Electronic Health System Records Paper Example

In summation, it is clear that the Electronic health system records have brought about numerous positive impacts on the health care system particularly the American health care system. As healthcare systems continue to grow, the need for more information continues to grow as well. Thus this can be concluded as one of the significant factors that have the led to the necessity of adopting electronic health systems as they represent the most modern and efficient way that ensures that this information is available. The primary purpose of the research was therefore to explore some of the significant impacts that electronic health care systems have had in the modern medical world. The study begins this process by looking at the background of EHR and some of the reasons which have led to its adoption. Among these reasons is the ineffectiveness of traditional healthcare record methods.

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It is clear that traditional healthcare record systems have been found to be insufficient due to the adverse effects associated with them. From the research, for example, it was found that traditional healthcare record methods like handwriting cause misunderstandings specifically due to the increased number of patients attending healthcare institutions. Thus this means that these record systems are associated with errors that may negatively affect health care delivery. Another downside that makes it impossible to continue using traditional health record are systems in the modern world is the fact that they cannot be adjusted to fit current changes. This has, therefore, left the use of electronic healthcare records systems as the most viable option. Electronic healthcare systems by-pass almost all problems associated with traditional methods and thus have been adopted mainly in the American health care delivery system.

The research conducted has been efficient in showing why EHR is the best alternative to use in the modern world. One major factor supporting this use is the fact that EHR will help reduce costs and improve delivery as stated by Kharrazi et al., (2018). Other benefits of EHR noted is the fact that it helps in the collection, storage, and transmission of data within the healthcare systems and this has majorly benefited patients. Time efficiency is another excellent impact that the research has associated with the adoption of EHR. It was noted that EHR systems make the recording and particularly the retrieval of data an easy task for health care providers. According to Lenz & Reichert (2007), retrieval of healthcare data in big institutions that use traditional health care record methods is a cumbersome and lengthy process, and this is one primary reason that causes poor quality of health services in institutions still using them. EHR has solved this problem as health care providers are easily able to access information such as lab reports within a brief period (Lenz & Reichert, 2007). This improves the number of patients being served in a day and leads to an overall improvement in the quality of health care hospitals provide.

Another positive impact of EHR outlined in the paper is the fact that healthcare providers can now view patient information from any part of the hospital. Asan et al. (2016), report that increased automation associated with EHR helps healthcare provides view patient data from mobile and electronic devices within the hospital. A factor that is crucial in case of emergency situations where a doctor would not have time to visit the healthcare records management department. Thus it can be noted EHR have helped in the rapid response to emergencies with the health care system.

Despite all these positive impacts of EHR, its adopted across marginalized hospitals in America has not been a smooth process. The research affirms that only large and more developed healthcare institutions can be associated with the smooth implementation of EHR. Small and rural hospitals, on the other hand, continue to use traditional health care system methods and hospitals that are poorly equipped are yet to realize the benefits of EHR. This has been a significant disadvantage to people from low economic backgrounds as well as people living in rural areas. Another challenge associated with the adoption of EHR is the poor integration of IT systems in care provisions and work practices. They are several factors that have been found to cause such challenges. Among the factors outlined in the research include poor government and national policies, health care professionals involvement and lack of financial and human resources (Clarke et al., 2015). While the study reveals that there is no one conventional method of dealing with challenges associated with the implementation of EHR, Creswell, et al. (2015), showed that is was essential not to focus on interoperability as this limited the chances of tailoring EHR to fit local needs. Aarts and Berg (2004) suggest that organizations should focus on the social and technical domains of EHR adoption. Social areas involve the social environment within which the organization is operating in while technological fields deal with the type of technological resources that a health care institution can access in its area of operation.

Recommendations for Future Studies and Decisions

It is clear that steps still need to be taken to ensure that all hospitals across the country whether small or big and regardless of the areas they are serving all benefit for EHR. Some of the recommendations that can be considered for future practice and discussion particularly about this issue include:

1. Conducting and more researches that explore some of the challenges associated with the adoption of EHR systems in local areas. According to the study, it is clear that there has been a gap in the literature covering the adoption of EHR in rural areas. The increased research will help identify a common trend in challenges hindering EHR adoption in these areas, and standard solutions can be devised to aid local hospitals across America and the world.

Health care institutions wishing to adopt or improve EHR systems within their organization should pay close attention to clinical decision support about the matter. According to Rothman, Leonard and Vigoda (2012) "Unintentional consequences of clinical decision support, such as alert desensitization, can decrease the effectiveness of a system" This may be a similar case for EHR systems, and thus it needs to be jointly paid attention to.

It is essential to look at the issue of technological advancement in rural areas which has been a significant hindrance to EHR adoption. To see to this, the government should consider funding projects such as science fairs that facilitate technological advancements. This will make the adoption.

References

Aarts J, Dooryard H, Berg M. (2004). Understanding implementation: The case of a computerized physician order entry system in a large Dutch university medical center. J Am Med Inform Assoc. 2004; 11(3):207-216. doi: 10.1197

Asan, O., Holden, R. J., Flynn, K. E., Yang, Y., Azam, L., & Scanlon, M. C. (2016). Provider use of a novel her display in the pediatric intensive care unit. Applied clinical informatics, 7(03), 682-692.

Clarke, A., Adamson, J., Sheard, L., Cairns, P., Watt, I., & Wright, J. (2015). Implementing electronic patient record systems (EPRs) into England's acute, mental health and community care trusts: a mixed methods study. BMC medical informatics and decision making 15(1), 85.

Creswell KM, Worth A, Sheikh A. (2015). Integration of a nationally procured electronic health record system into user work practices. BMC Med Inform Decis Mak. 2012;12:15. doi: 10.1186/1472-6947-12-15.

Kharrazi, H., Gonzalez, C. P., Lowe, K. B., Huerta, T. R., & Ford, E. W. (2018). Forecasting the Maturation of Electronic Health Record Functions Among US Hospitals: Retrospective Analysis and Predictive Model. Journal of medical Internet research, 20(8).

Lenz, R., & Reichert, M. (2007). IT support for healthcare processes-premises, challenges, perspectives. Data & Knowledge Engineering, 61(1), 39-58.

Rothman, B., Leonard, J. C., & Vigoda, M. M. (2012). Future of electronic health records: implications for decision support. Mount Sinai Journal of Medicine: A Journal of Translational and Personalized Medicine, 79(6), 757-768.