In recent years, many medical facilities, regardless of their specialty or size, have adopted the use of special medical software. This software has helped in the management of their care providers and patients. For this reason, many medical practitioners are now benefiting from Electronic Health Records (EHR).
The purpose of electronic health records is to put all the patients’ medical details in one place in a digital format. The details include patients’ names, ages, lab results, treatment plans, radiology images, allergies, medications, medical history, and more.
Electronic health records have several advantages, the top ones being:
Improved patient care
EHR helps health professionals provide better healthcare because it provides them with all the information they need about patients. It will also make treatment more effective while increasing the facility’s efficiency.
From EHR, physicians will get health analytics that can help them recognise patterns and predict diagnoses, so they can recommend the best treatment options and methods. You should also find epic consultants.
Through the EHR portal, patients can access their information such as diagnoses, medications, imaging results, and lab results. EHR for small practices can assist patients in communicating with their doctors via instant messages and video calls.
Increased efficiency
EHR not only assists physicians in providing more accurate diagnosis and treatment, but it also assists them in saving time.It helps with speeding up appointments, making it easier for patients to interact with their doctors. This results in doctors attending to many patients in a day.
Electronic health records have built-in templates that physicians can use to document patient complaints or issues. These templates are customizable, meaning physicians can tailor them to fit their individual needs. EHR platforms now incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) to help physicians diagnose and interpret patients’ historical records.
EHR also supports e-prescription, which reduces addiction rates of opioids and other addictive drugs. Today, physicians can send prescriptions electronically to pharmacists to ensure patients only get drugs approved by their doctors.
Interoperability
Another advantage of the EHR is that it can interface with Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and other related systems to optimize continuity in healthcare. When a patient wants to move to a nursing home, manage diabetes or other chronic conditions, or see a specialist, the interoperability of the EHR system is critical.
Increases in profitability
Any process that makes business operations more efficient has a positive impact on revenue. EHR incorporates payment and billing tools that can help medical facilities ensure payments are made in time and income is managed efficiently.
The system can eliminate coding errors and mistakes from claims that can lead to rejections. This feature makes it possible for insurance claims to be honored the first time they are submitted.
Accessibility
EHR can be accessed online, meaning patients’ records can be accessed anywhere on any device, provided there’s an internet connection. This encourages collaboration among different health practitioners handling the same patient. Accessibility is very crucial in the case of an emergency.
For example, if a patient is in a coma and cannot speak, a doctor can access their medical history from the EHR and provide the required medication. Accessibility also ensures doctors can respond to patients’ queries from anywhere.
24/7 Support
EHR providers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to support patients. This system works better than an internal IT department which can not have staff on standby 24/7. EHR platforms also have support documents, videos, and webinars patients can use to learn how to use the platforms.
Takeaway
EHR has many benefits for patients and health professionals. Health facilities can increase their profits by embracing EHR. The system is scalable, so it can take care of a medical facility from its infant stages until it is established.
Ellen Diamond did her degree in psychology at the University of Hertfordshire. She is interested in mental health, wellness, and lifestyle.
