You’ve likely heard the term “Electronic Health Record” or “Electronic Medical Record” quite a bit lately and you may be wondering why this is a big deal. It’s a very big deal for patients, doctors and hospitals because the push for nationwide electronic patient records improves safety, quality and efficiency of patient care.
The changeover from paper to electronic medical records brings all of a patient’s information together in one place, where it is always current and available when and where it is needed.
Medical records at Rush became fully electronic in 2009 and Rush continues to look for new ways to leverage health information technology to improve patient care.
The implementation of our clinical information systems has transformed our ability to share patient information among all members of the patient care team. Care is better coordinated because clinicians will always know about the drugs or treatments provided by another provider,” said Dr. Julio Silva, vice president and Chief Information Medical Officer, Rush University Medical Center.
Electronic Health Records (EHR) can alert clinicians to potential safety issues such as drug interactions. EHRs can support better follow-up with patients by sending automatic instructions and reminders to patients online. Patients and their families can better interact with their physicians using online portals that protect privacy. And EHRs can improve patient convenience with electronic prescription ordering and links to additional patient resources.
The HITECH Act, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, is acclerating the push to electronic health records. Beginning in May, hospitals and doctors will beging receiving incentive payments when they adopt “meaningful use” of electronic health records.
Read more about Electronic Health Records at Rush.
