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Electronic health record system is the new technology used in medical centers to store data. This system has been embraced by proficient medical officials. It has assisted medical managers in different medical centers to manage their staff effectively. The system contains information about the patient services, hence enables the management to investigate whether the staff are performing according to the hospital regulations and policies. This has contributed to excellent medical services in medical centers, whereby patients receive quality services.
Advantages
The health record system has impacted the medical institutions and the patients positively. This medical system enhances quick access to patient’s medical records whenever the patients have appointments with the doctors. The doctors are able to access the whole medical history of the patients, which may assist them to discover important information that the patient may be hiding. For example, a neurologist may find out that a patient had an abortion before the current medical problem. This could assist the doctor to detect the cause of the patient’s problem and how to deal with it.
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This record system is effective because it enhances the process of sharing of data among medical centers. For instance, referral hospitals are able to access information about a patient from the previous hospital. This assists the doctors in discovering the condition of the patient before commencing with treatment. The information in these systems saves time because the doctors do not have to follow up the paper files of the patients, which could be rather confusing and hard to understand. The system also enhances communication in different departments concerning the patient’s results, lab results, and appointments. This makes it easier to discuss the patient’s condition in meetings without having to go for a certain file, which may waste time and cause delays to important matters. The electronic records also assist in decision making. For instance, the directors can use the information stored in this system to detect the problems that the patients and employees are facing.
The electronic health system is a single information system whereby all the medical information is stored, unlike the paper file system. This reduces costs because medical centers do not have to buy different files for different information. The system is also advantageous because it can not be destroyed easily. Unlike this system, paper files can be destroyed by fire/water or any other calamity.
Disadvantages
Although the new medical record system has impacted medical sector positively, it has some disadvantages. The system may experience some technical problems that may affect service delivery. For instance, the hospital may experience low Internet service, which may affect the access to patient’s information unlike the paper files, which could be accessed any time. Another problem is that the new technology requires adequate knowledge to use it, which is a disadvantage to the staff with less knowledge.
In addition to that, the installation and maintenance costs for the electronic health record system are high. This is a big challenge to medical centers, because they have to spend a lot of cash to ensure that patients receive quality services. Another challenge with this system is that it is hard to maintain privacy. The patient’s information is accessed by different departments unlike the paper file system, whereby only authorized individuals are allowed to view the patient’s medical information.
In conclusion, the electronic health record system can be effective if used well. There is a clear need for medical institutions to teach the staff on how to use the system for excellent results. To minimize the cost of maintenance, medical institutions need to empower their staff to use the system appropriately in order to avoid any unnecessary breakdowns.