One of my long-standing rants about digital communication and technologies is that sometimes it gets wrapped up unfairly into an umbrella term of “social media.” In fact, there are many forms of digital that are inherently not social, and those are worth exploring as well.
One item that fits well into that category in the health space is the notion of electronic medical records (EMRs). The active online Health IT community often discusses the concern that we’ll be behind in efficient patient care as long as we continue to avoid digitized health records.
To give you a different topic to think about this Tuesday, here are a few interesting things to consider when it comes to the role EMRs could play in improving patient care. If you have something to add, feel free to comment so we can keep building this list of resources.
The “20 Year Lag”
The article I always seem to keep coming back to in the EMR debate is a Wikinomics piece from March 2009. Jeff Perron very plainly states a fascinating juxtaposition of using paper-filing systems to organize vital information: “Am I to believe that our libraries did, almost 20 years ago, what our health care system is starting to do now?”
The Benefit
It’s easy to try and guess the benefits of an electronic records system, but it’s better to check out this case study from Dr. Owen O’Neill of a Minneapolis orthopedic surgical practice. The initial return appears just to be in staffing and management of the facility, but as you read on, you’ll note how O’Neill pointed to the improved quality of patient care, reduced risk of transcription errors, and better access to information after-hours. Even better, his partner noted how the physician quality of life also improved.
The Privacy Concern
Privacy has been the buzz word of the last year, and personal health is among the most sensitive of topics. While it’s easy to question why health systems are far behind other public sectors, the strongest reason to be cautious with implementing electronic records is that patients have to trust the security of their digitized records. They have to believe that a secure system in “the cloud” or in health system servers will keep their personal information safe.
New Technologies to Help
The tablet computer revolution has moved many to start looking for practical applications of the devices in the medical space. One such suggestion is leveraging those technologies to streamline the EMR process. There would be a few kinks to work out; as one author noted, if they can’t type on a tablet faster than they would normally write, the dictation apps better learn medical jargon. There is at least a notion that these devices could replace the physician’s clipboard.
Will They Solve Every Care Issue?
Late last year, a study showed that EMR adoption rates were still quite low in the United States, and there had yet to be more than modest differences in the quality of care between hospitals. Most notably, one concern is that some of the systems that may be able to use EMRs most effectively are those who see many poor patients. Yet those same hospitals rely on federal funds more than others, and EMRs may be lower on their implementation list. A digitized health system has clear benefits, but they certainly won’t solve everything.
Image credit: John Norris
