Electronic Health Records

The American Medical Group Association is reporting encouraging results from a survey taken by its medical groups who have implemented the use of electronic health records.  Some of the AMGA medical groups have not fully implemented the use of electronic health records (EHRs), but have already seen improvements and have high expectations of the new programs.  The use of electronic health records is one issue that President Obama campaigned about and is looking to stabilize a system for all health care providers through the new health care reform.

The surveys are allowing health care facilities, who have implemented the program, to provide helpful tips and strategies to starting and progressing with it.  These strategies will be used by any health care providers who choose to implement or have to implement the use of electronic health records in the future. Right now the best strategy is to implement the system in stages, so that physicians and nurses have time to adapt before they receive new changes in the system.  Patience and persistence are the two greatest factors that can be used to make the system work effectively and efficiently.  Physicians and nurses have to be willing to make the change and the more willing they are, the easier the transition.

EHRs can be used in diverse medical settings, including private practices, clinics and hospitals.  Physicians can now save time by ordering prescriptions themselves electronically.  There is also a lot of time and amount of workforce saved by using the electronic patient registries and patient portals.

All of the medical groups surveyed said they would not go back to the old way of doing things before electronic health records.