Alexian Brothers Medical Center is located in Elk Grove Village, IL, a northwest suburb of Chicago, IL. They are a 387-bed acute care hospital, with more than 900 physicians on staff, representing more than 80 medical and surgical specialties. They treat more than 18,000 patients annually. Instead of purchasing an existing EHR system, they opted to create their own, AlexiCare, to assist with the handling and processes involving medical records and patient care.…
“EHR and EMR systems are critical enablers of the quality, process, and innovation demands of the current healthcare spectrum. The ability for healthcare workers to deliver excellent patient outcomes and maximum quality of life” (HealthIT.gov, 2013, para. 1) are essential in today’s health care industry. PrimeConnect allows health care providers to access complete, accurate information by which allowing patients to receive a higher standard of medical care. The adoption and use of electronic health records (EHRs) can improve patient outcomes due to the potential reduction in medical errors and the increased rate of appropriate diagnoses. Properly implemented, a comprehensive EHR system can provide “success in navigating the rapidly shifting regulatory, payment, demographic, consumerist, care practice/delivery, staffing, quality, and business model scenarios facing healthcare markets today” (HealthIT.gov, 2013, para.8).…
Hospitals, doctor’s offices, and care givers must meet the criteria of Electronic Health Record Program to become eligible for the Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS). The first year, hospitals and Eligible Professionals (EP) do not have to demonstrate their important use, but are obligated to approve or upgrade to an (EHR) for them to receive payments for the services rendered. All work must be documented correctly in stage 1, (data capture & sharing)- stage 2 (Advance clinical processes), or stage 3 (Improved Outcomes)…
Health care organizations have invested heavily in computer technology. The health care organizations use computer technology and electronic health record in the actual delivery of care and to support clinical areas. The four principal uses of computers for nursing are for general information, clinical applications, research, and financial management.(Finkler, Ward, & Baker, 2007). The health care organizations are in the process of major transformation, and becoming more complex. It is very important to maintain the safety of patient and to provide high quality care. (Ting, Tsang, Ip, & Ho, 2011). The electronic health record system is considered as a means of technological efficiency to reduce the cost in healthcare organization. The need for EHR in healthcare organization is based on certain evidences like, It supports guideline-based care, increased patient monitoring, act as an efficient technological tool for effective communication in areas related to patient care, and improves coordination of care(Song,…
What I can see now in the United States, is a race between, EHR, EMR, and PHR. Electronic Medical Records or EMRs are the electronic versions of classic paper charts that are still used by some clinicians who are still not 100% compliant and use for diagnosis purposes. While Electronic Health Records or EHRs have a wider scoop of a mission, for primary doctors can follow their patient’s journey of care through internet connections, but also allowing other clinicians to have access to that information for the same purpose of care. And Personal Health Records or PHR that allows patients to keep their own medical records online and enable them to control everywhere without visiting a clinic. Wherever patients travel and need medical care, they can retrieve their own records using the Internet. Whatever their purpose, now that computer system is widely used in medical practices, than in paper-based system, everything that used to be handwritten by healthcare providers and staff, including medical biller and coder, is now entered into a computer, directly into EHRs. And with this system, EHRs can increase the efficiency of staff members in the practice and at the same time improve the quality of care for the patients. No more time spent looking for charts or missing information. Multiple staff members with appropriate access privileges can view and modify a single patient’s chart simultaneously. No one has to wait for a chart to mail or deliver…
Electronic health records (EHR) are often confused in terminology with electronic medical records and the two are vastly different with only a few similarities. Electronic medical records are the culmination of medical information of patients in one office. Electronic health records are designed to follow the patient wherever they receive care to build a complete history of care, treatment, and diagnoses to allow accurate care. EHR’s design is to be shared with any provider, health care system or organization, and ancillary provider to easily share the patient’s health history. This culmination of information follows the patient to any facility in town, in the state, or in the country to provide the most effective history on the…
Gabriel, M. H., Furukawa, M. F., Jones, E. B., King J., Samy, L. K. (2013 September). The Implementation and Use of Electronic Health Records to Achieve Meaningful Use and Critical Access Hospitals. ONC Data Brief, No. 12. Washington, DC: Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Retrieved from http://www.healthit.gov/sites/default/files/cahdata_brief12.pdf…
As a group, we are encouraging the physicians to use the technology provided for the benefit of our patients and for this organization. We will identify that electronic medical records (EMRs) and electronic health records (EHRs) is a valuable tool, provide the rationale for why EMRs and EHRs are important, and the legal and ethical aspects. We also will talk about some solutions to put in place to help physicians comply with this technology.…
An electronic health record (EHR) defines as the permissible patient record created in hospitals that serve as the data source for all health records. It is an electronic version of a paper chart that includes the patient’s medical history, maintained by the provider over time, and may include all of the key administrative clinical data relevant to that persons care. Information that is readily available includes information such as demographics, progress notes, allergies, medications, vital signs, past medical history, immunizations, laboratory data, & radiology reports. The intent of an EHR can be understood as a complete record of patient encounters. It also allows for the automation and streamlining of the workflow on health care settings and increases safety through evidence-based decision support, quality management, and outcomes reporting. There are many functions associated with patient health records. Not only is the record used to document patient care, but the record is also used for financial, legal information, research, and quality improvement purposes. The integration of technology and health care will enable health professionals to provide more effective quality care.…
It is important for the purpose of clarity to distinguish the difference between electronic medical records (EMR) and electronic health records (EHR). Electronic medical records are an electronic composition of an individual’s medical history including such components as procedures, past diseases, diagnosis, medications, doctor’s names, and allergies. An electronic health record is an electronic means of documenting a patient’s procedures, diagnosis, billing information, etc. at each care facility (Badzek & Gross, 1999). A movement that was first initiated under the Bush administration, accepted by the Clinton administration, and now embraced by President Obama is the creation of the individual electronic medical record. In 2009 President Obama included $36 billion in the stimulus package to create electronic record systems, with the idea that technology will cut costs,…
Alvandi, M. (2015). Optimizing the effect of electronic health records for healthcare professionals and consumers. The American Journal of Accountable Care, 27-32. Retrieved from https://ajmc.s3.amazonaws.com/_media/_pdf/05_AJAC_Alvandi915%20(002).pdf…
In the article, Strengthening Public Health and Privacy Collaboration through Public Health Records, it discusses how EHR’s (electronic health records) are a more likely facilitator for a more effective association between public health departments and primary care providers in maintaining a healthy community. Health risks in the community continue their shift from contagious diseases to chronic illnesses. Public health departments are increasing their focus on conditions such as diabetes and obesity as well as severe threats that continue from traditional public health concerns, such as disease outbreaks (Calman, 2012, 13).…
High majority of health institutions are currently already using EHR’s but the ones that are not using will be required to do so soon. With the signing of the HiTECH and the patient protection and affordable care act these intuitions are required to use EHR’s by 2014 or will face certain consequences (McGonigle & Mastrian, 2015). They can have significant reimbursements from the government or not get paid at all. It is hopeful that by 2016 all health care professionals and institutions will be using EHR’s (Electronic Health Record, 2014). This will hopefully decrease medical costs, errors, and overall give a better quality of care to the patient. The patient will become an active role in their care team by having access to his electronic health record. EHR’s are the present and the future and is a great asset to the health care…
In efforts to reform the United States healthcare system and create a nationally unified data exchange system the federal government has established an incentive program to eligible professionals and hospitals. The federal government has turned to certified electronic health record (EHR) technology to help facilitate the process of broadening health IT infrastructures. The federal government views EHR system used in meaningful ways as the key to reforming the healthcare systems. Meaningful use of the EHR systems can also improve the overall quality of healthcare, insure patient safety, as well as reduce the cost of healthcare to individuals (Bigalke & Morris, 2010, p. 116).…
The electronic health records fits seamlessly with a central cost-saving of health care reform: to shift U.S. health care from an expensive, pay-per-service system based on quantity to one that emphasizes quality. The goal now is to have medical payments reward good care -- in a way that's difficult to do with paper records.…