As technology continues to progress and change the ways that we live our everyday lives, many industries have experienced large overhauls of their older practices and procedures. One industry that has been greatly impacted by technology in recent years is the healthcare industry. One of the largest and most widespread technological changes that has affected the American healthcare industry is the implementation of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems. These systems have transformed the industry as now, instead of all patient medical records and data being stored in paper format, this information is stored completely electronically.

Beneficial Aspects of Electronic Medical Records

EMR systems have completely changed the way that patient medical records are created, stored, analyzed, and distributed. With these changes there have been many benefits for both doctors and patients. Some of these benefits include:

• Improved communications between doctors and their staff members- One of the major benefits of EMR systems has been the improvement of communications between doctors and the staff members who support them. In recent studies, over 60 percent of doctors who utilize EMR systems have reported better communications between them and their staff members. By having all patient information in electronic format, the process of data input and retrieval has been streamlined so both doctors and their staff members can access this information more easily. And if doctors and their staffs are communicating better, it means that patients are receiving better care which is always the goal of healthcare providers.
• More efficient storage and maintenance of records- In the pre-EMR years, all patient information was stored on physical paper charts. This made storage a tall task for healthcare facilities as they would often need large amounts of space to store records, and space is never cheap. In addition, when records needed to be analyzed or adjusted a doctor or his staff members would have to walk to wherever the records were located (which could be a different floor or an entirely different building) and manually search for the charts. This process was incredibly inefficient as it slowed down doctors and decreased the speed and effectiveness of patient care. With EMR systems, patient records can be updated with the click of a button and accessed in a matter of seconds, which benefits both patients and the doctors that care for them.
• Increased patient awareness- EMR systems have also made it much easier for patients to access and monitor the information that is stored in their medical records. With paper charts, patients could really never access their medical records because they were stored away by their doctors at their healthcare facilities. EMR systems have made the transfer and distribution of records much easier as now, all of the information can be emailed or transferred online. By making it easier to access their records, EMR systems have benefited patients greatly. Patients can now see exactly what treatments they have received in the past and analyze what has worked for them and what hasn’t. It has also made patients feel more comfortable with their healthcare providers as now, they can see what notations are being made in their charts instead of guessing as to what their doctors have been doing. If patients are more aware of their health issues, they will take greater interest in their health and will strive to help their doctors help them.

Managing Records in Your EMR System

EMR systems have dramatically changed the healthcare landscape as health information is now easier to access than ever. Many doctors have switched over to EMR systems and have enjoyed the various benefits that they provide. If you are a retiring doctor who is worried about what will happen with the patient records in your EMR system, or you are a doctor who is looking to transfer your old paper records in to a new EMR system then we have the solutions you are looking for. My Retired Doctor can provide various file scanning and data storage services to help doctors with whatever medical record needs they may have. We have been securely storing and transferring patient medical records for decades and this has enabled us to become medical data experts. For more information on how we can help you and your practice with EMR systems, call or contact us today.