To gather data safely and to maintain the quality and security while manually recording them on paper, are a time consuming and difficult task. Bringing in of an Electronic Medical Record system EMR will surely affect the organization’s controls system. An EMR will provide easy data access. In healthcare systems, there is always looking forward, in order to provide and improve the quality of the care provided. Especially in large-scale organizations like Geneva, the vast amount of data can easily be stored accessed through an EMR.

Benefits of EMR

EMRs are best appreciated for their abilities to address the problems, related to paper records, like delivering, exchanging, storing and maintaining the huge amount of data (Jawhari et al., 2016). Following are some of the key benefits of EMR adoptions:

• Can securely and easily share information within the departments
• Can securely and easily share data with patients and their family members
• Can securely and easily share data with other clinicians
• Provide up to date and precise information about patients
• Provide quick access to patient information
• Improve interactions and communications between physician and patient.
• Improve interactions and communications between patient and healthcare organization
• Assist in effective and accurate diagnosis
• Assist in safe and reliable prescribing
• Assist in reducing medical errors
• Enhance security and privacy of patient
• Enhance efficiency of the organization
• Enhance work-life balance and productivity
• Reduces overall cost
• Reduce intense paperwork
• Reduce duplication or missing of the data record

Besides these easy billing, legible document handling, data analysis, timeliness, and equity are some of the other advantages of EMR (“What are the advantages of electronic health records?”, 2018).

Effects on Organization

 As an Organization, multiple advantages can be attained from the adaptation of EMR. Moreover, benefits such as increased organizational efficiency and patient satisfaction can also be improved using appropriate IT system (Campanella et al., 2015).

Cost Reduction

The main advantage of EMR in any organization is the cost reduction. EMR not only reduces the cost related to the paper used for data storage but also eliminates the requirements of huge storage spaces, to store that data. EMR also reduced operational costs regarding extra human resources, transportation services.

Patient Satisfaction

EMR can also be advantageous in terms of patient satisfaction. Patient satisfaction can be achieved by EMR through improving treatment and diagnosis process, delivering them with easy access to their personal health records and providing faster response form assigned medical specialists (“What are the advantages of electronic health records?”, 2018).

Increased Efficiency

Organizational efficiency, in terms of workflow, cost-effectiveness, better care facilities, security and privacy of the data collected, better control of information access (for required personal only) and accomplishing of business goals, can be increased and enhanced efficiently using EMR.

Quality and Control

Quality and control are another aspects of an organization that can be affected by the adaptation of EMR. Complete control on the information can be acquired by overcoming the problems like reduction in the data lost, due to missing files, limited and guaranteed access of information and customizable records (that grows with the patients). Quality, in terms of organizational quality, on the other hand, can be maintained by visualizing the data and statistics for the check and balance of paramedics and non-paramedics.

Intradepartmental Coordination

Intradepartmental coordination procedures, that are crucial for any organizations, such as transfer of patient’s records (medical diagnosis, reports, case takings, prescriptions, histories, non-medical reports like billing) and clinical documentation (notices, rules regulations) can be also be achieved by the application of EMR in the organization.

Effects on Individuals

Since EMR are patient-centric systems (Jawhari et al., 2016). Application of EMR will also affect individuals to a great extent. Automatic triggering of protocols, not only increases the quality of the care provided but also decreases the possible errors. The safe and sound communications in between the individuals, through an EMR, can also be enhanced. Data regarding the patient can easily be retrieved by multiple disciplines simultaneously at a time, resulting in less fragmented and more streamlined care (Cucciniello, Lapsley, Nasi & Pagliari, 2015).

Effects on Patients

The patient-centric design of EMR affects the patient most. From personal satisfaction to better healthcare provision, every need of patients is covered by EMR. Personalized access to the prescription, case history, medical history, bills, and vouchers, reports almost every record registered in the different system can also be attained easily. The quality of the treatment with reduced risk factors or medical errors is also accomplished through EMR.

Effects on Physicians and Paramedics

For physicians and paramedics, EMR is an effective strategy to attain the improved quality healthcare (Jawhari et al., 2016). Easy storing and accessing of records on site, quick analyzing of the patient’s picture on the basis of the data retrieved (throughout from all of related patient administration system), error reduction in medical practice, increased number of patients served, quick transferring of data from one department to the other and better decision making and case taking are the main corners related to physicians and paramedics, that can be affected by EMR.   

Effects on Other Stakeholders

Other organizational stakeholders can also be benefited from the adaptation of EMR. For example, the administration can visualize and analyze, quickly and in real time, data retrieved from the database, not only for quality and control purpose but also for the redefining organizational goals. Similarly, EMR can assist non-paramedic staff in better intercommunication with paramedic ones and patients.

References

Campanella, P., Lovato, E., Marone, C., Fallacara, L., Mancuso, A., Ricciardi, W., & Specchia, M. (2015). The impact of electronic health records on healthcare quality: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The European Journal of Public Health, 26(1), 60-64. doi: 10.1093/eurpub/ckv122

Cucciniello, M., Lapsley, I., Nasi, G., & Pagliari, C. (2015). Understanding key factors affecting electronic medical record implementation: a sociotechnical approach. BMC Health Services Research, 15(1). doi: 10.1186/s12913-015-0928-7

Jawhari, B., Keenan, L., Zakus, D., Ludwick, D., Isaac, A., Saleh, A., & Hayward, R. (2016). Barriers and facilitators to Electronic Medical Record (EMR) use in an urban slum. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 94, 246-254. doi: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2016.07.015

What are the advantages of electronic health records?. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.healthit.gov/faq/what-are-advantages-electronic-health-records