What is an EMR anyway?
Part of the EMR series
OK, so I wrote about some major players in the EMR ecosystem, but I never really wrote about what EMRs are… this post circles back and gives a few paragraphs to explain them,
What are EMRs
I asked chat GPT about them, and it gave a pretty solid response, but it still needs a little help from us puny humans for the time being, so I have edited for style and accuracy below:
History
Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems are digital versions of medical records that healthcare providers use to store and manage patients' health information. Prior to EMRs, medical records were kept on paper in large cabinets at doctors’ offices and hospitals and faxed to be shared with other providers (using fax to share records is still shockingly common even after EMRs took off). EMRs have been widely adopted by healthcare organizations worldwide as a way to improve patient care, streamline workflow, and reduce medical errors.
The widespread use of EMRs began in the early 2000s, especially following the implementation of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act in the United States in 2009. The HITECH Act promoted the adoption of EMRs by offering financial incentives to those who implemented certified systems and demonstrated meaningful use of the technology. Since then, the use of EMRs has continued to grow.
What information do they have?
EMRs typically include patient demographics, medical history, laboratory test results, diagnoses, treatment plans, and medication lists. They allow healthcare providers to access and update patient information in real-time, providing a relatively complete and accessible view of a patient's health status. Additionally, EMRs can improve patient safety by reducing the risk of medication errors, improving communication between healthcare providers, and facilitating coordination of care.
What do they look like?
Mostly they look like obsolete business software from their early aughts, and are not super user friendly, but they do the job. I have found that most providers think they are a pain in the ass, but there are a few providers who took the time to learn the systems well and they fall in love with them. Here’s a screen shot I found on the web:
Sources:
1. Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. (2020). What is an electronic health record (EHR)? Retrieved from https://www.healthit.gov/topic/health-it-basics/what-electronic-health-record-ehr
2. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2022). Electronic Health Records (EHRs). Retrieved from https://www.healthit.gov/topic/health-it-basics/electronic-health-records-ehrs
3. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. (2019). A Brief History of Electronic Health Records in the United States. Retrieved from https://www.healthit.gov/topic/health-it-history/brief-history-electronic-health-records-united-states