Before physicians begin the treatment of any patient, their medical history plays a vital role in determining the overall treatment plan. There is a certain pathway that needs to be followed in order to get the best practice results however; it gets harder for physicians to address patient concerns if they are unable to provide their medical history. With the availability of patients medical history, physicians can see what treatment patients have already gone through, and whether that showed chances of recovery or they require a different kind of treatment altogether. Furthermore, physicians can also get an idea of the family history, personal history, important test reports, and prescribed medications. Being equipped with these essential tools, physicians are able to diagnose the problem and follow the proper treatment path quickly and precisely.
Due to the supreme importance of this issue, gurus have come up with the idea of improving the system where they could better manage and share health records. This gave rise to Electronic Medical Records (EMR). An EMR is simply an electronic version of medical records which is used to maintain patient’s medical history. With the help of an EMR, information can be stored, transferred and retrieved from multiple locations securely and accurately. EMR is well known for making medical practice paperless and for rescuing physicians who were trapped under piles of paper folders.
In addition, certified EMRs are becoming increasing popular in the industry due to their customized and detail oriented components such as administrative sections, clinical systems, interoperability, online physician appointment scheduling, and clinical documentation. Leading EMR vendors are offering these certified EMRs that cuts down their cost, reduces physicians workload, speeds-up administrative processes and most importantly, ensures compliance with industry standards. With the adoption of certified EMRs, physicians can also comply with ‘meaningful use’ requirements, and therefore qualify for the incentives offered by the government.
Technology is playing an important role in ensuring efficient delivery of healthcare services. With certified EMRs, health IT has certainly provided the means for improving the quality of care delivery, while increasing overall practice efficiency.