Electronic Health Records

Electronic Health Records

Advancement in technology has seen the American government embrace information systems to enhance service provision in its healthcare sector. Access to patient records is one of the essential aspects of any healthcare system. Traditionally, information technology in healthcare was used for basic tasks such as storing patient’s information and tracking the various hospital inventories of the institutions. However, the development of healthcare infrastructure has allowed hospitals to restructure their activities to tap into the benefits realized from the emerging information systems technology. The modern healthcare information system has made it possible for institutions to keep a large volume of clinical records as well as facilitating routine operations such as recording financial transactions of the healthcare system (Cowie et al., 2017). The research discusses the various healthcare systems and programs in America, their use and effectiveness in enhancing the quality of medical services.

Advancement in internet technology has facilitated the emergence of the Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN).  The platform allows different health facilities in the country to share and access information through the internet. The NHIN aims to align its activities to that of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH). The program thus achieves this by enacting several policies and standards which allow for the exchange of healthcare information over the internet through the Health Information Exchange (HIE). To ensure that the NHIN program meets its objectives by safeguarding the interest of the healthcare stakeholders, an IT committee in healthcare is formed and given the mandate to set standards for the kind of information which will be shared through the system (Dinev et al., 2017). For instance, NHIN is responsible for checking the vocabulary and standard of messages relayed over the system, authenticating and certifying information, enhancing security, and verification of directory protocols for information being relayed through the program. Information from NHIN is shared with other healthcare stakeholders, such as federal agencies and healthcare facilities. The general objective of NHIN is to enhance the quality of healthcare service through facilitating the effective sharing of information in the sector.

Enacted in 2009, the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (HITECH) is an act that seeks to take advantage of technology and promote healthcare through the sharing of information. At the time of its legislation, the act was considered by many as one of the significant pieces of legislation to be passed over the past 20 years. The understanding that better population management can only be enforced through adequate information about the public led to the passage of the HITECH Act. So important was the sharing of healthcare information that several IT networks were established in the entire country with a budget allocation of $ 36. 5 billion. HITECH attains its role of promoting a healthy information technology culture by advocating for quality, safety, and efficiency of the healthcare information exchanged over the internet.

One such way of promoting quality healthcare, as advocated for by HITECH, is by emphasizing on the meaningful use of Electronic Health Records (EHR). The EHR system allows healthcare institutions to record patient data through e-prescribing. Information entered in the EHR system can be used by healthcare institutions to provide meaningful services such as understanding patient’s needs to boost the quality of services offered. Significance of the EHR system in facilitating the HITECH act achieving its objectives is demonstrated by the government going into extra lengths to offer institutions that use the system with some form of stimulus funding. The funds are seen as an encouragement for them to embrace the system. Also, the Medicare policy has placed it mandatory for healthcare facilities to use the EHR system to exchange information or face penalties.

Several things usually pop up when it comes to the issue of electronic health management. Some of these things are that should be addressed or given much focus when it comes to this subject should include the benefits of electronic health records, hence the justification for its usage. The second aspect should be what are some of the key software that is used in the implementation of electronic health records. The third thing is about the implementation process that is applied when an organization is transitioning from the traditional ways of managing patient data to the electronic way. The fourth issue should what kind of information does the electronic health records deal with. This is anchored on the need to differentiate between electronic health records and electronic medical records.  Once the scholars have been able to understand these key aspects of electronic health records, it certainly becomes easier to improve the EHR systems, thereby leading to more secure storage and management of patient data. At the same, there are a couple of scholars that have done several studies about the electronic health records and their contributions to the medical informatics and healthcare outcomes as a whole hence the need for a broad-based approach in understanding some of the key things in line with the study.

Even though the issue of electronic health records may seem to be new to many, it has been in existence for years. The healthcare information technology has been there for quite some time based on the fact that some of the leading software used in EHR has been in existence for several decades. The Epic EHR software has been in existence for many years, having been founded in 1979. Unlike the general assumption that any form of software that deals with data and health records can be used in any situation, it is clear that Epic is only used,

Epic has been in the Health IT showcase for just about 50 years. It was established in 1979 and centers around enormous therapeutic gatherings and inpatient settings. KLAS has positioned Epic’s EHR as the best in KLAS for a long time in the biggest section. They are representative possessed, and designer drove with a product that is anything but difficult to utilize and actualize into your association. Epic’s product is, for the most part, utilized in huge wellbeing frameworks, network emergency clinics, and scholastic restorative communities. Cerner is at present the main provider of Health IT arrangements and is the biggest supplier of a framework for inpatient care. Cerner was established in 1979 and presently has around 26,000 workers, all-inclusive. They bolster claims to fame alongside the clinical, budgetary, and operational necessities of medium and enormous associations. CareCloud was established in Miami, FL, in 2009 (Yadav et al., 2018). CareCloud gives grant-winning Electronic Health Record (EHR), Practice Management, Revenue Cycle Management (RCM), and Patient Experience Management programming. KLAS has evaluated CareCloud as the main supplier of cloud-based income cycle the executives’ administrations for wandering consideration rehearses. Athenahealth was established in 1997 and presently offers a cloud-based income cycle arrangement equipped towards huge, multi-doctor gatherings and emergency clinics. They offer training the executives and EHR arrangements under the RCM offering. As a later contestant, Athenahealth offers an increasingly present-day UI and some cloud-based abilities like access from any program.

Each of the above software has it is the key and unique way in which it contributes to the storage of data. The issue of security of data has been well addressed in that it is no longer a case whereby the records are misplaced, or someone does not have them; hence one cannot state the problem they are having (Mandel et al., 2016). This has ensured effective diagnosis and reduced the cases of misdiagnosis, which had been rampant. This is anchored on the fact that the medical practitioner can be able to understand the patient’s medical history and prefer tests as well as medication in line with their previous medical conditions. It is now clear that before any prescription is done, the medical background of the patient is established. This is key to ensuring that the drugs that the patient is given do not have any side effects on them. If it has been indicated in the already existing medical records that are stored electronically, such cases have been avoided.

The safety of the patient’s data is indeed one of the biggest achievements that have been attained as a result of using big EHR. This is based on the fact that unlike the era when the data was stored in box files all over the office. Such situations brought about several security concerns in that the private data could be accessed by anyone who accessed the office. It was clear that the medical records which are supposed to be confidential and private only meant to be used when the patient needs to have their health status reviewed could easily be misused. There was no privacy. There are key things when it comes to data and information of the patient that guide how the two are supposed to engage. These tenets highlight the need for the patient to have control over their data and determine control who access them. Without electronic health records systems, there was a huge possibility that any person could be able to access such information. If the information was to be placed there for anyone to see, then it would certainly be accessible to anyone hence the issue of privacy and confidentiality would, therefore, be surrendered.

In a normal case scenario, the EHR usually contains the patient’s medical records, which in many cases entail administrative and billing data of the patient’s past medical bills, the progress notes, patient demographics, the vital signs (Yadav et al., 2018).  The medical history of the patient, medications that were administered to them as well as the diagnoses that were done in the past are also part of the records that are kept in the electronic health records. The radiology images, lab, and test results, as well as any form of allergies, are also included. The health records also include information on allergies the patients may be having. This has been key in ensuring that the patients do not have to state their condition every time they visit the medical facility. It has also ensured that there are no cases of wrong information being used in influencing the nature of the diagnosis or the medication that is given to the patient since the medical practitioner has access to the correct information.

When it comes to the benefits of using electronic health records, one of the main benefits include accurate, up-to-date as well as the offering of complete information about patients at the point they receive care. It also enables quick access to the patient records for more coordinated and efficient care (Mandel et al., 2016).  Another benefit is indeed the issue of security in that the data is securely stored and shared only among the patients as well as the clinicians. It has also played a key role in the reduction of medical errors as well as provide safer care as well as help and improve the quality of the care that is provided to the patient. It has also encouraged and ensured that the prescription of data is done safely and more reliably; hence there are no cases of mix prescription (Miotto et al., 2016). The use of EHR has also played a key role in improving the privacy as well as security of the patient data. It has also played a key role in improving the productivity of healthcare workers by improving the work-life balance since the use of these systems has reduced the amount of workload done. In the long, there has been improved efficiency, which has enabled the organizations to meet the hospital’s business goals such as profitability (Goldstein et al., 2017). The profitability is anchored on the fact that there is a reduction in the paperwork, as well as the amount of time wasted looking at or trying to access the medical records.

The healthcare system has been transformed over the years since the EHR was introduced. The EHR improved patient care by ensuring that healthcare safety, effectiveness as well as communication in the healthcare sector. The timelines, as well as efficiency in the sector, has certainly improved, which has certainly transformed the overall quality of the sector. The fact that the electronic records have mainly been patient-centeredness has certainly made it more effective in ensuring that the patients are well taken care of (Ekblaw et al., 2016). Electronic health records have also played a key role in improving the entire population, including increased physical activity. The fact that it has records that state the nutrition details of the patient is also indeed key in improving the overall standards of living.

There has been able to ensure that the behavioral risks are indeed reduced.  Improved efficiencies as a result of electronic health records have played a key role in the reduction in medical costs. This has been done by promoting the use of promoting preventive medicine and improved coordination of health care services (Goldstein et al., 2017). It has also been done through the reduction of wastes and redundancy in hospitals. Due to the proper access of the key patient data has been key in ensuring that the clinicians can make better clinical decisions by ensuring that patient information is well integrated from multiple sources.  Overall, the quality of care has improved by ensuring that the health outcomes are indeed in line with the very reason that led to the introduction of healthcare.

Conclusion

The EHR has been really important in the advancement of the healthcare sector. It has been one of the key things that have played a key role in the development of healthcare. The management of patient documents has certainly been effective in that apart from promoting the quality of patient data management; it has also improved the quality of lives not only for the patients but also for the medical practitioners. There is a need to ensure that electronic healthcare records are effectively used to improve the quality of care but, at the same time, protect the quality of life.

References

Cowie, M. R., Blomster, J. I., Curtis, L. H., Duclaux, S., Ford, I., Fritz, F., … & Michel, A. (2017). Electronic health records to facilitate clinical research. Clinical Research in Cardiology, 106(1), 1-9.

Dinev, T., Albano, V., Xu, H., D’Atri, A., & Hart, P. (2016). Individuals’ attitudes towards electronic health records: A privacy calculus perspective. In Advances in healthcare informatics and analytics (pp. 19-50). Springer, Cham.

Ekblaw, A., Azaria, A., Halamka, J. D., & Lippman, A. (2016). A Case Study for Blockchain in Healthcare: “MedRec” prototype for electronic health records and medical research data. In Proceedings of IEEE open & big data conference (Vol. 13, p. 13).

Goldstein, B. A., Navar, A. M., Pencina, M. J., & Ioannidis, J. (2017). Opportunities and challenges in developing risk prediction models with electronic health records data: a systematic review. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 24(1), 198-208.

Mandel, J. C., Kreda, D. A., Mandl, K. D., Kohane, I. S., & Ramoni, R. B. (2016). SMART on FHIR: a standards-based, interoperable apps platform for electronic health records. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 23(5), 899-908.

Miotto, R., Li, L., Kidd, B. A., & Dudley, J. T. (2016). Deep patient: an unsupervised representation to predict the future of patients from electronic health records. Scientific reports, 6(1), 1-10.

Yadav, P., Steinbach, M., Kumar, V., & Simon, G. (2018). Mining Electronic Health Records (EHRs) A Survey. ACM Computing Surveys (CSUR), 50(6), 1-40.