Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Systems

Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Systems

Electronic Medical Record (EMR) Systems

Introduction

Electronic Medical Record (EMR) means an electronic record of health-related information on an individual that could be managed, gathered, created, and checked by official staff and clinicians in any healthcare organization. To ensure quality yet dramatically reduce costs, hospitals and health care clinics are adopting electronic medical record (EMR) systems. EMR systems record all the information generated by the health care facility and its patients in electronic form.

Hospitals and medical practices have long used information systems for business functions such as accounts receivable, accounts payable, payroll, and electronic billing. Clinical computerized applications are not as widespread. Certainly, some organizations use computer systems in specific areas, such as laboratories or patient scheduling, but their use in direct patient care is in early development, and their value has not been established. Variation in clinical practices and rapidly changing technology make standardization (which is required for any good database) difficult. This paper provides a comprehensive evaluation of two electronic medical record systems (Telemedicine and Telehealth) in primary health care for drug interaction and accuracy.

Discussion

Attitudes toward health information management systems (HIMS) have changed, specifically toward electronic medical records (EMR), not only a process of replacing paper record with information on a computer, but a process that organizes the information in such a way as to make the information analyzable to add to the quality of care provided to the patient. The EMR is also known as a CMR (computerized medical record) and EHR (electronic health record). (Barsukiewicz 2008)

Telemedicine

“Telemedicine is the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve patients' health status” (American Telemedicine Association [ATA], 2007). It is a tool that enables providers to deliver health care services to patients at distant locations, and it is often promoted as a means of addressing the imbalances in the distribution of health care resources. Telemedicine systems have evolved over the past few decades, becoming most prevalent during the 1990s owing to major advancements in telecommunications technology and decreases in equipment and transmission costs. Telemedicine may be as simple as two health care sources talking about a case over the telephone or as refined as using videoconferencing and satellite technology equipment to broadcast a consultation between providers at facilities in two countries. The first method is used daily by most health professionals, and the second is used by the military and some large medical centers. (Blumenthal 2007)

Health care literature often uses the terms telemedicine and telehealth interchangeably. We use telehealth to refer to a broader view of remote health care, one that does not always involve the provision of clinical services, which is the province of telemedicine. Telehealth includes the use of technology to access remote health information, diagnostic images, and education.

Current Status and Primary Delivery Methods

Most recent estimates suggest that there are over 200 telemedicine programs throughout the nation, involving close to 2,000 medical institutions (ATA, ...