How Electronic Health Records Benefit You
Electronic health records rapidly are becoming the way to go in the medical world. Many medical professionals out there are concerned with their usage, though EHR have quite a few benefits as well. Thinking about going from paper to digital? Here are five reasons to switch over to EHR.
1 – More Efficient Care for Patients
Care is the most important facet of any hospital and having EHR helps to enhance it. With the convenience of electronic health records, doctors can access patient records from wherever they choose. In cases where a patient is unavailable, a doctor can make a quick scan of the records to get the information they need. EHR also eliminates the dredge of paperwork, digitally storing everything in an efficient way. Not only does this make record checking more convenient, it also allows prescriptions to be sent out much faster.
2 – Better Patient Participation
One of the biggest complaints people have about doctors and hospitals is they seem to be on two separate levels of communication. Well, with EHR, steps can be taken to avoid that problem. Using email and electronic scheduling eliminates some of the frustrating nature of bureaucracy. Being able to control when they contact their doctor gives patients greater participation in their own health, rather than having the feeling of doctors controlling it. Electronic health records are invaluable in speeding up the process of laying out the specifics of your health to your physician.
3 – More Accurate Diagnoses
Diagnosing someone is not an easy job, but electronic health records are here to make it better. Because of the ease of access that EHR provides, it’s a simple task for a doctor to pull up a patient’s health history and study it. Without having to go through mountains of files, a digital system makes the search easier and less time-consuming. If a doctor is unsure about a patient’s condition when they’re in person, health records are only a click away on the computer. Plus, knowing every facet of a man or woman’s health makes diagnosing diseases much faster.
4 – Cost Saving
Medical costs are a secret to no one. However, with EHR, those costs can be reduced. Going back to the bureaucratic system, producing large amounts of paperwork is very costly. Storing that paperwork is also a significant investment in resources. Putting health records onto a computer saves the need for any of that. As the old saying goes, “Time is money.” Using digital organization can decrease the time spent combing over endless rows of folders and sheets. With that out of the way, doctors can focus on care and treatment.
5 – Improve Productivity
The benefits of EHR are not limited to patients, but extend to doctors as well. A more organized system can relieve a lot of stress for a medical professional. They don’t have to worry about misplacing files or making a written error on a patient’s record. This frees up more time to concentrate on the specifics of a person’s condition and welfare. A chief complaint among patients is doctors never seem to care about their health, but instead are preoccupied with how best to organize everything. Switching to an electronic health records system alleviates some of those concerns.
Overall, electronic health records are a great tool for doctors and caregivers to use. As hospitals realize efficient organization is necessary to stay afloat, EHR are becoming more widely used. What do you think of EHR? Let us know in the comments and stay healthy!
