INTRODUCTION OF ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD (EHR)

Electronic health record (EHR) is define as an individual patient's medical record in digital format rather than written format which is being stored & retrieved through computers in any hospital settings.


It is known to to have varieties of health-care information which are being stored & assessed through EHR. There are pros & cons of EHR in which one of the ways are reducing medical errors compared to the old fashioned methods as what our doctors or nurses did ages ago such as in a case of illegible handwriting. EHR systems are believed to increase doctor or nurses efficiency to support higher quality care & reduce cost as well as promote standardization of care.The doctors also can assess patients chart and medical histories without searching file from the folders.



Normally the type of data stored in EHR are:

1. Patient demographics
2. Medical history, examination from A&E (in particular) & progress reports of health & illness
3. Medication information & allergies list of the patients.
4. Laboratory test results.
5. Radiology images reports e.g. CT scans
6. Evidence based recommendations for specific medical condition
7. A record of appointments
8. Billing records

There are more on the type of data than the one stated above depending on the hospital systems.Even EHR systems are being recognize now in the local hospital, yet it is rarely put into implementation due to the lack or research.


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ADVANTAGES OF EHR

1. Improve quality of Life in which healthcare professionals can reduce reliance on handwritten records and implement better in document patients procedures & prescription & providing best practices based on the clinical knowledge.
2. Enhance productivity & organizational workflow efficiency helps to decrease paperwork by increasing speed in diagnosing & treatment for the patient.
3. Better information & improved communications reduces the possibility of misplaced & lost records, also ensure the patient records, test results or any other critical information are available when needed.It also integrates communications.
4. Reduce costs in paperwork & record filing time & retrieval.Physical records such as X-ray are being reduce with electronic record storage

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