The Pros And Cons Of Electronic Medical Records

As early as 1972 an electronic medical records system was developed by the Regenstreif Institute. While this was just the beginning of electronic medical records (EMRs), it eventually led to the 1991 recommendation by the Institute of Medicine that every physician should be using computers in their practice by the year 2000 as a means to improve patient care. Currently electronic medical records are widely used and the main form of documentation by nurses. There are many types of EMRs and they are continually changing and being molded to fit into what those who use them need. EMRs are a method of recording patient information, medication administration information, notes, lab results, and many other items that nurses need to record. While
While promoted as being safer and more secure than paper charting, privacy and confidentiality issues can also arise in electronic charting. Because an electronic chart is accessible much more easily and to several people at once, it can possibly be viewed by those who should not have access to it. This has been seen in the news when charts of celebrities who were hospitalized were accessed by personnel not caring for the patient. Hospitals must preserve confidentiality of their patients and only allow authorized individuals to have access to this personal information. This can be done through restricted access and also strong privacy and security policies. (Jamshed et al.,
EMRs can be a great tool for those in the medical field and can help to increase patient safety and patient satisfaction with their care. If the EMR is not embraced or does not include ease of use by employees it may cause harm to patients. As technology advances in life, it should be expected that it will advance in our places of work also. With supportive training and education on appropriate use and documentation in EMR, they have the opportunity to become an asset in the care of our