EMR/EHR

Electronic medical records (EMR) are a digital version of a patient’s chart that store their personal information, medical history and links to prior exams, texts and reports. The goal of these systems is to enable immediate access to the patient's data electronically, rather than needing to request paper file folders that might be stored in fragment files at numerous locations where a patient is seen or treated. EMRs (also called electronic health records, or EHR) improve clinician and health system efficiency by making all this data immediately available. This helps reduce repeat tests, repeat prescriptions and repeat imaging exams because reports, imaging or other patient data is not not immediately available. 

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51% of patients think EHRs make healthcare safer

A survey conducted by HealtheLink asked participants on their view of the safety of electronic health records (EHRs)—finding 51 percent of respondents believed EHRs by physicians and hospitals makes healthcare “more safe.”

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Despite high EHR adoption, digital divide remains in advanced utilization

Although the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) has grown, evidence of how hospitals are using advanced EHR features is lacking. In a study presented at the 2017 American Medical Informatics Association Annual Symposium, researchers analyzed EHR utilization to assess evidence of digital divides between health systems.

Medical scribes reduce documentation time by 3.2 minutes per patient encounter

One of the main complaints about electronic medical records (EMRs) from physicians is the time documentation takes away from the patient visit. In a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Dermatology, researchers evaluate the effect medical scribes have on clinical documentation.

1 in 4 four healthcare execs believes EMRs have helped meet consumer needs

Electronic medical records (EMRs) have the promise of increasing efficiency, but only 25 percent of healthcare executives agree the technology has helped achieve the growing needs of consumers, according to a report by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute.

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EMR malpractice claims increase over past decade

As the number of physician’s offices and hospitals implementing electronic medical records (EMRs) has increased so has the number of EMR-related medical malpractice claims, according to a report conducted by the Doctors Company, a large medical malpractice insurer.

Paper records beat EHRs in quality, quantity

Paper-based records and electronic medical records (EMRs) differ in content, documentation process and structure, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

80% of patients believe EMRs improve care

A majority of consumers believe electronic medical records (EMRs) will improve patient care, according to survey conducted by The Physicians Foundation.

Allscripts finalizes purchase of McKesson’s health IT business

Allscripts has closed its purchase of McKesson Corporation’s Enterprise Information Solutions (EIS), the hospital and health IT system business. The acquisition, which cost Allscripts $185 million, doubles Allscripts' client base in the United States.

Around the web

U.S. health systems are increasingly leveraging digital health to conduct their operations, but how health systems are using digital health in their strategies can vary widely.

When human counselors are unavailable to provide work-based wellness coaching, robots can substitute—as long as the workers are comfortable with emerging technologies and the machines aren’t overly humanlike.

A vendor that supplies EHR software to public health agencies is partnering with a health-tech startup in the cloud-communications space to equip state and local governments for managing their response to the COVID-19 crisis.