Several healthcare providers have made the switch from paper-based health charts to digital records that are stored in the form of electronic health records. There are several benefits to a healthcare facility in implementing the EHR system which can be passed on to the patients as well if the system is appropriately employed. Let us see how patients can benefit from the implementation of EHR solutions.
- Do away with needless paperwork: Whenever a patient visits a physician or healthcare facility, the first and foremost thing encountered is the paperwork. Many times, patients need to fill the same data redundantly on various pages due to the format of the forms that need to be filled in by the patients. When facilities adopt the EHR system, this unnecessary paperwork is minimized as the data is collected in the digital format wherein, data that needs to be repeated can be collected from other fields that have been already filled. This eliminates the need for writing or keying-in the same data repetitively.
- Care coordination: Implementation of appropriate EHR solutions facilitates timely and accurate care coordination among multiple healthcare providers like hospitals, physicians, laboratories, specialist doctors, pharmacists, and other authorized people. When a patient’s records are updated regularly on the EHR system, the patient can access the best-quality healthcare from any kind of healthcare provider at any time and from anywhere.
- Elimination of duplication of tests: Physicians and healthcare providers need reliable laboratory and radiology reports for appropriate diagnosis of a patient’s condition. In cases of emergency, healthcare providers cannot make proper decisions without access to the health records and test reports of the patient. When a patient’s medical history along with the test reports is updated in the electronic health records, patients can be relieved from the agony of getting tests repeated for diagnosis purposes. Any authorized person can access critical patient information from the EHRsfrom anywhere in the world at his/her fingertips.
- Easy access of health records to the patient: One of the most significant benefits of adopting EHR solutions is that patients can be given access to their health records which helps them in dealing with various kinds of issues regarding their health documents for their own cross-checking information, or providing information to insurance companies or pharmacists.
It can be well-understood that EHRs are not just beneficial for the healthcare facilities, but they are equally beneficial for patients as well. Well-managed and accurate EHRs can eliminate avoidable paperwork and at the same time save a great deal of time for both the healthcare providers and the patients. Also, due to the increased ease in coordination among various parties involved in healthcare, patients can access their records from anywhere and anytime eliminating the need for duplication of tests that saves them from unnecessary mental agony and financial burden.