any sort of legal implications. The unintended complications can be improved to ensure patient safety and increase the quality of care.
