If patients have to complete fresh paper forms every time they see a new doctor, chances of errors are high. Patients can easily forget the names of drugs and its dosages, dates of illnesses and surgeries and even some old ailments and treatments. The results will be incomplete medical records.
The entries on the paper forms can also be illegible, in addition to being inaccurate and incomplete. As a result, doctors will be working with inadequate background details.
On the other hand, if the patient opts for an on-line medical records sytem, entries can be made just once and it will remain there. Any time the person visits a new doctor an up-to-date record can be printed out and presented to the doctor.
The patient-oriented system can also be tailored to doctors’ practices. The front end will look like the doctor’s or hospital’s Web site, and patient records can be updated either by the patient or the doctor.
The medical records created electronically can also travel with the patient, being transferred to a new hospital or doctor if the patient moves residence, for example.
The American Recovery & Reinvestment Act encourages such meaningful use of electronic technology by providing incentives to healthcare professionals and organizations. The new funding program is expected to enhance the spread of electronic health records.
Read more details at JournalGazette.
