What Is an Ambulatory EMR?

An ambulatory electronic medical record, or ambulatory EMR, is an electronic document that is put into a digital format, where the device holding the files can move freely around, rather than being wired to a larger apparatus. This type of electronic medical records system allows a doctor, nurse, technician or other medical worker to use the device in different rooms or sections of a hospital or other care facility. These new types of systems help hospitals and facilities conform with requirements to move their records from a paper format to a digital format.

Electronic medical records keep the same information as paper records. The difference is that unlike paper records, electronic medical records cannot be damaged by the same kinds of environmental factors that often affect paper documents. There is also a reduced need for physical storage, and other factors of efficiency that make electronic medical records more desirable than the traditional paper format.

The electronic medical records that are stored on wired or ambulatory devices have to be stored in an altered form. They also need to be authenticated to prove their legitimacy. The people in charge of these records are called creators and custodians. The creator is the person who creates the electronic medical record. The custodian is the person or group that maintains the record and keeps it accessible to those who need to review it.

The specific technologies used to create and store ambulatory EMR data vary quite a bit. Electronic medical records cover aspects of a patient’s daily chart, as well as medical history, insurance information, and other aspects of record-keeping. All medical records must have a verifiable patient identification to ensure that the document references the correct individual. Other requirements for authentication involve the facility and professionals providing care, as well as the type of care that is provided.

An ambulatory EMR helps medical workers to do their jobs faster and more effectively. These documents can be useful from the beginning of a medical process, the registration, until the end of the medical process, the discharging of the individual from the facility. More hospitals and other institutions are switching to ambulatory electronic medical records systems, as traditional wired systems can make recording and using data more difficult. Some challenges with ambulatory EMRs involve the prompt sending of data through wireless systems, as well as security for the physical devices, but various medical companies are working hard to provide the most modern and problem-free ambulatory EMR systems to hospitals and other medical providers, and the technology is rapidly improving.