Embracing of EHR in Healthcare

Ehr in Healthcare

The emergency of the new information technology solutions in society and in business in the United States has been a game-changer in many ways. Just one of those things that has changed greatly is the shift towards digitization of records and processes in the healthcare sector. In the past, hard copy records and other physical methods were the norm and were in fact expected. However, there has been a shift towards making PDF or other digital file formats out of all records so that they can be shared and sent quickly rather than relying on physical handling such as from department to department or via the mail or other physical delivery means. While the kinks of the new digital healthcare paradigm are being worked out, it is absolutely the future and it is what the new norm should be.

Analysis

When it comes to information technology and patient transitions, the use of information technology is important on a number of levels. First, if the records in question are digital, they are much easier to share and forward to other parties and offices. Rather than producing a physical copy and sending via mail or faxing, a set of records can be sent via secure email or other means between departments so that they can receive the information they need and/or required immediately rather than having to wait for people to get the job done via more arduous means. Beyond that, practice management and other software can be used to automate that process and make information available to anyone that could or should need it. Of course, the common rules of "need to know" can and should be followed. However, avoiding hoops to jump through that are not mandated by HIPAA and ethics should be the norm rather than an aberration. Indeed, the use of regional healthcare networks and other collectives of patient providers allow for efficient sharing and disseminating of records and doing all of this in the proper way is of huge importance (Jamshed, Ozair, Sharma & Aggarwal, 2015).

Even with all of this, the proper ethics, guidelines and laws should be adhered to. This would include the aforementioned HIPAA as well as guidelines or requirements from organizations and leadership groups such as NHIN and others. Meaningful use is all about getting the information to whoever needs it and so that it can be used in the proper way. Anything short of that is a lack of realization of how data can be yielded and sent but anything beyond that could be a breach of patient privacy and trust. A provider's office is state of the art if everything is kept digital whenever possible and information that is not digital is made digital via PDF scan or some other means in a quick and efficient fashion. One way that the author's office is lagging behind is that a patient information packet or web form is not available online via the website. There are patients that are more than willing to fill out the information in advance to avoid doing so at the office at the time of the first appointment or referral. While this solution is not workable or usable for everyone, it is something that should be presented and allowed for whenever possible as there are absolutely patients that are willing to cooperate with making things digital from the onset and this only speeds up treatment, assessment and positive outcomes for the patient. Even with that, there are patients that resist that and this is unavoidable. However, the point is that the office or provider should not be the source of this slowness or bottleneck (Layman, 2016).