Electronic Health Records: Advantages, Limitations, and Impact

This report delves into the realm of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) within the healthcare landscape, emphasizing their transformative influence on patient care and operational efficiency. It underscores the advantages of EHR systems, such as improved patient data tracking, enhanced decision-making through readily accessible medical histories, reduced medical errors, and streamlined information sharing among healthcare professionals. The report also acknowledges the limitations, including patient data privacy concerns, the infrastructure needed for adoption, and potential resistance from healthcare providers. The report further examines the concept of digital equity, highlighting how EHRs promote equal access to healthcare information and facilitate informed decision-making. The report provides insights into how EHRs are used in various healthcare settings, including diagnosis rooms, laboratories, and reception areas. The availability of EHRs has a positive impact on healthcare organizations. The report concludes by emphasizing EHR's crucial role in supporting modern healthcare practices, fostering positive patient outcomes, and increasing the efficiency of care delivery.

Running head: ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS 1
Electronic Health Records
Name
Institutional Affiliation

ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS 2
Electronic Health Records
The internet has significantly shaped the application of technology in healthcare with the
rise of medical procedures being performed through a wide range of telehealth options.
Additionally, majority of the people have the knowledge to use technology to research on health
issues or diseases as well as seek out medical advice. Electronic health record system represents
one of the key advances of technology in healthcare and is based on digital version of the
patients information which is available in real time and securely when authorized (Bowman,
2013). EHR serves as one of the greatest advances in healthcare and promotes the chances of
achieving positive outcomes through timely access of patient records and promoting decision
making as well as reducing the possibility of medical errors in healthcare.
EHR has several key advantages in healthcare and has been adopted in most healthcare
settings in order to enhance efficiency in care provision as well as positive patient outcomes.
Some of the key advantages involves the chances of enhancing the physicians to easily track the
patient data over time or medical history which also impacts the care provided. According to
Dowding, Turley & Garrido (2011) EHR contains the medical and treatment history of the
patients which helps in improving the quality of care provided as well as monitoring the patients
performance overtime. In this regard, EHR has a key role in supporting the delivery of safe and
efficient care to the patients. Additionally, EHR promotes the chances of reducing medical errors
by ensuring the care providers make decisions by considering the patients needs and previously
history. Another key advantage of EHR involves enhancing the chances of identifying the
patients performance through recording key parameters. Additionally, the technology enhances
quick and easier retrieval of patient records compared to the use of manual records. It also allows
access to evidence-based tools as well as streamlining care provision by enhancing the chances

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of sharing patient information by different healthcare professionals (Harman, Flite & Bond,
2012).
However, EHR is associated with several key disadvantages or limitations which
involves the privacy of patient records which is one of the key limitation primarily due to
increased cases of hacking and unauthorized access to patient data. Another key limitation
involves the infrastructure and the knowledge required to easily adopt the technology. The aspect
limits the chances of different healthcare organizations effectively adopting the technology.
Healthcare organizations must have the required resources to use the technology. Another key
limitation involves the negative perception of the technology owing to the fear of patient data
access as well as the lack of knowledge among healthcare providers (Bowman, 2013).
Despite the key limitations, it's evident that EHR has been adopted in a majority of
healthcare settings and has positive impact on the concept of digital equity since it promotes
understanding on the impact of technology on healthcare. Additionally, it demonstrates the
positive uptake of technology in most healthcare setting as a means for healthcare professionals
to make decisions and shape their practice. EHR helps achieve digital equity by encouraging
healthcare settings to adopt the technology in order to enhance the efficiency of patient care as
well as ensure easier retrieval of patient information (Hoffman, 2009).
On the other hand, Menachemi & Collum (2011) posits that EHR promotes the delivery
of quality healthcare by ensuring access to patient records and sharing information between
different healthcare professionals. EHR improves the healthcare providers decision making
abilities and enhances the chances of adopting evidence-based data prior to decision making
which promotes the quality of care provided to the patients. It also reduces the possibility of
medical errors which tends to affect the quality of care by ensuring easier information sharing

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and consideration of the patient records prior to medication. As such, it serves as the most
efficient tool that supports the healthcare practice and promotes positive outcomes and efficiency
of care (Zeng, 2016).
From an administrator perspective, EHR is seen in the diagnosis rooms where the patients
symptoms are recorded into the system. It's also likely to be used in the laboratory and reception
sections where the patient information is provided prior to diagnosis process. It's also evident
when the patients first seek care in the healthcare setting creating the need for healthcare
providers to record their information. The availability of EHR impacts the organization
positively by promoting positive patient outcomes through the delivery of quality and safe care
practices. It also provides the chances of the healthcare organization reducing cases of medical
errors which tends to influence negative outcomes. The adoption of the technology in the
organization will enhance the efficiency of the healthcare practice by allowing timely access to
patient records and information and improved decision making.

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References
Bowman, S. (2013). Impact of electronic health record systems on information integrity: quality
and safety implications. Perspectives in Health Information Management, 10(Fall).
Dowding, D. W., Turley, M., & Garrido, T. (2011). The impact of an electronic health record on
nurse sensitive patient outcomes: an interrupted time series analysis. Journal of the
American Medical Informatics Association, 19(4), 615-620.
Harman, L. B., Flite, C. A., & Bond, K. (2012). Electronic health records: privacy,
confidentiality, and security. Virtual Mentor, 14(9), 712.
Hoffman, S. (2009). Employing E-Health: The Impact of Electronic Health Records on the
Workplace. Kan. JL & Pub. Pol'y, 19, 409.
Menachemi, N., & Collum, T. H. (2011). Benefits and drawbacks of electronic health record
systems. Risk management and healthcare policy, 4, 47.
Zeng, X. (2016). The impacts of electronic health record implementation on the health care
workforce. North Carolina medical journal, 77(2), 112-114.