Health Informatics
Health Informatics
Technology Innovations
Electronic health records represent one of the most notable technological innovations in nursing. This innovation encompasses the computerization of medical records. Consequently, this innovation changes the conventional use of manual records in health care. The implementation of electronic health records has numerous implications on nursing practice. Firstly, this innovation minimizes the chances of human errors while handling medical records. Such errors can be extremely costly in terms of the nature of treatment for patients.
While using manual records, it is easy for nurses to make errors such as misinterpretation of prescriptions (Soderholm, 2010). However, the situation is different when nurses use electronic health records. This is because EHR facilitates for excellent standards of accuracy. Accuracy is among the most pertinent issues in nursing and the entire health care sector. A slight error can have far reaching implications on a patient’s life. Inaccurate medical records can also cause inaccurate diagnosis. These are undesirable perspectives in health care. Apart from accuracy, electronic health records play an instrumental role in enhancing time efficacy.
In hospitals that still use manual file systems, it might take hours to trace the records of a patient. This delays the patient’s access to health care. This is extremely critical since it can lead to the loss of life (DesRoches, 2012). Most health care institutions strive to establish effective systems for minimizing the wastage of time while responding to patients. In line with this perspective, the implementation of electronic health records can serve as an essential platform. Through the EHR system, nursing practitioners can access the records of a patient in seconds or a few minutes. This contrasts the delays that are associated with manual record systems. Time efficiency is a pertinent issue that influences the quality of treatment.
Through the electronic health records, nursing practitioners can easily avert unnecessary delays. It is also vital to note that electronic health records provide an excellent basis for evaluating a patient’s medical history. This is a pertinent perspective in health care that affects the quality of treatment (McGonigle, 2012). It is always vital to establish a treatment framework that considers the patient’s medical history. Without using this approach, a treatment plan might be more or less futile. For instance, there are some medications that would be harmful to a patient who has a history of high blood pressure. Through the electronic health records, it is possible to detect such information.
It is also critical to note that electronic health records are extremely essential in minimizing operational costs. Health care organizations such as clinics and hospitals incur a lot of costs while maintaining manual inventory systems (Skiba, 2010). Such inventories occupy a lot of space. On the other hand, a single computer system can store records for thousands of patients. Consequently, electronic health records enhance operational efficiency by minimizing costs. The minimization of operational costs is an essential perspective in modern health care organizations. It applies to both nonprofit and for profit health care organizations.
The quality of services available in a health care organization is dependent on its capacity to attain operational efficiency (Tak, 2010). Consequently, electronic health records are integral components of health care practice. From another perspective, nursing leaders can streamline their plans through the electronic health systems. For instance, the nursing leader can easily monitor the productivity of staff using the electronic health systems. All these perspectives indicate the significance of electronic health records in nursing and health care.
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