Electronic Health Records, simply known as EHR systems, have in the near past become an indispensable resource for healthcare providers all over the world. EHRs monitor patient care by transforming the medical record into an electronic version to make the workflow easier and improve communication of the care of a patient. Not all that is true for every EHR, though. It so happens that some features are used more often than others. With this in mind, knowing what doctors find most valuable in an EHR system helps healthcare organizations make the right choice for the platform and make the most out of the various benefits available.
In this blog, let’s discuss how the EHR system’s daily workflows of doctors work and most of their common features, along with the reasons they are so important for patient care.
1. Clinical Documentation
Clinical documentation stands as the most widely used feature in any EHR system. Under this feature, doctors are allowed to write down patient encounters, including symptoms, diagnoses, treatment plans, and progress notes. The use of digital documentation greatly reduces the need for paper and decreases possible mistakes that may be made in paper documentation.
Most physicians use templates, voice-to-text transcription services, and preformatted phrases available within their EHRs for quicker and more accurate documentation. Structured data entry is particularly welcomed, as it would ensure the consistency of documentation and make it much easier for healthcare providers to understand.
Clinical documentation is not only the capture of patient information but also a means to know about history. With accessibility to fully functional, up-to-date records, healthcare providers can make better decisions about the care of patients.
2. E-Prescribing
A good number of features are used in EHR systems through e-prescribing. The person can prescribe electronically to pharmacies with the use of prescriptions by physicians directly that reduces the chance of errors in writing, due to failed communication, and dosage mistakes.
Other benefits include immediate availability of a doctor to access the patient’s history of medications administered so that they can alert him or her if there have been any previous interactions or allergies to this new medication. This improves the safety profile and ensures that prescriptions are managed efficiently, including renewals and refills.
With electronic prescribing, physicians avoid delays in medication provision and more easily communicate with patients and pharmacies as well as other healthcare providers. Furthermore, many EHRs are integrated with pharmacy benefit managers; thus, physicians can identify which pharmaceutical products are covered by the insurance a patient has and take action on this basis.
3. Patient Demographics and History
Another important characteristic that physicians need to have from an EHR system is immediate access to patient demographics and history. EHR systems are architected to maintain a vast amount of data related to patients, including age, gender, medical history, allergies, immunization records, and family history; all of these are of extreme importance in any decisions made for their diagnosis and treatment.
The use of patient history gives a clear view of the underlying health conditions, previous treatments, and current medical issues. This feature helps in tailoring the care needed by the patients and can track progress over time. Furthermore, EHRs can be interfaced with portals for patients wherein they can update their personal information. It will make it easier for doctors and caregivers to update these records.
4. Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE)
Computerized physician order entry allows the provider to enter treatment orders, which include medications, lab tests, imaging studies, and even referrals, directly into the electronic health record system. CPOE eliminates paper-based entries for orders, thereby averting resultant errors and streamlining orders.
With the use of CPOE, practitioners have real-time alerts for drug interaction, duplicate tests, or inappropriate treatments. This ensures that most of the medical errors are avoided. Orders can be prioritized in CPOE systems thus ensuring critical work is done on time. Due to this feature, most healthcare providers appreciate it since it provides a streamlined workflow and thus improves the outcomes of the patient.
5. Laboratories Integration
Most physicians use the lab integration feature in EHR systems to track and analyze their lab results. The facility of lab integration enables a physician to order tests electronically and view the results of those ordered tests within the digital record of a patient.
The integration offers ease of faster turnaround times for test results, fewer transcription errors, and easy communication between healthcare providers and diagnostic labs. The lab results automatically are stored in the EHR of the patient. Thus, the doctors can track the history, compare recent with the existing ones and make decisions about treatment.
Lab integration also supports trend analysis; doctors can see changes in a patient’s condition over time. That is particularly useful with chronic diseases, such as tracking blood sugar in diabetic patients or kidney function in patients with renal failure.
6. Appointment Scheduling and Reminders
Scheduling is essentially a basic module for most EHRs, whereby healthcare providers can quickly manage their patients’ appointments. “Physicians rely on the scheduling for appointments to track their daily, weekly, and monthly schedules so that as many patients as possible can be seen without double-booking,”.
Automated reminders regarding scheduled appointments are also a part of EHR systems that can forward the same to patients via email, text, or even some phone calls. This keeps no-show rates at bay and retains doctors with uninterrupted workflow. Crucial instructive details for the patient may also include fasting before a blood test or arriving early for paperwork and records.
7. Interoperability and Data Sharing
The primary individuals who enjoy the interoperability functionality of EHR systems are doctors; interoperability is defined as the capacity to share patient information among various providers, hospitals, or health systems. The interoperability ensures that all the patient data moves with ease between different organizations for a trail of continuity of care.
For instance, referring a patient to a specialist, the EHR system can allow the release of appropriate medical records, lab results, and even imaging studies directly to the specialist. It eliminates redundant tests and procedures, speeds up care delivery, and improves outcomes for patients.
Interoperability plays an important role in care coordination. In the case of complex cases, several providers can be engaged while administering treatment. It is valued much by doctors for stimulating cooperation and facilitating a holistic view of patient care.
8. Clinical Decision Support
Certainly, CDS tools represent one of the most important characteristics of contemporary EHR systems, wherein evidence-based recommendations and real-time alerts as well as reminders are provided to doctors regarding patients based on aggregated data and clinical guidelines.
For instance, CDS can alert a physician that one of the routine screening tests scheduled for the patient falls due, suggest substitute drugs for the patient based upon his or her past record, or alert any potential drug adverse interactions. This feature allows doctors to make decisions that are even more informed and hence reduces the likelihood of medical mistakes to happen.
Thus, doctors welcome CDS as it can assist them in recommending diagnosis and treatments while increasing patient safety, and ultimately, the quality of care.
Sometimes, CDS tools could even suggest prevention or, in some respects, highlight shortcomings in treatment based on the patient’s history.
Conclusion
The most common features, according to physicians’ responses, focus on improving clinical documentation, patient safety, workflow, and effective communication. From clinical documentation and e-prescribing to lab integration, as well as telemedicine, these all features are very important for higher quality, patient-centered care delivery.
As the evolution of EHRs continues, more advanced tools, like Clinical Decision Support, interoperability, and telemedicine, which would improve the doctor-patient care experience, will inevitably emerge.
