Three Ways Electronic Medical Records are Improving Patient Care

Updated on July 27, 2021

As a healthcare professional, you will always want to go above and beyond to provide the very best level of care for your patients. 

Fortunately for you, advances in medical technology are consistently supporting you in your goal to do your job well. Improvements to electronic medical records are a fantastic example of this evolution in technology.

If you are in any doubt as to how electronic medical records have improved patient care, then read on to discover why this is undoubtedly the case. 

Improved Access to Information

As far back as 2014, 75% of primary care physicians had adopted the use of electronic medical records. An impressive 65% of these physicians reported that patient care had been improved because of having embraced this technology. 

When paper records were still the preferred method of storing patient data, it was very difficult to efficiently share this information between different places. This certainly caused delays in diagnosis, which will have had a negative impact on the health outcomes of some patients. 

With improved access to information, you can make diagnostic decisions with greater confidence, and the lives of your patients will surely benefit. 

Better Treatment Routes

When you have easy access to all of the information regarding a patient’s history, you will be much better equipped to prescribe the most effective course of treatment.

For example, if you can determine from a dysphagia patient’s medical records that they have already been using Simply Thick for a number of years, then you will be able to make additional treatment suggestions. If you do not have this information about their current treatment plan at your fingertips, then you run the risk of suggesting a treatment they have already tried. 

Additionally, electronic medical records will allow you to set reminders for regular screenings or tests that individual patients need on an ongoing basis. This will allow you to automate the process of reminding the patients that they need to book in for these appointments. 

With a more automated system in place, the potential for missed appointments and delayed treatment is decreased.  

More Effective Workflow

When you are able to have such limitless access to your patient’s history and data, then you can streamline your workflow each day. You will spend less time searching for information and test results because everything that you need is in one place.

The impeccable organization of electronic medical records can make your job feel less paperwork-based and can free up more time to dedicate to your patients. 

The Future of Electronic Medical Records

As the efficiency of electronic medical records continues to evolve over time, it is expected that patient care will continue to improve

With consistently better access to information, the ability to make more effective treatment decisions, and more effective workflows, it is easy to see how the healthcare experience will improve. 

If, as a healthcare professional, you are still reluctant to embrace this technology, then consider how the health and happiness of your patients could be enhanced. 

The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.