Does Your Physician Use An Electronic Medical Record (EMR)?

There are many advantages of electronic medical records. Electronic medical records (EMR) help health care providers better manage patient care by:

• Getting accurate and complete information about their patient’s health
• Better coordinating the care they give to their patients and families
• Securely sharing information with patients electronically about their personal health record
• Accessing information to help diagnose patients, reducing medical errors, and providing safer care at lower costs
• An EMR contains patient health information, such as: Administrative and billing data; Patient demographics; Progress notes; Vital signs; Medical histories ; Diagnoses; Medications; Immunization dates; Allergies; Radiology images; Lab and test results

An EMR is more than just a computerized version of a paper chart in a provider’s office. It’s a digital record that can provide comprehensive health information about patients. EMR systems are built to share information with other health care providers and organizations – such as laboratories, specialists, medical imaging facilities, pharmacies, emergency facilities, and school and workplace clinics – so they contain information from all clinicians involved in a patient’s care.

When fully functional and exchangeable, the benefits of EMRs offer far more than a paper record can. EMRs:

• Improve quality and convenience of patient care
• Increase patient participation in their care
• Improve accuracy of diagnoses and health outcomes
• Improve care coordination
• Increase practice efficiencies and cost savings

Doctor, Did You Wash Your Hands? ™ provides information to consumers on understanding, managing and navigating health care options.

Jonathan M. Metsch, Dr.P.H., is Clinical Professor, Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai; and Adjunct Professor, Baruch College ( C.U.N.Y.), Rutgers School of Public Health, and Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration.

This blog shares general information about understanding and navigating the health care system. For specific medical advice about your own problems, issues and options talk to your personal physician.