Electronic Medical Records

Sonia Burns-Seams
Electronic Medical Records Systems
January 24, 2011

Electronic medical record (EMR) Systems

INTRODUCTION

Electronic medical record (EMR) systems, defined as an electronic record of health-related information on an individual that can be created, gathered, managed, and consulted by authorized clinicians and staff within one health care organization, who have the potential to provide substantial benefits to physicians, clinic practices, and health care facilities and organizations. These systems can facilitate workflow and improve the quality of patient care and patient safety. Despite these benefits, widespread adoption of EMRs in the United States is low; a recent survey indicated that only 4 percent of ambulatory physicians reported having an extensive, fully functional electronic records system and 13 percent reported having a basic system (Krist, 2010). The primary goal of this irrefutable assessment is to evaluate the effectiveness of an integrated electronic health record system that includes e-Medical Record (EMR), e-Dental Record (EDR), and a Personal e-Health Record (PHR) to improve the quality and safety of dental care for patients with chronic illnesses (Fricton, 2010)    

Patient Electronic Records Systems

The medical record for each patient of any medical center should contain sufficient information as to identify the patient, support the diagnosis’s, justifies the treatment, document the management and results as well as facilitate the continuity of care. For that reason, the Medical Records Committee conducts quarterly analyses of medical records, or representative samples so as to assure the respectability and integrity of the medical records for the patients who seek treatment at this institution. This committee may initiate those action steps or recommendations in order to improve the timely completion, accuracy, and completeness of these records (Burkett, 2007).

Protection of the Medical Record

All medical... [continues]

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