Paper vs. Electronic Health Records

With the constant changes happening in the health care industry we need a way to keep up with these advances in healthcare. I purpose that we use electronic health record (EHR) as opposed to the traditional paper record. The initial cost of the electronic health record will be more, however in the long run it will save the hospital money, encourage patient participation in their own care, and improve the quality and availability of the patient care.

The electronic health record can offer clearer lines of communication between the physician and the patient as well as improve communication between physician and nurses. Another plus of having an electronic health record is that if we are linked to other hospitals we are able to exchange patient information we ease. For example, if person who is on vacation comes into the emergency room we would be able to access their medical information from another facility and provide a better quality of care for them. The electronic health record will also help improve quality of care because it will make health information more readily available which will reduce the delays in treatment and give us the much need information to improve the care coordination for the patient. The EHR also would help reduce the amount of medical errors by improving the accuracy of the health record. The electronic health record offers medical reminders or alerts to inform nurses or physicians if there is a possible drug interaction or a lab report appears abnormal.

Over all I feel that the electronic health record will truly benefit both the hospital and the patients. It will help the hospital save money, improve access the patient records and develop better communication with physicians and patients. The patient will receive an improved quality of care because the EHR will allow physicians and nurses to access patient records faster thus allowing them to make better decisions in coordinating the care for the patient.

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