Electronic health records are becoming more prevalent, and the numbers prove that more companies and health providers have been looking into document solutions to put their patient records, financial information and more into an electronic format. IDC Health Insight reports that by 2016, more than 80% of healthcare providers will have an electronic healthcare system in place, something that will increase efficiency, improve patient satisfaction and save money across the medical field.
IDC MarketScape, USA Ambulatory EMR/EHR for Midsize and Large Practices 2011 Vendor Assessment, looked at systems by large vendors and surveyed healthcare providers. Judy Hanover, research director at IDC Health Insights, told InformationWeek Healthcare that there is a big commitment by both healthcare providers and vendors to make these solutions work. Some tools are more usable than others, but it will most likely pick up with the amount of interest healthcare providers have in electronic records. With better functions across the board, the healthcare industry should see their workflow improve and productivity increase.
“We’re talking about chart capture, we’re talking about being able to manage data, document phone calls, document communications, prepare a medical history, have easy access to a patient’s medical history, generate alerts to help with order entry and with e-prescribing to protect patient safety – that’s what I’m talking about when I talk about functionality in the mid-to-large size practice EHR,” Hanover said.
The 80 percent-plus adoption rate would be a vast improvement from the 25 percent adoption rate that was seen in 2009 among healthcare companies. The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services said a program can help reduce the incidence of medical error by improving the clarity of the records, making patient health information more readily available to patients and their families, as well as other doctors, and helping to inform all involved on how to make better medical decisions.
CMMS said the health record systems include progress notes, vital signs, past medical history and more. It also has the ability to support other activities of the patient and give more analytics to help see what the potential procedures or care could be.
“EHRs are the next step in the continued progress of healthcare that can strengthen the relationship between patients and clinicians,” according to the government website, which is pro document solutions for the medical industry. “The data, and the timeliness and availability of it, will enable providers to make better decisions and provide better care.”
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About Chris Lewis
In order for hospitals to keep up with the growing number of patients and busier ER rooms, i feel as though they need to eventually go paperless. Everything else that we do is paperless. It will clear up some free space, make work more efficient, and allow doctors and nurses to conceentrate their efforts where they are really needed.
Absolutely, that is a great point.
I wonder why more medical places haven’t gone paperless already. Seems like it would be easier to do.