The implementation of digitized techniques within the health care system has truly revolutionized the industry and this revolution has brought parallel developments that have not only structured the health care system but also provided better means of communication. These, in turn, have positively affected the quality of care and services provided by the health care industry. One such technology that has led the health care industry towards improving their quality is Electronic Medical Records, commonly abbreviated as EMR.

What is an Electronic Medical Record or EMR?

An Electronic Medical Record is a digital version of the patients’ medical records. These medical records are systemized and available at one digitized location. They are usually maintained with one physician at one digital location. An EMR enables the health care provider to examine a patient’s medical information over a period of time. This data is not limited to but may include the following details:

a) Demographics details of the patient
b) Billing information of the insurance companies
c) Past and current medical history
d) Seasonal allergies, medicinal allergies, food allergies, etc
e) Any surgery details or report
f) Previous vaccinations
g) Pathology laboratory reports
h) Medical radiology reports

Electronic Medical Records makes it possible to securely exchange medical information of a patient electronically. Through EMR, it is possible for various authorized users to access a patient’s medical data instantly and securely. It is one of the revolutionary digital technologies that have been able to produce a system for seamless documentation workflow of patients.
Despite the various benefits that the EMR systems pose in the health care industry, its’ integration within the health care system was not seen for a very long time. The implementation of electronic medical records significantly ramped up in 2014 due to a certification program by the CDC. Though that was one of the factors that fast-tracked the adoption of EMR, today, more and more physicians are realizing its’ benefits and adopting it into their systems!

READ MORE:- The Need to Use Transcription With EMR System

Benefits of implementing EMR systems:

Lets’ understand how EMR systems help to provide better health care and improve the quality of patient care:

Immediate access to patients’ medical records:

EMR significantly reduces and sometimes even eliminates the time taken to access patients’ medical records. It allows instantaneous access to patients’ medical records thereby, significantly reducing the turnaround time of telephonic messages.

Reduction in communication errors:

Due to the implementation of EMR, the requirement to communicate details has also reduced. Today, health care professionals can directly access the medical data thus; comparatively, there are fewer communication errors. This implementation of electronic medical records has benefitted the health care system and enabled them to increase the quality of care provided by them!

Chronicle organization of patient data:

EMR allows administrative medical assistants to chronically organize the records of patient data. Health care professionals can now not only find patient’s data and history at a centralized location but they can also review the data in chronological order. This also allows multiple health professionals to collaborate so that the patient receives the best care and effective treatment for their condition.

Scheduling of appointments and automatic reminders:

EMR also helps to organize appointments for a physician. It allows the administrator in charge of the medical assistant to keep track of all the appointments of the patient. Since the EMR system is searchable through various parameters such as the physician’s name, patients name, etc., the appointments can be previewed and scheduled without any clash by the medical assistant. The electronic medical records systems also help in efficiently managing the schedule of a patient who is undergoing various medical procedures. For instance: If a patient is undergoing an extensive medical treatment that involves different procedures, then appointments can be scheduled accordingly with the aid of electronic medical records. Also, someone can program an EMR in a way that it sends out confirmation calls and reminders to the patients. This is particularly helpful in reducing the list of no show appointments.

• Electronic Prescription:

Through EMR, it is possible to send electronic prescriptions directly to the pharmacy stores. It is also possible for the medical assistant to pass the electronic prescription to the patient.

Management of Medical Billing and Accounting:

EMR systems can also manage the billing and accounting of a physician to an extent. It can create an interface to track the denial of claims. So, electronic medical records systems can help to improve the revenue cycle management of a physician’s practice.

Insurance eligibility verification:

In addition to managing medical billing and accounting, the electronic medical records systems can also help the physician’s office to verify insurance eligibility for patients. This process helps to streamline the entire billing workflow.

Integration with Laboratory Softwares:

The EMR system allows the administrative medical assistant to integrate the system with pathology, radiology and other laboratories so that they are able to order test results directly from the EMR. The electronic medical records system also allows the laboratory to send back the test results. Thus, the electronic medical records system allows an efficient process to order and obtain test results from a laboratory for a patient.

An increment in patients’ involvement:

The electronic medical records system does not only benefit the health care system but it also helps to increase the patients’ involvement in their health. Through electronic medical records, the patients can themselves set appointments. In cases of chronic conditions, EMR can also help patients to self-test and home-monitor their conditions. This can be achieved through an interactive education module of electronic medical records.

The integration and implementation of electronic medical records systems have streamlined the processes. It has also managed to consolidate the medical information of a patient in one digitized location. The above-mentioned benefits form only an inclusive list! These are some of the ways that describe EMR’s beneficiary roles within the health care system but more and more physicians integrate electronic medical records into the systems. EMR will continue to evolve itself and revolutionize the health care industry further.