- February 12, 2021
- Posted by: medconverge
- Category: EMR & EHR
With the Digital Era at its peak, the world is utilizing technology to its fullest. People can do jobs digitally now, as compared to the past. For the healthcare industry, the latest technological advancement is the introduction and development of Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) and Electronic Health Records (EHRs).
An EMR is a record of a patient’s medical information that includes medical history, diagnoses, allergies, immunization, medications, etc. Also, medical institutions cannot share EMRs with other institutions.
On the other hand, an EHR contains everything an EMR does and much more. They go beyond the medical data entered. Above all, they share it with other doctors, hospitals, etc.
However, the healthcare industry uses these terms interchangeably.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EMR AND EHR
| EMR | EHR |
| This includes the patient’s medical history, previous and current medications, diagnoses, allergies, etc. They aren’t designed to be shared outside the medical institution. They are used by a single practice and are primarily used for diagnoses and treatments. | This includes all the information contained in an EMR and much more. They are designed to be shared across other medical institutions, insurance companies, etc. They are shared with other providers and are used to aid the level of care provided across the care continuum. |
ADVANTAGES
An EHR goes a step further from an EMR and helps in many other ways. Therefore, the healthcare industry considers EHR the next generation EMR.
It also has many advantages which make it a more preferable system to use. Some advantages are:
- Provides accurate and updated data about the patient.
- Easily accessible.
- Improves patient and provider interaction.
- Remains secure while sharing with other providers.
- Helps diagnose the patient more effectively and also helps reduce medical errors.
- Helps reduce costs and, as a result, makes entering data eco-friendly.
DISADVANTAGES
However, with advantages come disadvantages. Therefore, here are some of the prominent disadvantages of EHRs:
- Very expensive.
- Requires high maintenance.
- Prone to hacking.
- Risks patient privacy.
- It might lead to over-dependence on technology.
Hence, organizations must be extremely careful and weigh the advantages and disadvantages before taking a decision.
EMRs AND EHRs IN THE US
The main objectives of using EMRs and EHRs in the US healthcare industry were to improve quality and safety, to ensure patient privacy, to improve public health, and to keep proper track of patient medical information.
THE FUTURE OF EMRs AND EHRs
The history of EMRs and EHRs has not been easy, with them lacking at different points. Over time, they have evolved into better versions to fit the ever-changing world. Introduced in the early 2000s, they still have to undergo a lot of development.
EMRs and EHRs will grow more, as the Digital Era is only on the rise. Countries will slowly start adopting these systems to become more eco-friendly. As the years go by, EMRs and EHRs will advance further to fit the needs of different countries.
India’s main aim is to grow digitally. As a result, the country is very accepting of EMRs and EHRs. Though it is the beginning, it will see a gradual rise in the digital healthcare systems.
To know how MedConverge India can help, please contact us.