I think that there are many advantages to putting all patient records in electronic form. Overall, this could make the office more organized, because you would not have to deal with numerous filing cabinets and preparing the charts for the day. There would be no misplaced records, no risk of the files getting damaged, and the amount of paper used in the office would be cut down exponentially. Further, there would be no risk of misunderstanding poor handwriting, whether by a doctor, nurse or other health provider. As shown in the picture that accompanies the article, with the recent tablet technology, doctors are able to easily input data while in the room with the patient (Lohr, 2011). A report from The New England Journal of Medicine “found that doctors who use electronic health records say overwhelmingly that such records have helped improve the quality and timeliness of care” (Lohr, 2008) You would be able to ensure that patients come in regularly, without having to look through their chart and making a phone call. You would be able to make contact with them through the database. Although most of the functions of the data are merely for convenience, one use could revolutionize health care. They call his use a “learning health system” and it would be able to connect patient data, confidentially, to analyze treatments and get warnings on drug interactions (Lohr, 2011). This could increase the health of their patients tremendously. “82 percent of those using such electronic records said they improved the quality of clinical decisions, 86 percent said they helped in avoiding medication errors and 85 percent said they improved the delivery of preventative care” (Lohr, 2008).
However, I do think that there are many downsides to this type of technology. First of all, it is extremely expensive. Although the government is working to get incentives for medical facilities to adopt this type of technology (estimated at $27 billion), it is still very expensive for the doctors to take this on. It also may not be easy to use, and you would need to be completely versed in the new software to be able to work it effectively. For many doctors it is simply not worth the time and effort that you have to put into it to be able to use it. Dr. Paul Feldan, a doctor from New Jersey, said that “the initial cost of upgrading the office’s personal computers, buying new software, and obtaining technical support to make the shift would be $15,000 to $20,000 a doctor. Then, during the time-consuming conversion from paper to computer records, the practice would be able to see far fewer patients, perhaps doubling the cost” (Lohr, 2008). This shows that, although many doctors are pleased with the idea of this technology, it could be too costly, both in money and time, to actually go through with it. Also, there is no “one size fits all system” that can be used for all practices. This makes finding a program extremely difficult. Primarily because one may not be able to find software that runs the same way that they ran their manual system to run their practice. Also, most of these systems are designed for larger practices or hospitals, so they cannot be easily converted to a small practice environment. They are not able to make a one fits all system, and this is going to hurt their efforts dramatically (Deutsch). 54 percent of doctors said that finding a system that fit their practice was a “major barrier” to adoption (Lohr, 2008).
Overall, I think that adopting electronic health records could help doctors and patients, alike. From an office management perspective, most doctors’ offices are significantly behind the rest of the world in their automation efforts and at some point common sense says that this pain should be dealt with. However, there are many different problems with taking on a system that could be costly and difficult to implement.
Works Cited
Lohr, Steve. "Carrots, Sticks, and Digital Health Records." The New York Times. 26 Feb. 2011. Web. 17 Mar. 2011.
Lohr, Steve. "Most Doctors Aren't Using Electronic Health Records." The New York Times 19 June 2008. Web. 17 Mar. 2011.
Deutsch, John. "HTR Stories." EMR Software & Medical Billing Software Reviews, Ratings & Comparisons at Health Technology Review. 6 Nov. 2007. Web. 21 Mar. 2011.
In order for Electronic Medical Records to work, companies will have to take advantage of the computer literacy of today's population. Years ago, I don't think this technology would have been efficient because receptionists would have had a tough time managing it. Every time I walk into an office there is some form I have to fill out. Usually it is one I have completed many times before. EMR can eliminate this process if my medical records are saved in an online network. It makes it a lot easier for patients to manage their healthcare and access records. It also makes it easier for different doctors to share information and work together. EMR allows the possibility for everything to be stored in one database. If doctors were given access to this database, and of course the patient themself, I think the healthcare system would be a lot more effecient. However, there is always the question of privacy and security that seems to be raised with every new form of IT.
ReplyDeleteI do not think that adopting electronic health records is the best decision for doctors’ offices right now. It is true that it would make the office more organized and create more space, but what for? I do not see a problem with having medical records in the form of papers. Unless significant problems arise that force doctors to replace manual records with electronic ones, I do not think they should implement this new system. It is extremely expensive, and I think the money could be spent on more appropriate issues in the medical field. So many people in our world are sick without healthcare or health insurance, and I think that is a crisis that is much more important than converting medical records to a computer. Also, our generation has become technologically advanced, but previous generations still lack this expertise. Many middle-aged or older people work in doctors’ offices, and would most likely need to be trained to use the new system. Plus, our technology is still not perfect and suffers glitches. It would be awful and devastating if the system failed and lost all patient records. Overall, I think the shift from paper records to digital records is not worth the time, money or effort.
ReplyDeleteIt seems that both sides of the argument for Electronic Medical Records are strong. I think that the solution is to start slowly by converting larger hospitals that can afford it to EMR and see how it works out. While paper records have worked to this point, electronic records are the future. Yes, there are many speed bumps to overcome during the transfer from paper to electronic, but once the transition is made, I feel that the system will be greatly beneficial. The only part of this that raises a flag with me is the security of such records. Just like anything else stored on a computer, these records will be susceptible to hacking, and information can be stolen. While there is a risk of this for paper records, it would require a person to break into a hospital and steal the records, which is much more preventable than hacking. All in all, while this shift does not need to be immediate, I do believe that it should be done, and will be done in the near future.
ReplyDeleteI think this article is very interesting. I am surprised that more doctor's offices have not already converted to digital records. I understand the expense behind the switch from paper to digital records; however, I can see many benefits to the switch. I think through using digital records less mistakes will be made. I remember a couple of years ago, my brother was given the same vaccination twice because the doctor's office failed to record what he needed and what he didn't. After that mistake we left the practice. The doctor we use now has almost completely eliminated paper in her office, and she is able to access any piece of information instantly, which makes the appointment so much faster. Within seconds she is able to access information about my medical history since I was born. Although it is expensive and time consuming at first, I think switching to digital records will be extremely beneficial in the long run. The new doctor that my family has, has never had an issue of not recording something or losing something else. She is extremely organized which is essential in a doctor’s office.
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