Running head: ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD SYSTEM PRESENTATION

Electronic Health Record System Presentation Name: Professor: Course: Date:

ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD SYSTEM PRESENTATION

In the contemporary world, there are numerous technological developments being discovered constantly. This have resulted in positive results for the various sectors they are implemented. In the health sector, which is arguably one of the most essential sectors in society, the influence of technology is apparent. This is because of medical practitioners seeking to enhance their services to patients (Scott, 2007). Technology has been identified as one of the methods, which can be used to augment service delivery in the medical sector. Example of a prominent development in the sector is the Electronic Health Record System. This is a revolutionary technical advancement, which is instrumental in streamlining the services of medical practitioners. It is, therefore, imperative for the realization of progressive medical care that this technology is incorporated in daily functions. The electronic health record (EHR) is a revolutionary technology, which involves the accurate and efficient collection of data from patients. The system employs digital technology making it conceivable for the information to be manipulated and shared across different

health facilities. Sharing of this information is facilitated by the use of network technology. The EHR system has adequate capacity to accommodate the storage of diverse patient information including demographics, medical history, immunization status and allergies among others (Scott, 2007). This ensures that the medical practitioners have information which is readily accessible and can be shared if need be enhancing the treatment of patients seeking the service. Therefore, the benefits of the using the system are apparent, however; there are numerous other aspects which need to be involved to conclude if the technology is appropriate for implementation in health care. This will involve appraising the pros and limitation involved with the technology. Employment of the EHR system will transform the overreliance of the medical sector on paper records to more efficient digital ones. With the availability of computers and the supporting software, it is conceivable for the medical sector in the contemporary times to

ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD SYSTEM PRESENTATION

streamline its operations encompassing technology. Considering this, implementation of the EHR system will result in several advantages for a hospital setting. A prominent advantage of the implementation of the EHR is accessibility of information. Implementation of this system will ensure that the hospital staffs have easy and instant access to patient information and records (Amatayakul, Lazarus and Medical Group Management Association, 2005). Among the information accessed, include previous history, allergies, lab results and diagnoses of the patient. Timely access is instrumental in ensuring that a patient is provided with quality care, which is lifesaving. This is because the hospital staff will be able to diagnose faster and accurately. The information also ensures that there is coordination during the service provision since the personnel will be sentient of the condition of the patient and, therefore, perform the appropriate actions (Scott, 2007). The staff will also be provided with the lab results of patients from their previous aliments and the current state of their health. This will be through interfacing between the labs involved in the treatment of the patient. Another advantage, which is synonymous with the implementation of the EHR, is that the information of the clients will be secure even though it will be readily accessible. The system has reliable security measures, which restrict the access of unauthorized individuals while ensuring easy access for the hospital personnel. Only the authorized and professional individuals will be allowed access to this crucial information. Therefore, the personnel who are liable in the incidence there is leakage or misuse of this sensitive information, it is easy to identify the breach. Use of the EHR will diminish the clutter associated with paper records. Paper records are bulky and, therefore; it is taxing to manage the information recorded in this format. This is because the personnel have to sieve through the information recorded in these papers and forms manually, in order to obtain the relevant one, a process, which is time consuming and can result in death (Walker, Bieber and Richards, 2006). The EHR is also easy to update if

ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD SYSTEM PRESENTATION

there are changes in the health of an individual. This is in contrast with the paper recording approach whereby it is difficult to update the existing information without discarding the file. The digital nature of the EHR enables personnel to alter the existent information without necessarily destroying the existent information. This has been facilitated by computer technology, which enables easy manipulation of information. The system also facilitates for the exchange of information with other institutions in the instance there is a transfer involving patients. The rigorous of combing through paperwork is ridded since the information is transferred using the internet. This takes a short time, and the information can be integrated seamlessly into the current hospital system (Amatayakul, Lazarus and Medical Group Management Association, 2005). Therefore, the transfer of information through the system is efficient and usable. Use of the EHR is also economic since it makes the operations of the hospital efficient hence minimizing the impediments the personnel are exposed to during their duty. The expense of paper and storage cabinets involved with paper records will be removed by the new system. In addition, the records will be durable and capable of being stored for longer periods than the paper ones. This will ensure that vital information is not lost or misplaced by the personnel since the system will centralize hospital records. Despite the numerous advantages related to the implementation of the EHR, there are concerns over several limitations related to the system. One of the concerns is the cost of implementing the system. This technological upgrade will require financing by the hospital in order for it to be actualized (Walker, Bieber and Richards, 2006). Despite the availability of computers and the supporting programs for the EHR, it is still costly to implement the system. However, the costs implicated with the employment of the system are cancelled out by its long-term benefits. The implementation of the system will result in long-term gains for the hospital. Therefore, despite the implementation of the system costing considerably for

ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD SYSTEM PRESENTATION

the hospital, this will be overshadowed by the long-term benefits realized by the hospital due to the use of the EHR. Another concern associated with the implementation of the system is security and privacy concerns. The system results in centralizing of the organizations information, which results in increased access for the staff personnel. This is a limitation since the medical records are considered private and, therefore, should be accessible to the authorized personnel only. Therefore, not all of the hospital staffs are allowed to access this information. This, however, can be remedied through the implementation of restrictions and regulations concerning the access of medical records (Amatayakul, Lazarus and Medical Group Management Association, 2005). The authorized personnel should be clearly identified to avoid confusion hence regulating the access of this information. This will ensure the privacy of the records is uncompromised maintaining privacy. Therefore, this issue can be addressed through policy and restricting access using security apparatus like passwords among others. There are also concerns over security due to hacking and viruses. This is because since the information is predominantly of digital nature, it is exposed to these unique risk factors. This concern is, however, manageable with the implementation of stringent security measures including firewall and other security tools. This will ensure that the misdemeanours involved with digital technology are addressed. This will prevent such cases from occurring in the society. Another limitation involved with the use of the EHR is that it requires trained personnel to be operated. This means that the hospital will have to recruit new personnel to handle this new system. Another viable method will be to retrain the personnel to be proficient in handling the new system. All these approaches will involve the hospital investing some revenue to make this an actuality (Scott, 2007). In addition, the hospital will have to retrench those employed to handle paper records. This is because the new system will

ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD SYSTEM PRESENTATION

replace their mandate hence they will be irrelevant to the hospital. This is not an outright limitation for the organization, but there will be resistance from various bodies on the layoffs. This will result in adverse publicity for the organization. This can, however, be avoided if the staffs are reabsorbed into other sections of the hospital. It is apparent that there are more pros than limitations involved with the use of the EHR. Therefore, the system is more beneficial to an organization than it is a liability. Adoption of the technology will result in progressive operations for the hospital; hence enhance its service delivery and reputation in the end.

ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD SYSTEM PRESENTATION

References Amatayakul, M., Lazarus, S. S., & Medical Group Management Association. (2005). Electronic health records: Transforming your medical practice. Englewood, CO: Medical Group Management Association. Scott, T. (2007). Implementing an electronic medical record system: Success, failures, lessons. Abingdon: Radcliffe. Walker, J. M., Bieber, E. J., & Richards, F. (2006). Implementing an electronic health record system. New York: Springer.