From the Guidelines
Electronic Medical Records (EMR) should be implemented in healthcare settings to improve patient care, reduce medical errors, and enhance coordination between healthcare providers. The most recent and highest quality study, 1, published in 2020, highlights the potential of EMR portals to improve patient engagement, with approximately 90% of U.S. health care systems and providers offering patients online portal access to their EHR data. This study also notes that despite the robust patient portal infrastructure, only 15% to 30% of patients use even a single portal feature, indicating a need for increased patient engagement and education.
The benefits of EMR implementation are numerous, including:
- Improved patient care through better access to complete medical histories
- Reduced medical errors
- Enhanced coordination between healthcare providers
- More efficient workflows
- Reduced duplicate testing
- Decreased paperwork
- Automated medication alerts for potential drug interactions
- Support for evidence-based clinical decision making
While implementation requires substantial investment in technology, staff training, and workflow redesign, and raises concerns about data security and privacy, the long-term benefits generally outweigh these challenges, as noted in 1 and 1. Healthcare organizations should develop comprehensive implementation plans that include adequate training, technical support, and security measures to ensure successful adoption, as recommended in 1. The transition from paper to electronic records may initially slow productivity, but most facilities experience improved efficiency and better patient outcomes once staff become proficient with the system.
From the Research
Benefits of Electronic Medical Records (EMR)
- Improved coordination of care 2
- Reduced errors 2
- More involved patients 2
- Complete and safe documentation of patient information 2
- Improved quality of care 3
- Decreased healthcare provision costs 4
- Improved access to healthcare data 4
- Improved self-care, quality of care, and health and patient-centered outcomes 4
Implementation of EMR
- Interventions focused on the use of EMR functions, such as referrals, electronic communication, reminders, use of clinical decision support systems, and workflow management support functions, can improve EMR use 2
- Interventions focused on data quality can also improve EMR use 2
- Implementing EMR feature add-ons, such as clinical decision support systems and customized referral templates, can be beneficial 2
- Providing educational materials or financial incentives can also improve EMR use 2
Patient Access to EMR
- Patient access to their own EMR can improve self-reported levels of engagement or activation related to self-management 4
- Patient access to their own EMR can also improve knowledge, recovery scores, and organizational efficiencies 4
- However, concerns around security, privacy, and confidentiality of health records, as well as anxiety amongst patients, need to be addressed 4
Future of EMR
- The future electronic health record is expected to be a shared tool, engaging patients in decision making, wellness, and disease management 5
- Advances in "big data" technologies, payment model reform, proliferation of mobile platforms, telemedicine, genomics, and individualized medicine will drive the development of EMR 5