The use of online health records is increasing worldwide. Well, the explanation of these digital health records sometimes get quite complex when we think of the users, healthcare setting, the health information and certainly the technology. Three terminologies are commonly used to explain digital health records – Electronic health Records (EHR), Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and Personal Health Record (PHR). Regrettably, the definition of all these terminologies differs all over the world and creates confusion, both inside and outside the health industry. So, in order to differentiate the three terminologies, we have to understand the two aspects that could possibly separate the three terminologies. First is the plenitude of the health information
Electronic health records (EHR) are health records that are generated by health care professionals when a patient is seen at a medical facility such as a hospital, mental health clinic, or pharmacy. The EHR contains the same information as paper based medical records like demographics, medical complaints and prescriptions. There are so many more benefits to the EHR than paper based medical records. Accuracy of diagnosis, quality and convenience of patient care, and patient participation are a few examples of the
Amatayakul, M. K. (2009, January 01). Electronic Health Records: A practical Guide for Professionals and Organizations. VitalSource Bookshelf(4). Chicago, Illinois, USA: AHIMA Press. Retrieved August 2012, from <http://online.vitalsource.com/books
It is no secret that the medical profession deals with some of population’s most valuable records; their health information. Not so long ago there was only one method of keeping medical records and this was utilizing paper charts. These charts, although still used in many practices today, have slowly been replaced by a more advanced method; electronic medical records or EMR’s. “The manner in which information is currently employed in healthcare is highly inefficient, which slows down communication and can, as a result, reduce the emergence and
Shah, J. R., Murtaza, M. B., & Opara, E. (2014). Electronic health records: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of International Technology and Information Management, 23(3/4), 189-204. Retrieved from http://scholarwork.lib.csusb.edu
Along with the new technologies applying in healthcare, the documentation processes and storages also change from paper charts to computer-based electronic health records (EHR). Many healthcare organizations currently maintain patients’ health records in both formats of paper and electronic. The combination is known as hybrid health record system, which is used to assist in different methods that patients’ information is collected. Hybrid health records (HHR) contain specific patients’ health information. HHRs are stored manually and electronically in multiple places. Current patients’ health records usually contain both digital documents and handwritten notes. Patients’ data are electronically stored, such as laboratory, radiology tests,
EHR was created to have a technical way to securely exchange private and personal medical health information in hopes to improve the quality of care, decrease medical errors, limiting paper use, reduction of health care cost, and increasing a person access to affordable health care. A mandate was created for EHR stating that health records can be accessible to all facilities with patients having the capability to access their own health records at any time. Ameliorating the quality and convenience of care given to a patient, allow for cost saving measures, engage the patient and family to participate in their care, improve accuracy of medical diagnosis, and enhance the efficiency of the overall outcome of the patients’ health.
According to the Healthcare Information Management and Systems Society (HIMSS), “Personal health records (PHRs) are consumer-centric tools that individuals can use to communicate with their health care providers to manage their own health and health care” (as cited in Kim & Nahm, 2012). Moreover, it is the patient who controls, updates, reviews data and information that is entered into the PHRs, except when an integrated PHR-EHR system is involved. There are barriers to employing a PHR such as data accuracy and data privacy and security.
As the emergence of electronic health records (EHRs), the subject of transforming the delivery method of healthcare is prominent in the United States. The use of EHRs is a major key in the way physicians practice in healthcare organizations through communication and management of patient information. Henricks (2011) points out that EHRs are a part of an objective aimed at improving all aspects of health care and reducing health disparities, making the healthcare of patients and families appealing to them, refining the direction of healthcare, along with population and public health improvement, continuation of privacy maintenance and the security of health information, and finally reducing costs. In the perspective of health information technology
In the last decade, Health Information Technology (HIT) has been drastically changing due to the constant development of new technologies. With these new technologies comes faster, more efficient ways to practice medicine. Amongst these new technologies is the Electronic Health Record (EHR).
Electronic health records are generated by healthcare providers and include patient’s medical and health information, which may include demographic data, progress notes, medications, vital signs, medical history, immunizations and laboratory data. EHRs are not accessible by patients, but usually certain data is made available through a patient portal. On the other hand, a personal health record is owned and controlled by a patient, and has information that is not on a medical record. A patient portal allows patients to access their PHR and usually information from an EHR (Emont, 2011).
Health information technique is biggest term in today’s era, technology used for various administrative, operations management, and direct clinical functions in health care organization. An electronic health record (EHR) is define by the Health Information Management System Society (HIMSS) as a longitudinal electronic record of patient health information generated by one or more encounter in any health care setting including patient demographics, progress
Electronic health records, like electronic medical records, contain detailed information about a patient’s health status, but they also provide a larger view of the patient’s care. They are records intended to be
After decades of paper based medical records, a new type of record keeping has surfaced - the Electronic Health Record (EHR). EHR is an electronic or digital format concept of an individual’s past and present medical history. It is the principle storage place for data and information about the health care services provided to an individual patient. It is maintained by a provider over time and capable of being shared across different healthcare settings by network-connected information systems. Such records may include key administrative and clinical data relevant to that persons care under a particular provider. Examples of such records may include: demographics, physician notes, problems or injuries, medications and allergies, vital
The advancement in technology has rapidly transformed the world today, and the increase in the number of web-enabled devices has completely changed peoples ' lives especially the way they communicate. Electronic Health Record system, which is a digital copy of a patient’s medical history is one of the revolutionary ideas that have come with this advancement. Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are instantaneously updating records that are patient-centered designed with the aim of providing real-time information to the authorized users (Cohen, 2010). It contains all the patient’s information that is in the hand of the medical providers including their medical history, treatment dates and types, immunizations conducted to the patient and their dates, radiology images and all the laboratory results from the tests conducted in the past. All this information is held in a digital format and can only be updated by authorized users who are stationed in the medical facilities. Electronic records are designed to make it easy for different health providers and organizations to share patients’ information which streamlines their operations since all the necessary information and history can be accessed from any location at any time.
The electronic health record (EHR) is a digital record of a patient’s health history that may be made up of records from many locations and/or sources, such as hospitals, providers, clinics, and public health agencies. The EHR is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and has built-in safeguards to assure patient health information confidentiality and security. (Huston, 2013)