Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Has Become One

Electronic Medical Records (EMR) has become one of the most famous topics in the healthcare industry in the recent years since the use of the Internet has extended into more areas. The popularity of electronic medical records has also been fueled by the recent increase in the need to lessen the costs of health care services. This record is an electronic information sharing system through the Internet for both providers and patients. Consequently, physicians can update their data, prescriptions, and research into these online systems as patients and doctors can access the information from anywhere in the world (Michael, n.d.). Electronic Medical Records have both advantages and disadvantages though the merits are more than the demerits.

Advantages of EMR:

As previously mentioned, the advantages associated with electronic medical records outweigh the disadvantages. Some of the major advantages of these systems include

Centralization of Patient Data:

EMR are widely known for their advantage of storage of all patient information in one location to promote easy access. As the medical field is becoming increasingly specialized, there is an increased need for easy access of all medical information at the same time. As a result of centralization of patient data, patients have the ability to see multiple doctors at the same time for different issues. Moreover, an electronic medical record system enables every physician to see the diagnosis and treatment plans of the other doctors. This is extremely important since it helps in preventing over-medication or treatment plans that contradict each other.

Better Diagnosis:

Without the availability and accessibility of all patient information, diagnosing conditions or treatments can be very difficult. Electronic medical records have increased the greater chance for correct diagnosis of medical conditions through enabling health care providers to see all the symptoms the patient may possess as well as others identified by the other doctors. This not only contributes to better diagnosis but it also results in faster diagnosis that leads to quicker treatment and probability to save lives.

Saving Space:

In addition to cost saving, one of the major advantages of electronic medical records is that they save space. This is primarily because patient information is no longer stored in huge paper files but all records are stored in computer files. Due to computer storage, a small percentage is required to keep the physical records ("What are the Advantages of Electronic Medical Records?" n.d.). Furthermore, electronic medical records help to save space by reducing the paper work needed by clinical offices, insurance companies, or hospitals. While EMR do not render paper obsolete, they lessen the needed paper significantly.

Time Saving:

Since they save space and costs, the electronic medical record systems also contribute to time saving. Even though email and faxing helped a physician to obtain patient information from another physician, there was still wait time. However, these systems promote instant access to all of a patient's data and empower the doctors to act in the appropriate manner and thus save time.

Disadvantages of EMR:

Despite of the numerous advantages of these systems, electronic medical records also have some major disadvantages including & #8230;

Start-up Costs:

This is the major disadvantage of the systems since lessening cost has become a major issue for all stakeholders in the healthcare industry. The start up or introduction of the EMR systems is relatively high despite of the fact that they lessen administrative costs (Gurley, n.d.). The high start up costs originates from the initially required training, software, and imputing current information associated with the systems.

Security:

The storage of patient data or information online has generated huge significant security concern, especially with the fact that they may be exploited or hacked by others. This is a major disadvantage or concern since the first consideration of clinical treatment is confidentiality. As a result, electronic medical records have contributed to concerns regarding the number of people having access to the patient's medical records. This is increasingly fueled by the fact that misuse of confidential clinical information can create numerous problems, especially for patients who wish to keep their conditions private. With the increased use of the systems, ensuring the privacy, confidentiality, and security of personal medical records or information is becoming more challenging.