5 Benefits Of Electronic Health Records (EHR)

Every second counts when it comes to health. As long as a person requires medical attention, the healthcare staff must be ready to take action. Since all kinds of patients come and go, they’re bound to encounter people in varying conditions, from minor to critical. Failing to keep up with the needs of each one in the hospital is a matter of life and death.

Although technology doesn’t remove errors completely, its convenience is undeniable. Healthcare experts can perform life-saving operations right on schedule thanks to it. 

Aside from that, technology even tackles what used to be tedious yet essential tasks, like payments or record-keeping. 

All the healthcare department must do is establish an EHR implementation plan and steps behind it.

What Is EHR?

Also called electronic health records, EHRs ‘archive’ everything there is to know about a patient. Between diagnoses, prescriptions, and test results, keeping every detail on paper takes a lot of time and effort. This is even more so when the staff must card through countless file cabinets and paperwork to get what they need. 

EHR turns all of that into digital processes that can be done with a few strokes. On top of the patient’s medical records, this technology also records transactions made in the medical establishment, making inventory keeping much more manageable.

Here are more benefits of EHR for both medical staff and patients alike:

Reduces Paperwork 

Medical departments start recording data the moment a patient first comes into the hospital. Even if they only enter for a minor case, the staff documents all of their activities and the procedures they go through. This way, they can use these documents as references or evidence. 

While thoroughness is a valuable trait, it comes with the cost of too many papers to deal with in this scenario. Physical papers also come with various problems, like how long it takes to scan through them or their susceptibility to mishandling. 

Using an EHR system can change that. Since it’s purely digital, medical staff can greatly reduce the amount of paperwork they must store, be it forms or reports. They also avoid going through shelves when everything is filled out on a digital template. 

Additionally, EHR systems offer greater accessibility for elderly patients or those with disabilities.

Ease In Tracking

Even the most organized schedules still have room for errors. Given how hospitals must endure back-to-back emergencies, these are bound to fall apart. 

With so many patients to keep track of, juggling between different paperwork to record their activities is a logistical nightmare for the staff. Integrating an EHR system changes that. 

Here’s a specific example. Nurses are some of the most overworked professionals in the medical department. Since many of them are in various teams, organizing patient data is a difficult task. After all, doctors handle different patients simultaneously. Keeping tabs on each of them would be challenging without the right instruments. 

EHR is extremely helpful for them because it addresses these issues. Nurses no longer need to shuffle documents around when everything they need is on a single platform. All they have to do is update the information accordingly.

Furthermore, those who tamper with valuable documents must think twice since EHR can track their digital activity.

No Illegible Information

Not everyone has neat and readable handwriting. Spending too much time deciphering what a medical practitioner or patient wrote is a waste. 

But thanks to EHR, all data is collected in a standard format. The staff no longer need to figure out what’s written when everything is laid out clearly. With poor penmanship out of the way, everyone can avoid time-consuming misunderstandings.

Quick Dissemination

Having a single, consolidated digital platform enables users to access their data at any point in time. Depending on the internet connection, the medical staff can easily send information from one point to another, no matter the distance. This way, medical emergencies are handled much more efficiently.  

Waiting too long for someone to fill out the patient’s paperwork is a recipe for disaster. Given how brief the transfer must be, these documents often cause enough trouble to lose lives over. With EHR, medical staff can act much more quickly and coordinate with other professionals to provide what’s appropriate for the patient.

Mobile Access

People rarely ever let go of their phones. After all, they’re easy platforms for accessing valuable information outside the hospital. 

Given how unpredictable medical incidents are, victims don’t have the opportunity to have important documents, like their health records, on hand at all times. But as long as the EHR system records them, missing paperwork won’t be a problem.

Consider Implementing EHR

Paper records have run their course in the medical department. Given how much storage and hassle it takes to sort through physical documents, upgrading to electronic health records is wise. After all, digitizing patient data provides convenience for patients and medical staff, creating smooth transactions that ensure the prompt delivery of care.