The healthcare industry is one built on information. Dentists, general care practitioners, chiropractors, and hospitals collect and store data on patients every day. They need the patient information to create a health profile and remember what procedures have been done and what illnesses they’ve had. Collecting and sharing information between doctors and facilities is an important part of healthcare. The industry is slowly making a change to digital information, but there is still a long way to go. Many practices have decades of paper documents on hand taking up space that should be converted to a digital format. Medical document scanning services are available to convert paper files into digital ones. Let’s explore how electronic health records help healthcare providers.
- Digital health records provide accurate, up-to-date, and complete information about patients at the point of care. Doctors don’t have to look through filing cabinets to find patient information as it is readily available in the examination room on the computer.
- Emergency situations mean there is little time to find patient information. Electronic health records help healthcare providers by enabling quick access to patient records for more coordinated, efficient care.
- The protection and safety of sensitive information are important. Digital data allows for securely sharing information with patients and other clinicians.
- Knowing the medical history of a patient is important for diagnosing current problems. Electronic records help providers more effectively diagnose patients, reduce medical errors, and provide safer care.
- Improves patient and provider interaction and communication, as well as health care convenience. Instead of wasting time rehashing 30 years of medical history, doctors can instantly access patient information.
- Doctors prescribe a variety of medications to treat chronic conditions and illnesses. With the opioid epidemic that’s going on, doctors need to know what patients are taking and if it is safe to prescribe something new. Digital information enables safer, more reliable prescribing.
- Coding and billing are a massive ancillary healthcare industry. Digital data helps promote legible, complete documentation and accurate, streamlined processes.
- Enhancing the privacy and security of patient data is paramount. Digital information can have limited access so those that don’t need access can’t have it. The data can also be hidden behind firewalls and secure servers.
- Electronic information helps providers improve productivity and work-life balance. No more time will be wasted copying, sorting, and filing paperwork. It’s already stored on the computer.
- Paper is an expense that can be eliminated. Going digital enables providers to improve efficiency and meet their business goals by reducing overhead.
- Reducing costs through decreased paperwork, improved safety, reduced duplication of testing, and improved health.