Impact of Electronic Health Record Systems on Information Integrity, Essay Example

I disagree with the argument that the use of electronic health records hinders the ability to provide for quality patient care. In fact, the opposite is true. Electronic health records help health care professionals by allowing for an easier storage of important information, which allows them to access patient records more quickly, allowing them to diagnose and treat patients more efficiently. Furthermore, these systems help individuals in the health care industry gain a greater understanding of the medications their patients are on, which helps them determine potential drug interaction issues, along with other useful information concerning health history. Keeping records for each patient helps facilitate communication between staff members across shifts as well.

Many of those who oppose electronic health record systems believe that they are too expensive to setup and that this process will take a long period of time. However, once the system is installed and individuals are trained to use it, it will make the health care system more efficient and actually save health care organizations money because more staff members will be able to see a greater amount of patients within a specific time constraint. Furthermore, once staff is initially trained on the system, it will become easier for newer staff members to become familiar with the setup.

Research professionals argue that if used improperly, the use of electronic health record systems could be costly (Bowman, 2013). However, if they are used properly, their use can save hospitals money that can be used towards the acquisition of other essential resources. Furthermore, it allows them to move patients into and out of the hospital more quickly, which is advantageous for the patients as well.

References

Bowman S. (2013). Impact of Electronic Health Record Systems on Information Integrity: Quality and Safety Implications. Perspect Health Inf Manag. Retrieved from  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3797550/