| If you’ve been to a new doctor's office | | | | While EMRs may also fall prey to such hazards, |
| lately, you may have had the experience of | | | | it’s easier to backup electronic data and store |
| having the medical assistant use a computer to | | | | it off site so that it can be recovered in the |
| record all of your symptoms and complaints. It's | | | | event of a disaster. |
| also quite likely that the doctor also used a | | | | |
| computer to make his or her notes, order tests | | | | When a patient's records are in paper form, it can |
| and perhaps even fax your prescription directly to | | | | be harder to get copies of all documents to the |
| your pharmacy. Welcome to the world of | | | | various sites where they are needed. When the |
| electronic medical records, also known as EMRs. | | | | records are contained in an EMR, the information |
| | | | | can be more easily accessed. On the other hand, |
| As we begin to rely on technology more and | | | | there is, at present, no standardization among |
| more, it seems inevitable that we’d eventually | | | | EMRs. If you use providers who aren’t part |
| develop electronic medical records. Some | | | | of the same system and use different EMR |
| organizations have embraced them | | | | formats, it can be hard to transfer information |
| wholeheartedly, while other doctors resist using | | | | from one record to another. |
| EMRs. In addition, patients are divided between | | | | |
| loving the convenience of these new systems | | | | Access to an EMR is also a major privacy issue. |
| and worrying about their privacy. But what are | | | | Patients worry that computer systems can be |
| the pros and cons of using EMRs? | | | | hacked and wireless networks aren’t always |
| | | | | secure. For this reason, it’s far easier to steal |
| In theory, EMRs would reduce medical errors. | | | | information from an EMR than from a paper |
| Doctors have infamously horrible handwriting, and | | | | medical record. Patients also worry that sensitive |
| an electronic record would eliminate any problems | | | | medical data could be used inappropriately, such |
| due to legibility. An error could still be made by | | | | as when applying for a job or admission to college. |
| checking the wrong box in a form for example, | | | | While it’s against the law to discriminate, |
| but EMRs have programs in place to help catch | | | | when it comes to this type of information, once |
| these types of errors. On the other hand, EMRs | | | | it’s been seen, it can’t be forgotten. As |
| can be too limiting in the case of patients who | | | | medical information becomes more advanced |
| have multiple conditions or whose conditions | | | | – including genetic information, for example |
| don’t fit neatly into the record's | | | | – people have even more reason to worry |
| pre-established criteria. | | | | that the information will wind up in the wrong |
| | | | | hands. |
| In addition, the volume of paper medical records | | | | |
| can grow considerably over time until they | | | | Finally, when a health care provider is busy |
| becomes quite bulky. Paper degrades and | | | | entering information into an EMR, it can be easy |
| there’s the ongoing problem of increasing | | | | to ignore the patient or reduce the patient |
| storage requirements. EMRs, on the other hand, | | | | interview to a series of questions designed to |
| can always be stored in a small amount of space. | | | | allow the doctor to tick off the appropriate boxes. |
| | | | | The practice of medicine is still an art, and some |
| Paper medical records are also subject to loss | | | | patient advocates argue that EMRs could detract |
| from fire, flood damage or other emergency. | | | | from the human side of the equation. |