The following is a guest article by Bill Lewkowski, Vice President of Strategic Client Services at HCTec
Gone are the days when patients or couriers physically transported copies of patient records from their primary care physician’s office, lab or imagining center to a specialist. Electronic health record (EHR) systems have drastically reduced the need for physical records, and they have been a critical part of healthcare operations for decades. Consumer demand in healthcare has shifted; led by the need to meet patient convenience inside, as well as outside, the four walls of the organization.
This article will explore how digital records have improved the quality of patient care and the ways in which EHRs are continuing to evolve. We will also discuss how HCTec is helping hospitals, clinics, and other medical facilities improve patient outcomes and reduce costs through EHR upgrades.
Electronic Health Records: A Game Changer
Unless you were in the medical profession before the turn of the century, you may not have ever worked in an office or clinic without an electronic medical records (EMR) system. While these systems existed before the year 2000, at that time, many offices still utilized physical filing cabinets filled with patient folders. Even offices that digitally stored patient information would either print patient records or transfer them to a portable storage unit like a disc or CD-ROM.
As the prices for computer hardware and storage decreased, the cost efficiencies of digital health records became attractive for administrators. Computer storage became the norm, and several companies began developing secure software that allowed healthcare providers to transfer data to one another electronically. The benefits are numerous, including:
- Hospitals and medical providers can receive patient information almost immediately, allowing them to make informed decisions without time delays.
- Facilities no longer have to store large volumes of physical files in a secure area.
- Authorized users can pull up patient information at a workstation — instead of walking to the records department or having someone bring the file to them.
- Reposition staff for more strategic purposes, reducing inefficiencies in time spent.
Since the advent of cloud computing, a second wave of technological breakthroughs has made the already highly efficient EHR system even more desirable.
- Data encryption allows medical providers to transfer data with minimal fear of an unauthorized third party “eavesdropping” or tapping the information.
- Offsite electronic storage means that there is little to no need to maintain a large number of local servers.
- Authorized users can access patient records remotely.
- Most importantly, patients can access their records from a phone, tablet, or computer.
- Modifiable software and hardware allow providers to achieve new levels of efficiency and innovation in their workflows.
- Data analytics can help improve outcomes for specific patient populations.
- The system can send red flags to diagnosticians to prevent prescription or medical errors.
- Data can be backed up to a discrete remote data center that’s walled off from the rest of the system. In the event of a manmade or natural disaster, all the data is preserved.
Although this is a cursory overview of the multiple ways that EHRs have evolved the healthcare industry, we don’t need an extraordinary imagination to realize how these efficiencies can lead to better patient outcomes.
Driving Informed Decision-Making
Modern EHR systems can take advantage of the incredible tools that have been changing the face of healthcare. Epic, for instance, is the largest EHR platform, with over a third of market share of U.S. hospitals and almost half of U.S hospital beds. Many of the AI-based diagnostic tools that are saving lives are designed to be compatible with Epic systems.
This not only means that you can use Epic to feed patient information into an artificial intelligence tool, but your tools can help build out patient records. This can help your clinicians identify new health concerns in your patient population and make more informed treatment decisions.
But it takes resources, effort, and dedication across the organization to fully realize the potential of your EHR. HCTec’s Vice President of Application Support, Bernard Rush, wrote an insightful article on why EHR optimization should be at the top of every health organization’s priority list.
Opportunities in Healthcare’s Digital Transformation
With the integration of advanced technologies like EHRs, healthcare organizations can facilitate real-time communication and information sharing amongst their teams. Overall, these digital transformation strategies in healthcare IT not only streamline operations but also create an environment that encourages cross-team collaboration, ultimately leading to improved patient care and better health outcomes.
EHR technology is constantly changing, and one of the biggest challenges for healthcare organizations is keeping up. New EHR applications and products come online all the time. Even if you’ve recently updated or upgraded your EHR system, you cannot ignore recent advances. There is good news, though.
Modern EHR systems are modifiable. When you team with a HIT partner like HCTec, specialists monitor and review your systems to ensure they are living up to their potential. Our knowledge of software, APIs, patches, etc. means that your system is optimized to improve patient outcomes, increase efficiency, and better manage your costs.
If you believe that your EHR system should be doing more for your patients and staff, contact the healthcare information technology team at HCTec.
About Bill Lewkowski
Bill has over 37 years of leadership experience as a health system CIO executive. Prior to joining HCTec, Bill was the System Chief Information Officer at Solution Health in New Hampshire, establishing the IT shared services organization for this newly established regional health system. Prior to that, Bill served for 22 years as Executive Vice President and CIO for the University of Michigan Health-West (Metro Health) in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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