Tag: electronic medical records

Paperless Patient Care

Most people reading this probably grew up in an age of paper medical care details, hand-written medications, and faxed or sent by mail test results. A common sight at many physicians’ office visit was a wall of patient files containing just this kind of details, all alphabetized and marked with little colored tabs. However, to younger visitors and what will certainly be the case for your children, this program of handling your medical care information will look like it belongs in a museum. In a world where you can do everything from book, to pay your takes and even call a cab online, the idea of depending on document records to arrange important elements of your medical care and also one of the biggest sectors in the United States seems ancient.

For decades now, medical care service suppliers have discussed the move from paper-based medical care information. Today, electronic medical care record techniques are finally becoming more popular. This is a pattern that has been growing over the past 10 years but that has significantly extended since 2009, when President Obama released the “Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act”, an incentive program to motivate medical care centers and patient care suppliers to look at digital medical care information. To date, the stimulation bundle has provided immeasurable dollars to over one hundred thousand qualified medical care centers and qualified patient care suppliers  who have confirmed adopting, called “meaningful use,” of qualified EHR technology. Improvement is being made, for example, a report by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found that the number of medical care centers using some kind of EMR has tripled in the last three years, bringing the total utilization up to 44 percent of US medical care centers.

The conversion away from paper-based methods to digital medical care information, however, has not been easy, or quick. Part of the problem has less to do with technology and more to do with culture. Applying an EMR program means that patient care suppliers and other medical center staff have to go about their work in a different way than in a paper-based environment. Applying an EMR invariably has an effect on clinical process since a new part is being added between the patient and doctor and how the doctor is documenting the individual’s information and developing a plan of proper care.

Effects of Technology on Patient Care

Technological innovation has become an important part of the nursing career and patient care. However, in many circumstances, it has also become an annoying one. Take, for example, electronic medical records (EMR). As more and more hospitals turn from paper charts to EMRs to get to know a patient’s history, medical staffs have to evolve to this new, technologically-driven method of charting. Yet, many nurses do not get sufficient training and education, making them exacerbated of know-how and not really prepared to use it successfully. The truth is that, with the right knowledge and the right resources, nurses can use technology to improve patient results in patient care and their own professions. Here are some illustrations of how you can use technology to your advantage:

It provides straightforward access to patient information. – When nurses think about EMR systems, they often concentrate on the disadvantages, such as the plenty of screens to check and the limitless displays they have to surf through. However, EMRs really can save your time by offering accessibility patient lab results, history, physical information and notes all in one location. Obtaining this data via paper charts could take hours, but with an EMR, it’s all at your convenience.

It helps provide precise medicines. – Every health professional knows about the five privileges of medication management. However, many nurses also know first-hand how challenging it can be to document each step on paper. Luckily, with EMRs, precise medication information is always available and up-dates can be recorded with convenience. You can also quickly access allergic reaction backgrounds and medication information and see how the medication will communicate with other medicines. As a result, you can ensure that the right medication is going to the right sufferers.

It enables you to research illnesses and diseases. – Every day, you care for sufferers being affected by an ever-changing variety of conditions. It’s challenging, if not difficult, to know everything about every illness process. However, it is simple to learn. Internet sources such as UpToDate.com, an evidence-based, physician-authored medical data source, can give you information you need to cure diseases that you don’t regularly experience.