the pros and cons of electronic medical records

Therefore, a collection of multidimensional patient-related data in such a way is a great approach to make a variety of treatment-based procedures easier for both parties.Įnhanced Decision-Making and Diagnosing in Light of Evidence-Based Practice Moreover, patients do not have to recollect their memories in terms of their previous health conditions and issues since all the necessary records are already gathered and stored in the electronic healthcare recording (EHR) system. have researched the issue in neonatal intensive care units and, therefore, have emphasized the value of electronic record-keeping as “a paperless system capable of effectively coordinating bedside clinical observation with machine monitoring data, life-sustaining instruments and results from the laboratory” (163). It is important to mention that such an approach allows timely and efficient diagnosing of patients, immediate interprofessional collaboration, instant review of the one’s medical history, to list a few. Secondly, digitalizing of healthcare-related data ensures its authorized accessibility at the moment of necessity. Eased Aggregating and Accessibility of the Dataįirst and foremost, digitalizing of healthcare-related data is a great way to incorporate a variety of different-character records at one place, for instance, a hospital’s intranet system.

These advantages reveal win-win outcomes for both healthcare providers and patients.

To start with, scholars, practitioners, and policy-makers distinguish several positive implications of electronic record-keeping. Therefore, the current paper identifies and clarifies pros and cons of application of this strategy of making records as a common healthcare standard. To illustrate, George Palma, the medical director of Simpler Consulting, has aptly noted that, “If the technology is not supported with well-thought processes, hospitals may invest in complicated and expensive technologies that create more waste in a system already fraught with inefficiency” (par. While the proponents of this approach emphasize its possibility of cost- and time-efficiency as one of the benefits, the opponents list a number of factors as discouraging. Foremost, such a procedure requires careful planning and implementation to achieve adequate changes in workflow, enhancement of staff roles, and better patient outcomes (Ventura et al. Among a variety of technological advancements in the field, establishing electronic recording of medical data plays one of the leading though controversial roles at the same time. Hence, digital era innovations change the healthcare sector dramatically. Contemporary society is thoroughly technology-driven.

The pros and cons of electronic medical records