Question

discuss the benefits of electronic health record implementation, and also discuss the electronic health records challenges which are being encountered.

Answer 1

Benefits of Electronic health record implementation :

The use of an electronic health records system offers these clinical advantages:

• No bulky paper records to store, manage and retrieve
• Easier access to clinical data
• The ability to establish and maintain effective clinical workflows
• Fewer medical errors, improved patient safety and stronger support for clinical decision-making
• Easier participation in Meaningful Use, Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) and other quality programs, with electronic prompts ensuring that required data is recorded at the point of care
• The ability to gather and analyze patient data that enables outreach to discreet populations
• The opportunity to interact seamlessly with affiliated hospitals, clinics, labs and pharmacies

Our world has been radically transformed by digital technology – smart phones, tablets, and web-enabled devices have transformed our daily lives and the way we communicate. Medicine is an information-rich enterprise.

A greater and more seamless flow of information within a digital health care infrastructure, created by electronic health records (EHRs), encompasses and leverages digital progress and can transform the way care is delivered and compensated.

With EHRs, information is available whenever and wherever it is needed.

• Improved Patient Care
• Increase Patient Participation
• Improved Care Coordination
• Improved Diagnostics & Patient Outcomes
• Practice Efficiencies and Cost Savings

Challenges encountered in implementing EHR :

1. Staff resistance
2. Lost productivity and lack of implementation
3. Data Migration.

There are some more challenges that are encountered during the implementation of the EHR.

• The technical ability which is the systems practice must be a main challenge in implementing the Electronic Health record .
• The cost involved in procuring the EHR and maintenance of it .
• The people who are involved in using the record are unwilling to the new change .
• Training the employees to the new system is another challenge which is encountered .
• Finally the most important challenge is Privacy where the data stored must not be an easy access to the hackers