What are Electronic Health Records (EHR)
The Electronic Health Record (EHR) is an electronic record of patient health information generated by one or more encounters in any care delivery setting. Included in this information are patient demographics, progress notes, problems, medications, vital signs, past medical history, immunizations, laboratory data and radiology reports. The EHR automates and streamlines the clinician's workflow. The EHR has the ability to generate a complete record of a clinical patient encounter - as well as supporting other care-related activities directly or indirectly via interface - including evidence-based decision support, quality management, and outcomes reporting.
What are the benefits of EHRs?
Potential Productivity and Financial Improvement
- Fewer chart pulls
- Improved efficiency of handling telephone messages and medication refills
- Improved billing
- Reduced transcription costs
- Increased formulary compliance and clearer prescriptions leading to fewer pharmacy call backs
- Improved coding of visits
Additional potential benefits may include: population management and proactive patient reminders; improved reimbursement from payers due to EHR usage; and participation in pay-for-performance programs.
Quality of Care Improvement
- Easier preventive care leading to increased preventive care services
- Point-of-care decision support
- Rapid and remote access to patient information
- Easier chronic disease management
- Integration of evidence-based clinical guidelines
Job Satisfaction Improvement
- Fewer repetitive, tedious tasks
- Less "chart chasing"
- Improved intra-office communication
- Access to patient information while on-call or at the hospital
- Easier compliance with regulations
- Demonstrable high-quality care
Customer Satisfaction Improvement
- Quick access to their records
- Reduced turn-around time for telephone messages and medication refills
- A more efficient office leads to improved care access for patients
- Improved continuity of care (fewer visits without the chart)
- Improved delivery of patient education materials
What are the factors that are driving the need for EHR?
- Improve clinical processes or workflow efficiency
- Improve quality of care
- Improve clinical documentation to support appropriate billing service levels
- Share patient information among health care practitioners and professionals
- Reduce medical errors (improve patient safety)
- Provide access to patient records at remote locations
- Improve clinical data capture
- Establish a more efficient and effective information infrastructure
- Contain or reduce healthcare delivery costs
- Meet the requirements of legal, regulatory, or accreditation standards
- Facilitate clinical decision support
