Electronic Medical Records (EMR) Software is a system that stores digital health records for patients. EMRs are essentially a digital version of a patient’s health chart and history that was kept in paper format in the past. EMRs give health care providers access to important medical records so they can make the best decisions on care and treatment for patients.
An Electronic Medical Record (EMR) is a digital record containing a patient’s medical history, including allergies, health history, medications, and more. EMRs typically include:
- Contact information
- Details about visits with mental and physical health professionals
- Allergies
- Insurance details
- Personal and family history
- Immunization records and status
- Information about any past or current conditions or diseases
- Medication lists
- Hospitalization records
- Records of surgeries or procedures the patient has had done
- Medical images (x-rays, photos, etc)
The top EMR features include:
- Organize and store important patient information such as medical history, medications, past illnesses and treatments, immunization records, radiology images, lab results, and any other data that is pertinent to a patient’s medical conditions and history.
- Provides access to real-time patient data and gives medical professionals better information to make decisions about care and treatments.
- Integrates with other key processes such as claims and billing.
- Offers the ability to scan and share documents securely.
- Tracks medications and provides options for e-prescriptions.
- Sends out automated appointment reminders to patients.
The benefits of EMR software include:
- Organized, real-time patient information in one digital chart
- Secure sharing of information with other medical professionals as needed for treating the patient
- Improved patient interactions with medical professionals and providers
- Increased convenience and accuracy in billing, care, and prescriptions
- Better patient care and diagnoses
EMR software is a collection of tools for properly creating, updating, and using Electronic Health Records. An EHR represents a running history of a patient’s care, across various healthcare providers and creates a comprehensive record of the patient’s health, wellness, and treatments.
EHR systems replace paper records, and can be stored, updated, and accessed much more accurately and efficiently. Having patient information handy and always updated will increase the quality of care you can provide patients and reduce costly delays or mistakes.
Compliance with the HITECH Act requires medical practices to demonstrate meaningful use of EHRs. This implies e-prescribing, data sharing and demonstrable proof that a practice’s use of EHRs has resulted in improvement in patient care.
Furthermore, there are now federal regulations in place that govern how medical and health information is stored, used, and shared. These laws help protect patients and also provide benefits to practices that maintain compliance in meaningful use of patient health records. A large part of properly maintaining patient health records is finding an efficient way that physicians and nurses can properly chart and track data without detracting from their overall goal-patient care.
