Pros and Cons of the Electronic Health Record System

The Electronic Health Record or Electronic Medical Record is a practice that has become common in medical facilities all over the world in the last decade. It is a system where patients information such as medical appointment notes, vital signs, billing information, allergies, health history, etc. are recorded electronically and can be shared between medical facilities. Some systems also allow patients a log in and password where they are able to view their own medical information online.

So how is the EHR/EMR being received across the board? For employers it is a costly venture however from a corporate standpoint it helps to improve billing practices. From an employee standpoint it often slows patient care upon initiation due to the learning curve and implementation process of the computer system. Patients who are able to access the internet seem to appreciate the availability of seeing their lab results and medical information at their fingertips as opposed to having to physically go get a copy of their medical record.

There have been some instances of breaches in confidentiality with medical records, many of which are still under investigation. Another question that has arisen is what will our long term plan for storage and preservation of these records be and how long will we be able to store records in this manner?

For more information on Electronic Health Records please visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_health_record
patients.about.com/od/electronicpatientrecords/a/EMRbenefits.htm
http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2010/08/opennotes-access-medical-chart-important.html

***AS ALWAYS WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO YOUR RESEARCH AND GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK ON THIS SUBJECT***