Implementing and enhancing EHR (Electronic Health Record) systems provides several benefits that improve patient care and operational efficiency in healthcare facilities. One of the main benefits of EHR is real-time documentation. Providers may record patient information and clinical notes as they engage with the patient, reducing the requirement for paper-based documentation while maintaining accuracy and completeness (Seymour et al., 2012). With this real-time data entry, physicians may instantaneously access earlier lab findings, paperwork, and other clinicians’ records. It promotes continuity of treatment, decreases duplication of efforts, and improves collaboration among healthcare practitioners since they can access patients’ entire medical history and test results at any time (Seymour et al., 2012).
EHR systems also monitor orders issued by clinicians to ensure accuracy and adherence to clinical recommendations. For example, using EHR systems to document pharmaceutical orders, lab tests, and treatment protocols helps to avoid mistakes such as inaccurate drug dose, unneeded lab tests, and repeated procedures (Seymour et al., 2012). These systems may also provide a variety of reports to analyze healthcare quality standards, track performance, and verify that critical benchmarks like VTE prophylaxis and readmission rates are met. By tracking these metrics, healthcare professionals may identify areas for improvement and efficiently allocate resources to improve patient outcomes (Seymour et al. 2012).
Another significant advantage of EHR is the capacity to create utilization data. These reports provide patient use trends, allowing institutions to better understand patterns such as chronic illness management, preventative care compliance, and healthcare budget allocation. For example, reports might identify areas that require further attention, such as funding for chronic illness management or enhancing treatment for patients with high readmission rates (Seymour et al., 2012).
EHR systems can also send reminders to healthcare practitioners. For example, reminders for vaccines and chronic condition management can ensure that patients receive the therapy they require at the right intervals, resulting in better patient outcomes and chronic illness management (Bell & Thornton, 2011). These automated reminders increase care delivery efficiency and help to eliminate missed preventive care opportunities.
Furthermore, EHR systems promote increased coding accuracy, resulting in fewer claim denials and rejections owing to mistakes or obsolete coding standards. This simplifies billing processes, minimizes administrative expenses, and ultimately enhances healthcare institutions’ financial stability (Seymour et al., 2012). In addition, EHR systems help to reduce medical mistakes by providing clear and precise documentation, lowering the need for handwritten notes, and eliminating duplicate or unnecessary processes like repeated lab testing (Seymour et al., 2012).