Electronic Health Redords

Hajar Alabdulmuhsin

120014083

EHR

Term paper

Communication Through Electronic Medical Records

Communication through Electronic Medical Records

Paper- based records have been around for many years, but with constant advancements in

technology, much of information that once was recorded on paper, is now being recorded on the

computer, in an attempt to eliminate paper-based medical records completely. Electronic medical

records (EMR) are a replacement for the traditional paper charts. The main purpose of electronic

medical records is documentation of the medical records containing the patient’s medical history, test

results, care received, medications used, and any known allergies. This is very beneficial for many

health care providers as well as their patients. Now doctors and nurses have the opportunity to evaluate

and compare the patient’s medical history with each other; this helps them to accurately diagnosed the

problem and determine the best plan of care for each patient.

Benefits to Patient

Utilizing EMRs decreases the amount of time that is spent on paperwork and reduces the

likelihood of someone’s medical records getting lost, misplaced, or misfiled. This helps to improve

both the quality and safety in caring for a patient. After all, there is no substitution for having accurate

medical information about a patient along with immediate accessibility within the health care facility

(Dr. Bill Crounse, 2005). All of the patients’ information is stored in a main computer server within the

health care facility. Most health care organization’s computer system is backed up daily to external hard

drives which are kept both onsite and offsite to help prevent the loss of vitally important information in

the event of unexpected damage to the computer or building. This significantly reduces the chances of

the patients’ information getting into the wrong hands or violating any HIPPA guidelines. The

electronic medical records kept within the...