Emr In Health Care

“Information is the lifeblood of medicine and health information.
Technology is destined to be the circulatory system for that information.”
--David Blumenthal, National coordinator for Health Information Technology and lead implementer of the HITECH Act

Technology advancements and new technology are being introduced every day, especially in the field of nursing and is changing the way we look at healthcare. The nursing field has come a long way in just a short time when it comes to technology. One of the biggest advancements is the Electronic Medical Record or EMR. The use of the EMR has allowed for quicker charting and an increase in patient safety with fewer errors as a whole in patient care. The introduction of the EMR has allowed
But once the nurse learns where to click and how to set up their own templates, the flow of the charting should be much smoother. Computerized charts can also be set up for reminders. It is a great help when a notice comes up that a certain medicine needs to be given or an IV needs to be stopped. The use of computers and handheld devices can improve speed and efficiency of nursing documentation. With the use of a portable device and having computers in each patient room where the nurse can enter vitals is a very important part of patient care. The nurse can enter in all the information and never leave the patient. The nurse can look at orders, lab reports, and imaging reports while never leaving the patient. The use of a handheld device, such as a PDA, is also very helpful. The PDA makes resources available where the nurse can look up drug interactions and clinical references all while at the bedside of the patient. Applications, such as timers and clocks, can be downloaded onto the PDA which can help the nurse with medication and treatment reminders. These technology advances allow the nurse to be with the patient instead of writing everything down and then taking it back to the nurse’s station to enter the information where errors can
Subtitle D of the HITECH Act addresses the privacy and security concerns associated with the electronic transmission of health information, in part, through several provisions that strengthen the civil and criminal enforcement of the HIPAA rules(HITECH Act Enforcement Interim Final Rule). The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) was signed into law in 1996 to ensure patients that their medical information is confidential and will be kept that way. The EMR can provide the health care providers with quick access to any medical information and will improve the kind of care a patient is receiving. The EMR can also prevent medical errors and can help the administration side of the medical care. Because the information from the EMR is communicated electronically, through email and fax, does make it harder to keep the information secure. The EMR has safety measures put in place to ensure that the information is only seen by those that need to see it. The EMR is more reliable and safer than a chart left open at the nurse’s station for anyone to