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Making It Work - Electronic Medical Record for Long Term Care Organizations



The growing use of electronic medical records is critical to the long term perservation of patient data in health organizations across the world. There is no sole group that that can hold an entire record of a patient. It is ideal that every detail of a patient's medical record can be accessed within the organization.

However, there are two main issues that face the long term viability of electronic medical record systems. First, health care organizations do not normally give patients direct access to their medical records and engage in file sharing with their rivals. Second, patients want to ensure that their health records are adequately secured from unwanted intruders such as insurance companies, local pharmacies and pharmacy benefit managers.

Health organizations need to constantly work on the accuracy of a patient's medical record. Constant updates on the health condition should be made in order for doctors to have a clear idea on a patient's health pattern and behavior.

The long term viabily of electronic medical record systems also depends on the technical systems choosen by health care organizations. In choosing the right system, organizations should follow several considerations.

Determine decision makers

Large organizations need a specific committee to handle critical decisions, while those in solo practice only need to rely on themselves. Ideally, physicians should be the ones leading the selection effort. Care organizations that have had success in choosing the right systems were led by strong-willed physicians focused on learning the different facets of electronic medical record systems. Health care organizations that enjoy long term success are led by strong leaders, they typically exert the extra effort to make the integration work.

The most influential people in a health care organization should also be included in the process for choosing an electronic medical record system to avoid resistance and skepticism.

Identify goals

The primary role of electronic medical records systems is to bolster efficiency and flexibility for health care organizations. EHRs have a number of key functions and these include:

- reporting of results
- placement of orders
- Emergency coding adviser
- Direct connection with internal and external clinics
- Prescription database and writer
- Creation of flow charts
- Accessibility from remore locations
- Web portal for patients
- Education for patients
- Scanning
- Automated documentation of charts
- Report on inpatient flow
- Reports on incoming fax
- Reports of patient health-maintenance and follow up
- Support for decision-making
- Security
- Documentation of phone calls
- Management of internal e-mail
- Patient registration index

Despite the growing sophistication of electronic medical records systems, people will always have the upper hand in determining their long term viability in care organizations.

Health care organizations that have succesfully introduced electronic medical systems have enabled doctors to shift from paper charts to tablet PC's. An effective system is one that generates strong interest from hospital workers. The most significant gain in a health office is the decline in paper and chart filing. Staff can also easily answer the queries of patients by bringing up data with a touch of a button.

Electronic medical record systems have also resulted in efficiencies particularly in patient-flow and staff. Less time is alloted for papar chasing and more tasks are completed on time.

Another unexpeted long term benefit of electronic medical systems in health care organizations is the ability to increase the number of patients that can be accomodated in a day. Physicians can attend to as many as three to five patients daily. The rise in patient volumes also result in increased revenues for organizations and therby making up for the huge expenses in installing the system.

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