EMR or Paper-Based Records?

While paper-based records are still the most popular choice of practicing doctors, the use of the EMR is rising quickly.

I think a good starting point would be to explain what EMR and paper-based records are. The acronym EMR simply means Electronic Medical Record - an EMR is patient information that is stored digitally. Paper-based records are as the name implies, records that are kept in a paper form.

There are many benefits to using EMR, yet the vast majority of doctors still cling onto paper-based records. If asked why they don't switch to the new technology, the most common answer would likely be that they have always used paper-based records, and that electronic medical records are more expensive.

Electronic medical records might be more expensive but they provide many more benefits than the antiquated paper-based record system. One of the biggest downsides to using paper-based records is storage. Doctors can't simply discard of a patient's record once they have been treated, in fact the record needs to be kept for a minimum of seven years. That's a lot of paper.

Keeping records digitally solves a lot of problems. Doctors do not need to worry about organizing, storing, or losing records. Nor do they need to worry about the costs of transporting and faxing records when it is required. Studies estimate that using EMR improves the total performance of a workplace by 6% annually.

Another upside to using electronic medical records is that they reduce the risk of misinterpretation. It might sound insignificant but when using paper-based records the legibility of handwriting is of paramount importance. If one doctor can't read another's handwriting then there can be a lot of time wasted trying to find out exactly what is stated on the medical record. With EMR the text is always one-hundred percent legible, significantly reducing the risk of medical errors.

Not only have electronic medical records become popular with hospitals, but veterinary practices have now abandoned paper-based records in favor of the digital kind. A survey was taken in the United Kingdom, and the results showed that an astonishing 89 percent of veterinary practices were using digital methods to store data.

Electronic medical records, like a word document, can be (with some legal constraints) consistently updated. Unlike paper-based records where new records need to be made, EMR allows the doctor to rewrite the existing record. In recent years the use of EMR within medical practices has steadily risen. In 2006, only 10 percent of hospitals implemented digital records, but that number has been increasing ever since, and in 2009 it was reported that up to 48.3 percent of hospitals were now using digital records instead of paper-based.

A recommended company who distribute EMR software is http://www.healthtec-software.com/emr.htm. Customers can contact HealthTec Software by phone, email, or just use their website to find more information about electronic medical records.