Closing the chapter on paper records tucked into manila folders opened the door to electronic health records (EHR) benefits. From the classic EPIC system to the cutting-edge eClinicalWorks platform, the healthcare world has witnessed a revolution of medical records innovations. This article highlights the top EHR benefits including enhanced care coordination, increased patient engagement, decision-making precision, data security, and greater accessibility.
Benefit #1: Improved Quality of Care
Perhaps the most significant advantage of an EHR is how it empowers professionals to provide quality care for patients. With all the resources needed to make timely and accurate decisions at their fingertips, providers can deliver exceptional service powered by EHR technology. EHRs also facilitate better communication among providers and with patients, and Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) provide crucial alerts and guidelines, aiding in informed decision-making and reducing errors.
With EHR capabilities, providers can count on more available patient health information as reports from outside sources are imported automatically. Other automations in EHRs assist providers in treating patients with greater accuracy. Such preparedness promotes more confidence in patients about the quality of care they receive.
Benefit #2: Increased Efficiency and Cost Savings
Electronic Health Records (EHR) systems enhance efficiency in medical settings by streamlining data management, improving communication, and optimizing workflows. Efficiency and cost reduction go hand in hand, and these are the areas where EHRs can make healthcare more cost-effective.
Centralized information and interoperability:
- Real-time access to complete patient records.
- Reduces administrative work.
- Enables seamless information exchange.
Automated tasks:
- Simplifies scheduling and billing.
- Automation frees up time for staff to prioritize more important tasks.
- Promotes consistent care delivery through standardized processes.
Enhanced communication:
- Improves provider and patient interactions.
- Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) provide alerts and guidelines.
Cost reduction:
- Cuts down on expenses incurred from printing and storing paper records.
- Reduces billing errors.
- Administrative efficiency from more accurate documentation.
Resource optimization:
- Avoids unnecessary actions, such as duplicate testing, by having better coordination of information.
- Enhances revenue cycle management with accurate billing and claims processing.
Better healthcare outcomes:
- Supports preventive care and chronic disease management that can reduce preventable interventions such as hospital readmissions.
- Contributes to financial sustainability and quality of care.
Benefit #3: Enhanced Patient Engagement and Satisfaction
Patients directly and indirectly benefit from EHR systems. First, when EHRs are utilized to optimize care delivery, patients receive a level of service that meets their expectations in the modern era of convenience.
Though designed for healthcare professionals, patients also can experience the advantages of an EHR system through patient portal self-service tools. When a patient population habitually engages with patient portals, this amplifies the benefit of EHRs. Portals allow patients to carry out tasks on their own, at their own convenience, including:
- Accessing records: Some patient portals allow patients to view their entire history.
- Scheduling appointments: Patient portals give patients the option to schedule their own appointments.
- Request medication refills: Patients no longer have to call the office and request a medication refill when they can initiate the process through the patient portal.
- Upload documents: When a patient uploads documents or provides information, they contribute to their own keeping of health records.
Patient portals have proven to be a powerful patient engagement tool. A more engaged patient population promotes provider loyalty, restores confidence in the healthcare system, and contributes to better care outcomes.
Benefit #4: Strengthened Data Security and Accessibility
One key advantage of EHRs over paper records is how the health information is digitally contained. By fully transitioning from a paper-based records keeping system to a digital EHR system, patient records are more safely housed in the following ways:
- Password protected access: When on paper, patient records are more vulnerable to being handled and viewed by unauthorized persons, breaching patient privacy. With the EHR’s password protected access, organizations can configure permissions appropriate to each user, minimizing the risk of patient information exposure.
- Data encryption: EHRs are subject to increased security protocols, including data encryption. Organizations rely on EHRs to keep patient data secure. For example, with healthcare websites, IT professionals recommend that no patient data captured through a publicly accessed website be stored where it is hosted. Rather, all information collected with web-based forms should automatically be transmitted to the EHR.
- Digital backup: The reason people will back up precious family photos to digital files is the same as why it is good sense to convert a paper-based system to a digital one. While it’s true that electronic devices could also be destroyed by natural elements just like paper, digital copies can be backed up to cloud-based storage. By comparison, digital storage offers better protection as papers are more easily damaged by water, fire, or human error.
- Secure data sharing: One of the most significant benefits of an EHR system is its ability to instantaneously share records. Rather than wait for a fax, or an envelope to be delivered, electronic records can be sent and received within minutes or seconds. In fact, with advanced EHR automation, now incoming records such as faxes can be read and sent to the right place, eliminating manual processing.
Benefit #5: Improved Population Health Management Capabilities
Data is at its most powerful when used intelligently and effectively. Actionable insights can be generated from aggregated and anonymized data, helping healthcare leaders to improve patient care based on the metrics of the patients themselves. Data sourced from EHRs can be useful at the organizational level managing a single patient population, to a larger system organizing multiple patient groups, to disease surveillance among communities.
Summary of EHR Benefits: The Top 5 Electronic Health Records Advantages
The invention of electronic health records (EHRs) was a key milestone in the digital transformation of healthcare. Over the last several decades, EHR technology has evolved with each new iteration being more innovative. From the move from a paper-based system to a digital one, the following EHR benefits have emerged:
- Improved quality of care: EHRs empower professionals to deliver quality care by providing resources for timely decisions, enhancing communication, and improving accuracy in treatment.
- Increased efficiency and cost reduction: EHR systems improve care quality, communication, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in healthcare settings, leading to better outcomes and financial sustainability.
- Patient engagement: Patients benefit from EHR systems through improved care delivery, patient engagement via portals for tasks like record access and appointments, increased data security, and efficient information sharing, ultimately enhancing healthcare outcomes.
- Data security and accessibility: Transitioning to digital Electronic Health Records (EHRs) enhances data security through password-protected access, data encryption, cloud backups, and efficient data sharing.
- Enhanced population management: Data used wisely can yield actionable insights from aggregated health metrics, aiding healthcare leaders in enhancing patient care across various levels of patient populations and disease surveillance within communities.
EHR technology continues to transform healthcare by reaching for new heights in coordinated, efficient, and high-quality patient care. As the trajectory in EHR advancements continues, we can expect more innovations in the future (including automations), further elevating healthcare and administrative efficiency in the industry.
Work with Industry Experts to Maximize the Benefits of Your EHR
All too often healthcare organizations settle for minimal functioning from the EHR. However, underutilizing the EHR hinders performance improvement on multiple fronts such as patient engagement, maximizing revenue, and workflow efficiency. Our consultants aim to uncover all the opportunities to optimize your EHR for maximum organizational benefit. Contact us to learn more about how EHR consulting can improve your operations at every level.
