Why Use Electronic Medical Records?

Electronic Medical Records (EMR’s) are medical records which have been digitized in one way or another. EMR makes records easily accessible for all doctors and professionals involved in the treatment of a patient. EMR systems have the ability to improve scheduling and easily verify coverage and benefits.

EMR is not a new idea. It has been successfully integrated into major hospitals in the US, Canada and the UK with evidence of increased revenue, yet as of 2006, less than 10% of hospitals in America make use of EMR.

With digital encryption and password protection, privacy is no longer an issue. With the increasing popularity of identification theft, some feel that it isn’t safe to have their records vulnerable to being stolen. With the password protection and digital encryption that comes with EMR, it would be far more difficult to attain a password or hack into the system than to snatch a folder from the nurse’s station in a busy hospital.

Cutting edge technology is used to transition medical records into digital format. Instead of transcribing records word for word, paper-based files are digitally scanned and run though text recognition software. Digital pens are used to store handwritten information in text that computers understand.

Everything has been laid out. The time for Electronic Medical Records is now.