Benefits of Electronic Health Records / Medical Records

Electronic medical records are changing the way hospital and other medical providers are doing business with customers, associates, and patients. Electronic medical records are more efficient for the provider and for patients as well, because sharing information with other providers is smoother and much more efficient. In addition, electronic medical records save time at doctor and hospital visits. Having quick access to medical records can mean the difference between life and death.

Another benefit of electronic medical records is safety. Instead of a doctor getting information from you, the patient, he or she can look at your records and see what has been going on with you in the past, and that will give him or her the information needed in order to give you a better diagnosis. Medical help that you have already received will also be on your records and that, too, will help your doctor give you a better and more accurate diagnosis. This process is constantly updating your medical information.

It is important to note also that when doctors retire or move on to another location, patient records might get lost and make it hard for patients to secure the records they need when signing up for a new doctor. Not so with electronic records. As long as patient records are digitized, they won’t be lost.

Money saved is another benefit of electronic medical records. Money is saved on paper and folders and also on space and labor. Also, by using electronic medical records, doctors and nurses are able to end their patient care sooner and that means more patients can be taken care of. All in all, electronic medical record keeping is great for everyone–the providers and the patients.