What Are the Different Uses of EMR in Hospitals?

Electronic medical records, or EMRs, are used in some hospitals in place of paper records and charts that hold patient information. A computerized system of EMR in hospitals enables the staff to access a patient’s medical data from a computer, rather than having to locate a chart in a file room. This often allows several hospital employees to access the patient’s medical data at once instead of having to make multiple paper copies of patient records, and permits hospitals to use technology to their advantage by allowing alerts, patient access to records, and expedited administrative processes. EMR in hospitals is gaining in popularity, which is largely due to the push for more secure medical records and the ability to easily transfer patient information between facilities.

The use of EMR in hospitals allows health care providers to make quick decisions since electronic records are often easier to access than paper ones. Many hospital patients have several doctors, nurses, and specialists seeing them during their stay, so timely and easy access to notes and other documentation created by other members of the health care team can help hospital staff to focus more easily on the patient, rather than on trying to track down records. Electronic data is usually available instantly, so compiling patient information is a much quicker process.

EMR in hospitals allows staff members to take advantage of basic computer and software features that would not be available with paper records. For example, doctors or nurses can set up alerts as reminders for patient diagnostic tests or medications. The systems are often set up with reminders for hospital staff and help identify drug interactions, allergies, and other patient-specific information that might get overlooked in a paper file. Many EMR software packages provide lists and buttons that make it easier and faster for hospital staff members to enter information, which may include drop-down lists of common symptoms that doctors can click on when seeing a patient, as opposed to writing notes by hand.

Patients are able to get copies of their records easier with most EMR systems in hospitals. Administrative staff members can quickly print patients’ test results and discharge instructions, eliminating the need to make copies and locate individual papers in a patient’s chart. The administrative staff members are often able to integrate EMR in hospitals into their billing and coding procedures as well, increasing the efficiency and accuracy of medical office work.