EMR and EHR are mostly identical to each other and there is no substantial difference between them. EMR is a digital copy of a patient’s charts which includes a basic medical history and it is for particular physicians and doctors. But EHR  manages complete information about the patient from all providers. It can be shared with any healthcare organization across the globe in a digital format. 

EMR or electronic medical record system, has taken a key place in this era. Statistics show that 89% of physicians admit the effortless improvements in the patient’s health with the EMR system. In 1972, the first EMR was developed by the Regenstrief Institute. There are many instances where patients are now able to get good treatment. Also, proper management of resources and allocation of slots are the primary reasons. With the speed of technology, it can be solved. So, let’s understand the system that will shape the future of this field. 

What is the EMR System? 

The Electronic Medical Record system contains the word – ‘record’ that means to collect the information. Like their medical treatments, problems, prescriptions, reports from tests. All information is stored over Electronic medical record software. In addition to this, it contains a digital type record with data stored in a safe and secured environment. It tells about the patient’s health record. Medical professionals share the records with other members of the community.

Generally, any EMR software or solution has the following attributes.

• Creating patient charts that include their personal information along with health information. 

• Doctors and Patients can send e-Prescriptions to pharmacies online. If pharmacies deliver online then, you can get medicines with a click. 

• Conducting medical tests through a Lab is another very closely associated process with medical treatment. Often, the patient feels the trouble of accumulating every record at once place. The EMR system solves that with all lab prescriptions, reports, and medications in one place. 

• Cost management actually controls the whole medical treatment process. Knowing how much any illness can cost you before treatment can save many lives. The EMR system gives a very clear, concise, and easy solution in terms of cost. 

Benefits of EMR for Healthcare Industry

The purpose of creating an EMR system is to simplify information sharing. According to stats, EMR epic system has secured data of 54% of patients in the USA. 

1. E-Prescription 

E-prescribing reduces the work of paper and sends prescriptions to pharmacies. It is one of the key benefits EMR system provides. Not only it is getting stored in one place forever, but it is also reducing the log problem for patients. Nothing to carry except medicines.

2. Patient Portal

There is an inbuilt portal for patients helping them evaluate their condition. Meet any doctor, anytime and anyplace in the world without having to carry a bundle of records. The EMR system in healthcare is the new revolution.  

3. Time-Saving

Another time-saving benefit of the EMR system is that – it can obtain results of tests digitally. Talking locally, every time a patient has to wait for hours to get to see a doctor. And if there are tests involved, the treatment gets much longer. Each and every second is life-saving for a patient. On average, an EMR system has reduced the time by 40% for one patient. 

4. Improvements Become Easy

Through this system, we can easily diagnose the problems of patients so that – it becomes easy to bring improvements during treatment. Sometimes, people are less aware of important dates, reminders, and meetings. EMR software solutions ensure that nobody forgets a single meeting, lab test, or report collection with automated processes. 

5. Highly Secured

An Electronic Medical record System provider provides confidentiality, security, and privacy of the information of patients. People are concerned about so many details put into software but the EMR system comes with the highest level of security layers which are not easy to pass.  

6. Incredibly Accurate

With technology comes the fear of people being prone to errors. Being cautious about it is an obvious thing but an EMR software solution provider passes through rigorous testing before launching any system. Stay assured of trusting the technology. 

7. Staff Communication 

As per the stats, 89% of physicians depend on mobile to communicate with their members. Through staff communication features in the EMR system, doctors can easily connect with their team

8. Reduce the Work of Paper

In hospitals, many of the health records are maintained on paper, and sometimes they create trouble due to lost pages and damage. To reduce this problem – this system is the best choice. There is a modifiable file so that no one can copy and modify the data. It will be safe and secure in the system. 

9. Blockchain Technology 

The use of blockchain technology in Electronic health record systems brings advantages to secure data. Most of the physicians experienced these exclusive features – secrecy, scalability, and protection. 

10. Image Management

Image management and annotation help to save images, and Impressions. Not only written content, but this kind of pictures related information also gives better insights into a patient’s health. 

As per the statistics of Grand view research, the EHR software market was worth $20.4 billion in 2018 globally and in 2023 it will reach $33.294 billion, expected by developers. 

Challenges and Risks in EMR

In healthcare industries, the patient’s health is of utmost importance. Technology does help in improving the process but the lack of knowledge among the current healthcare staff can be a great challenge. With good things comes the bad also. The same is applicable in the case of the EMR system. It brings the challenges faced by technology and is susceptible to new ways of attack. 

Vulnerability of Technology

If your data is stored in a digital platform and the cloud then – the chances of data being hacked become high. This is the most common problem in today’s time. Securing the data from being hacked is also a crucial step. Not only in banks or government associations, now it happens in hospitals too. 

Not Proper Implementation of EMR System 

For proper implementation, it’s necessary to educate the healthcare professionals who are going to perform with this system. With experienced healthcare staff taking the lead positions, it has become extremely important to raise and spread awareness about benefits EMR system provides. 

Rules and Regulations 

Following a proper protocol and guidelines for usage of the system is mandatory. Avoid the usage of expired machines which may create trouble. Renewal of machines improved work efficiency. Never use the old outdated version of the system, always use the advanced one.

Solutions for EHR

* Bringing Simplicity in Software and Enhancing Ease of Use

Working with EMR is cumbersome for some of the most professional doctors. The evolution is still required in the EMR technology to make it easier to understand for every section of healthcare staff. 

* Conduction Tech and Training Sessions

To spread awareness about the technology and its use in healthcare, community sessions should be conducted on a regular basis. Helping each other understand the change can make tech familiar to everyone in the Industry. 

What is EMR Integration? 

EMR integration Solutions help to share information from one system to another to keep it safe in one place. On the other hand, the EMR software solutions help to manage, create data of a particular person by a rightful member in organizations. 

Also, Read How IoT is Transforming into the Healthcare Industry?

Conclusion 

In the future, EMR in healthcare is definitely going to bring advancement to the healthcare system. Reduced time and cost of treatment, better data management leading to enhanced facility and experience for patients are irresistible benefits. But, this does not mean just jump and get an Electronic Medical record service provider and develop a system. Understanding the EMR comprehensively is very essential before deciding to employ it in hospital infrastructure. EMR is going to influence every simple process of the hospital. From dealing with patients to selling medicines, everything can be upgraded. For hospital infrastructure, it is important to consult with experienced experts in the industry. There are many custom EMR software development solutions available in the market. Choosing one is a decision that can be Game-Changer for the hospitals.