Difference Between EHR, EMR and PHR, Essay Example

The task of explaining the difference between electronic health record (EHRs), an electronic medical record(HER) and a patient health record(PHR), we must first provide a detail explanation about each healthcare record. It appears at first glance on one-word separates the different between these records, however, each record is very different. The goal of the paper will be to define each record while describing the differences and documentation within each of these systems.

Electronic Medical Records (EMRs)

We are living in an age of advance technology along with baby boomers creating new demands on medical information. The EMRs are the start of this advance technology that will improve healthcare into the future. EHR data presents a new paradigm for advancing population health . In particular, greater facility with EHR data is critical to achieving a learning health system, in which information derived from clinical care continuously supports advances in medical understanding and delivery of health care(Bailey, Milov, Kelleher,Kahn,Del Beccaro & Forrest, 1993).

The electronic medical records (EMRs) are the paper medical charts that are digital. The digital charts are used by hospital, clinics, and physician offices. The most important aspect of EMRs is medical documentation and notes that are written by the treating party, who provide the patients diagnosis and treatment plan. In the past, EMRs were the most valuable paper records of the patient history, however, with new technology and medical advances digital charts have become the standard. The advances in EMRs have allow healthcare providers to treat any person regardless of what location they resided because their medical information has been tracked which accurately reflects the patents history. The ability to track previous medical records allows providers access to previous operations, allergies, preventative care and improve the quality of patient care.

Electronic health records ( EHRs ) are created to exceed traditional clinical data gathered in a provider’s business office and are taking into consideration a much wider perspective of a patient’s treatment . EHRs consist of details from all the clinicians associated with a patient’s care and all certified clinicians responsible for a patient’s care may have access to the information and facts to provide treatment for that patient . EHRs additionally communicate data with other medical care professionals , such as laboratories and specialists . EHRs follow patients – to the practitioner , the medical center , the nursing home , or even across the nation .

An electronic health record ( EHR ) is a digital version of a patient’s paper chart . EHRs are real-time , patient-centered documents that make data accessible right away and safely and securely to authorized users . Even while an EHR does include the medical and treatment records of patients, an EHR method is developed to transcend traditional clinical information gathered in a provider,’s business office and can be take into consideration a broader perspective of a patient’s care. EMRs consist of patient’s demographics, patient’s medical history, patient’s laboratory results, vital signs billing information and personal statistics such as age and weight. There are some the advantages of the EMRs such allowing access to evidence based tools that help physician make better decisions on a patients care or a physician able to access previous lab or radiology results from a physician 2 years ago and the streamline provider workflows have been improved. Electronic Medical Records (EMRs )are computerized medical information systems that collect, store and display patient information(Ajami, S., & Bagheri-Tadi,2013).

Electronic Health Record (EHR)

Among the important features of an EHR is that health information can be created and controlled by authorized providers in an electronic digital file format capable of being shared with many providers across numerous health care organizations. EHRs are built to share information and facts with other health care providers and organizations such as independent laboratories, healthcare specialists, medical imaging facilities, emergency care facility, educational institutions, and physician clinics that all contain medical information from all clinicians involved in a patient’s care. An electronic health record (EHR) is an electronic digital form of a patient’s paper chart. EHRs are real-time, patient-centered records, which make healthcare data accessible very quickly for authorized end users. Even though an EHR does contain the medical and treatment records of patients, an EHR system is designed to transcend} standard clinical data gathered in a provider’s office and can be inclusive of a more broad based perspective} of a patient’s care. One of the fundamental features of an EHR is that health information can be created and managed by authorized providers in a digital electronic format capable of being shared with other providers across multiple health care organizations. EHRs are built to share information with other health care providers and organizations such as laboratories, healthcare professionals, physicians, pharmacies, emergency care hospitals, and school environments that contain information and facts from all clinicians involved in a patient’s care. However, there are disadvantages of EHR which is records are sometimes lost in the medical offices because the physician has not invested in a back-up server or software. According to McCullough (2013),”Require back-up systems to prevent data loss, user computer skills, can delete information inadvertently if record is not locked, and requires extensive training.”

 Personal Health Records

Personal health records ( PHRs ) consist of the same kinds of information as EHRs diagnoses , medicines , immunizations , family health-related backgrounds , and provider contact information—but are designed to be set up , viewed , and managed by patients . Patients can use PHRs to maintain and supervise their overall health data in a private, secure, and secure environment. PHRs may include data from many different sources including clinicians, residential home monitoring devices, and patients themselves. A personal health record (PHR) is an electronic application used by patients to preserve and handle their health information and facts in a private, secure, and confidential location. PHRs are maintained by patients and can include information from many different methods, including healthcare providers and patients themselves. The PHR is the place for patient’s medical information to be securely and confidentially stored.

Differences

In the healthcare marketplace some people use the phrases “electronic medical record( EMR ) and “electronic health record( EHR ) with each other nevertheless they are very different . The electronic health record EHR is utilized by the clinicians or health care staff for primarily determining the diagnosis and treatment method . The primary difference is EMRs do not travel outside of the physician’s office environment . EMRs can be considered not much different as compared to the paper record . Normally , the data needs to be mailed to another medical professional . However , in contrast the electronic health records (EHR) is that health information can be created and managed by authorized providers in an electronic digital file format capable of being shared with multiple providers across numerous health care organizations . EMRs allow clinicians to monitor a patient’s information during a period of days or years . EHR allow the clinicians to gain access to previous history of blood pressure or vaccinations that help with the quality of care of the patient . The primary difference is Electronic health records ( EHRs ) can provide all the information that the EMR will provide but incorporates the entire medical history of the patient . EHRs are designed to reach out beyond the health organization that originally collects and compiles the information and facts . EHRs are designed to be accessed by all people associated with the patients care .

The electronically health record (EHR) and the electronic medical records (EMR) are different from the personal health records(PHR). The primary different is the patients has the primary control of the PHR records. The access to the PHR records must be given permission by the patient to release this information. According to AHA(2013), ” Hospitals and health systems are responsible for protecting the privacy and confidentiality of their patients and patient information. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). mandated regulations that govern privacy standards for health care information. HIPAA regulations specify the purposes for which information may and may not be released without authorization from the patient. Personal health records (PHRs) contain the same types of information as EHRs, which are diagnoses, medications, immunizations, family medical histories, and provider contact information. However, the primary difference is EHR and EMR are accessed and controlled by healthcare providers but the PHRs are designed to be set up, accessed, and managed by patients. Patients can use PHRs to maintain and manage their health information in a private, secure, and confidential environment.

Clinical Information

The EHR clinical information includes a range of medical information that includes patient’s personal information, demographics, types of medication, any allergies, laboratory results, tests results, vital signs and personal information such as age and weight. The EMR clinical information includes medical information in a digital format but only contains information for that patient’s treatment with that specific physician or healthcare provider only. The EMR clinical information would be the patients last blood pressure reading, check-up information, blood test, what medical conditions the physician has treated, the patient last billing address, the patients’ health insurance information or the patients’ medical subscriptions prescribed by that physician only.

The PHR is a health record where health data and information related to the care of a patient is maintained by the patient. The clinical information that is included in the PHR health record is the patients allergies and adverse drug reactions which can save a patient’s life, listing of all chronic diseases to ensure the physician prescribes the correct prescription, the patients family history, all illnesses and previous hospitalization, all imaging reports, laboratory results, any medication along with dosages and all documented vaccinations.

Conclusion

The primary differences between EHR, EMR, and PHR are who has access to the healthcare information. The HER are medical records access by all medical providers, the EMR have limited access and medical information for a patients specific primary care physician. The PHR is controlled by the patient who information must remain confidential and cannot be released unless the patient signs a HIPAA document that allows a physician or medical facility to access the patients’ medical information.

References

AHA. (2013). Introduction: Health Insurance Portability and Accountability of 1996. Retrieved from http://www.aha.org/advocacy-issues/tools-resources/advisory/96-06/030201- mediaadv.shtml

Ajami, S., & Bagheri-Tadi, T. (2013). Barriers for adopting electronic health records (EHRs) by Physicians. Acta Informatica Medica, 21(2), 129-134. doi:10.5455/aim.2013.21.129- 134

Bailey, L., Milov, D. E., Kelleher, K., Kahn, M. G., Del Beccaro, M., Yu, F., & Forrest, C. B. (2013). Multi-Institutional sharing of electronic health record data to assess childhood obesity. Plos ONE, 8(6), 1-8. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0066192

McCullough, D. (2013). Effective deployment of an electronic health record (EHR) in a rural local health department (LHD). Texas Public Health Journal, 65(3), 14-17