Federal Government has set a deadline, that by the year 2014 all doctors and hospitals have to revert to Electronics Medical Records (EMR).
What is EMR?: A well defined electronic medical record system That should include a patient’s complete medical record, medication lists, health problems, and clinical notes from previous visits. The doctors can also send drug prescriptions, laboratory tests and radiology tests electronically.
Technologies covered in EMR include:
An advantage for the doctors is that lab results, X-rays, MRI or other Scans can be reviewed on the computer. Added features include, warning the doctors about inappropriate prescriptions or abnormal lab results and also setting reminders when lab or screening tests are needed for the patients. It can also do away with unnecessary redundant tests patients undergo, thereby improving the quality of health care.
As per a study based on interviewing 2,750 doctors nationwide it was found that only 4% of doctors had a streamlined functional system and about 13% of them had a very basic system of maintaining Electronic Medical Records. The study also indicated that renowned doctors with large practices or many of the primary care doctors were more likely to have EMR systems, however many of the doctors were concerned about the costs and returns on investments.
There was also a concern expressed by doctors that the system may become obsolete and eventually there would be a waiting room full of patients whose records they will not be able to process. Some of the doctors who had an EMR functioning were very satisfied, they were of the view that it makes health care more effective and efficient (Right Health Care). The positive feature of the survey was that most doctors were keen to adopt an electronic system; nearly 40% of them had purchased a system but were yet to start using them.
The private Insurance companies are aggressively pursuing doctors to adopt electronic medical record systems as a way of monitoring the quality of health care, and which will be a basis for reimbursement levels. The insurance reports prepared by doctors and healthcare companies are a significant source of stress for people preparing the claims and the implementation of EMR helps making these reports “fit”, unlike illegible hand written notes or typed CPPs and flow sheets.
There was also a view of an electronic medical record expert who thought that the survey did not exactly reflect the ultimate objective of computerized medical care. A CEO of a reputed Medicals Records Institute was of the view that it was time that doctors got familiar with this century of high tech computerized technology. And were made aware that computer-guided and computer based Health Care systems is here to stay..
