The Electronic Health Record System - Essay Example

"The Electronic Health Record System" is an inspiring example of a paper on the health system. 
Before going into the discussion regarding the importance of the Electronic Health Record (EHR) System in healthcare settings, let us get a better understanding of what EHR is. Tatum (n.d.) states, “Electronic health records are copies of an individual’s medical history that is stored as electronic data”. EHR is one of the most important aspects of any healthcare organization because it helps doctors and employees manage all administrative and professional activities related to patients using the information that is collected and analyzed by the EHR system. An EHR system is not only used for the collection of patient-related data but also it is used to process, analyze, and disseminate the collected information or data to carry out different activities related to the provision of healthcare to the patients. “The medical records can cover a wide range of aspects of the patient’s health while stored in a format that is easily transferable between health providers” (Tatum, n.d.).

Quick collection of information and the provision of accurate information to the healthcare providers are two of the most significant aspects related to the EHR systems. Timeliness is of extreme importance for a healthcare organization because it helps doctors provide quick treatment to patients based on their medical histories. In case of emergency, the need for quick data retrieval becomes more necessary. EHR system fulfills this need of the doctors by providing them with the required information in a very short time.

Data security is one of the key aspects of EHR because the data is computerized which prevents unauthorized people from accessing the data. An efficient EHR system not only improves data security but also provides benefits to health consumers. Moreover, the data is not lost in case of any hazard because it can be saved in more than one place. EHR also helps

health professionals in the analysis of information by providing them with accurate and up to date information about the patients. Complete medical histories of the patients can be stored in their respective folders, which can help health professionals retrieve that data easily and quickly when needed. Quick retrieval of accurate information also helps doctors provide instant medical care to the patients, which is a considerable benefit for health consumers.

The only challenge in implementing this system in a healthcare setting is the ability of the employees to use such software. Management of the healthcare organization where such a system is to be used should first provide proper training to all concerned employees regarding the use of this system and then they should go to implement it. The management should consider all technical and social issues while training the employees. The employees should be made aware of the importance of information security or privacy of the patients’ information so that they should not disclose any patient’s information to any unconcerned person.

The benefits and efficiency of using the EHR system can be evaluated by comparing the past and present organizational performances. EHR systems improve the performance of any healthcare organization by providing them with many considerable benefits, such as documentation of patient-doctor interactions, retrieving medical histories quickly, making referrals, increased storage capacity, and customized view of relevant information. Considering these advantages, a well-structured EHR system is productive for any healthcare organization.