The Pros And Cons Of Electronic Health Records

The Effects of Electronic Health Records and Systems
With the advancements in technology, there has been a push to establish and incorporate electronic health records within the field of medicine. With this push has come vast research to weigh the pros and cons of electronic charting, along with ways to improve charting and patient safety. As more studies are conducted, results note electronic health records is safer, more efficient, and enhances communication between medical staff.
Electronic Health Records Improve Accuracy
Underneath the umbrella of healthcare are numerous professions, who all work together as an interdisciplinary team for the betterment of the patient’s care. Due to the contributions of the different careers, it is essential

“Some functionalities of a CDS system include providing the latest information about a drug, cross-referencing a patient allergy to a medication, and alerts for drug interactions and other potential patient issues that are flagged by the computer” (Menachemi & Collum, 2011). These systems utilize built-in templates, based on evidence-based practice, to cue providers on recommended test for diagnosis or provide a reminder of the patient’s needs for medications or immunizations. This system leads to improved accuracy during documentation, through enhanced quality of care and patient safety, resulting in better clinical

Because the entire system is computer based, all patient care would come to a halt until the systems were rebooted and healthcare professionals were allowed access. Unfortunately, during a scheduled reboot, this writer’s patient was noted to have critical hemoglobin and hematocrit. Upon informing the physician he wanted to order two units of blood; however, neither professional was aware of the proper means to go about the ordering process. After speaking with the blood bank, the healthcare professionals were informed to use the “downtime form” which were neither available in the blood bank, nor on the unit. Already experiencing a delay in care, the charge nurse had to call different floors within the facility until acquiring the appropriate form. Upon completing the paperwork, she had to walk it to the blood bank and wait for them to achieve their paper charting before the patient could receive the blood.
This example shows a lack of three of the four rights of accessibility: the right information, time, and format; which can be detrimental to patient care. Not only were the rights of accessibility a possible cause of inadequate patient care, but the lack of access to paper forms and knowledge of paper charting were causes of delayed care as well. Because of that incident, the nurse manager held an in service on the appropriate paperwork needed during downtime, as well as