Electronic Health Records or EHR are one of the most important parts for health systems, physicians, and even the hospitals. Keeping the physical records has now become a process from the past and Electronic Health Records are the new trend. There are many benefits of keeping the EHR as those give the ease of accessing any patient record.
Almost 10 years back, EHR was first introduced by Kaiser Permanente. Initially, the implementation was expensive as well as challenging due to the large size of the data. Besides, the process was long and exhausting. However, the information provided by Electronic Health Records often helps in saving countless lives. When the EHR information is combined with integrated medical care delivery system and data analytics, the results are miraculous.
Here are 5 things that every health system, physician, and hospital should keep in mind when implementing the Electronic Health Records systems.
- Opt for comprehensive EHR systems: The primary objective of an electronic health record system is to combine the functionalities of different sections of a healthcare provider. This is the system used by all, the physicians, admin staff and sometimes even the patients. In such case, it is necessary to let the EHR work as a unit and provide information that can be used in many ways.
- Hire physicians while implementing the EHR system: One of the prime users of the Electronic Health Records system is the physician. it is difficult to convince the physicians to use the EHR; because it was earlier built only billing and coding. Hence, it is necessary to connect physicians with the EHRs.
- Consider other users of the EHR: As mentioned before, EHR is not only used by the physicians, but also by the other staff of the healthcare provider facility. These include medical assistants, administrators and sometimes patients. It is important to consider their tasks, responsibilities, and dependencies while implementing the Electronic Health Record system.
- Offer constant technical support: More than any other system, an EHR is a highly sensitive system. Any flaw, delay or gap in the information derived from the EHR can result into inappropriate medical treatment or can even cost a life. Hence, every electronic health record system should be provided continuous and uninterrupted technical support.
- Lead the process: The most important factor could be leading the process. Unless the leaders of the healthcare providers don’t start using and understanding EHR; the staff and physicians at the facility won’t consider it important. Hence, it is necessary to lead the process and make others understand EHR’s importance.
Date: June 20, 2017
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