How Does EHR Help to Improve Patient Care?
The introduction of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have been transformational for the healthcare industry. It demonstrated the potential simple and complete patient health records can have on patient care and their journey.
You see, the lack of access to complete health information can cause complications one can not even imagine. That’s when you see patients being treated for one disease come out of the clinic, knowing that what they have is now a derivative of that treatment.
However, traditional methods were not to blame completely. However, finding a solution to this in healthcare software and bringing it to the mainstream is what EHR systems have done.
Interestingly, that is the news of the past few years. We, as a healthcare industry in the United States, have moved away from that. Today, the healthcare industry swings between handling a huge number of patients and providing effective and filling EHRs.
A study suggests that around 34% of the providers’ time is spent filling out EHR and other documentation.
Well, the question is, does the provider really need to spend that much amount of time on patient interaction and documentation?
Finding a mid-way out of this, many healthcare practices have started their shift to customizable EHR with EHR software development. In this blog, we are making an attempt to help you understand why you should make your shift to a custom EHR software system so that the basic aim of your practice is to improve patient care activities, effectively and efficiently.
So, without further ado, let’s get started!
Enhanced Accuracy & Accessibility
As discussed earlier, the EHR systems improved the accessibility to patient health data. You see EHR and patient care improvement goes hand-in-hand. In a custom EHR software system, you create a centralized platform for storing patient data and eliminate the risk of lost or misplaced records.
In short, you can easily cover each and every aspect of patient care from those records, which also act like clinical decision-support tools. Apart from that, digital storage ensures clear and legible information compared to traditional practices of handwritten notes and reduces the chances of human errors.
However, the chances of unauthorized access increases with this. But the EHR implementation strategies ensure that you instill encryption and role-based access authentication to ensure secure access to data.
And the transition of data processes coupled with the feature of real-time updates prove to be clinical for improving care coordination. In this way EHR alone by streamlining one single factor of data storage impacts the core of healthcare delivery.
Streamlined Communication & Collaboration
Moving on to the next benefits of EHR for patients and providers alike, is communication and collaboration. Improved communication in healthcare is something that fosters core aspects of care such as continuity of care or preventive care.
To streamline this, custom EHR software solutions come with secure messaging features within the system, which allows patients to connect with providers such as doctors, nurses and specialists almost instantly. This eliminates the need for long wait hours and in cases of emergency can be as useful as an ambulance.
Though custom EHR software cannot completely replace the element of physical interaction for certain diagnosis or care delivery, for minor aspects of care it allows healthcare providers to make informed decisions and ensure that the best possible preventative care is provided.
Furthermore, a streamlined workflow with EHR ensures that everyone in the patient’s care journey is on the same page and working towards the same goal to provide the best possible care. This coupling with real-time access to patient history allows for informed decision-making during consultation and emergency situations.
Improved Quality of Care
With access to data, different facets of healthcare can be easily uncovered. However, finding the missing link to the pool of data can be difficult. This is where the advanced technology in custom EHR systems can be used. By optimizing EHR for patient-centered care, decision support tools can be instilled for potential drug interactions or care plan curation.
Along with that, automated alerts options can effectively identify patients with potential health risks. This way medication errors can be easily eliminated and preventive care through EHR will be delivered effectively.
Furthermore, with EHR data analysis, trends and patterns in patient health can be easily identified, aiding population health management and prevention of diseases. Given the contagious nature of many diseases, data analysis in EHR can change the face of the practice and can turn out to be life-saving in similar times to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Patient Empowerment & Engagement
During our journey as a healthcare IT service provider, we have encountered many healthcare providers who insist on having a dedicated feature of a patient portal in their software. You see, with patient portals important aspects such as patient empowerment and engagement gets simplified.
Moreover, it acts as a unified platform for the patients to view their medical history and lab results and schedule their upcoming appointments. Along with this, the features of secure messaging allow patients to directly communicate with their healthcare providers and empower them to proactively take part in their care journey. This has a psychological effect on the patients, where their involvement allows them to have better engagement in their journey and make effective decisions with a better adherence rate.
Along with that, with integrated patient portals, educational resources become easier for patients to access and that too within the EHR systems. This empowers patients to make informed decisions about their health and healthcare providers to deliver the best possible care. Patient engagement with EHR tries to create a win-win situation in custom EHR systems and as you can even promote it as benefits of EHR for patients in care delivery.
Reduced Costs & Increased Efficiency
The challenges and solutions in EHR adoption have been the cost of custom EHR software systems. Though the venture seems a costly affair at first, it can significantly change the face of the practice and even help you reduce significant operational costs in the long run.
By eliminating the need for paper charts and healthcare storage concerns, the administrative burden is effectively reduced. This increases the efficiency of both staff and providers and allows them to focus more on patient care activities. Along with this, streamlined workflows and improved data accessibility can lead to faster diagnoses and treatment plans and faster and better care delivery.
Furthermore, a reduction in duplication of tests and procedures due to readily available patient data promotes collaboration and allows for proper utilization of resources.
Conclusion
In conclusion, EHRs have revolutionized patient care by enhancing accuracy, streamlining communication, and empowering patients. With centralized data storage, real-time updates, and seamless collaboration, EHRs ensure efficient healthcare delivery and informed decision-making. As technology continues to evolve, the potential of EHRs in improving outcomes and reducing costs remains promising.
Let’s embrace this transformation and explore the boundless possibilities of EHRs in shaping the future of healthcare. Take the next step in understanding EHRs and their impact on healthcare by delving deeper into this transformative technology.
Frequently Asked Questions
EHRs improve communication by providing a central repository for patient data, facilitating better information sharing between providers, reducing medical errors, and enabling more coordinated care.
EHR systems employ a variety of security measures to protect patient data, including access controls, encryption, and regular security audits. Access controls ensure that only authorized personnel can access patient information, while encryption safeguards data both at rest and in transit. Regular security audits help identify and address potential vulnerabilities.
Healthcare organizations can address EHR implementation challenges by:
- Thorough planning: Defining clear goals, selecting the right system, and allocating sufficient resources.
- User training: Providing comprehensive training to all staff on EHR usage and workflows.
- Data migration: Ensuring accurate and timely data migration from legacy systems.
- Change management: Addressing staff concerns and resistance to change through effective communication and support.
- Ongoing maintenance: Regularly updating and maintaining the EHR system to ensure optimal performance and security.
EHRs improve data accuracy by reducing manual data entry errors, standardizing data formats, and enabling automated data checks. They improve access by providing real-time, secure access to patient information from anywhere with an internet connection, facilitating better coordination of care among providers.
EHRs facilitate care coordination by providing a central repository of patient information accessible to all involved healthcare teams. This enables seamless information sharing, reduces medical errors, improves communication, and ensures consistent care across the continuum.
EHRs empower patients by providing them with easy access to their health records, facilitating better communication with healthcare providers, and enabling them to actively participate in their care decisions.
EHRs support data-driven decisions by:
- Centralizing patient data: Providing a comprehensive view of patient history, enabling better diagnoses and treatment plans.
- Generating reports and analytics: Identifying trends, predicting risks, and optimizing resource allocation.
- Facilitating population health management: Monitoring disease outbreaks, targeting interventions, and improving overall public health.
- Supporting clinical decision support: Providing evidence-based recommendations, alerting providers to potential issues, and improving care quality.
Key challenges include high costs, resistance to change, data security concerns, and interoperability issues. Addressing these requires adequate funding, comprehensive training, robust security measures, and collaborative efforts to improve data sharing standards.
Healthcare organizations can measure the impact of EHRs on patient care quality and efficiency by tracking key metrics such as:
- Reduced medication errors and adverse drug events: EHRs can help reduce these errors through features like automated alerts and reminders.
- Improved care coordination: EHRs facilitate communication between providers, leading to better care transitions and reduced readmissions.
- Increased patient satisfaction: EHRs can improve patient engagement and communication, leading to higher satisfaction scores.
- Enhanced clinical decision-making: EHRs provide access to evidence-based guidelines and support clinical decision-making.
- Increased efficiency: EHRs can streamline administrative tasks, freeing up staff time for patient care.
- Improved population health management: EHRs can help identify and manage high-risk patient populations.
