Some of the benefits of an Electronic Medical Record (EMR) include:
Direct Patient Care Benefits:
- Improved patient care by giving physicians better, and more timely, access to clinical information.
- Increased legibility of medical records with improved quality and safety of patient care.
- Improved recording of allergies and medication intolerances or side effects
- Better monitoring and checking for drug interactions or contra-indications
- Reduced duplicate tests and clinical assessments.
- An increased ability to track patient related data over time (weight, blood pressure, lab results, vaccinations etc.)
- An enhanced ability to graph data such as lab results and medications
- Establish and track patient care plans, especially for those patients with complex care requirements
- An enhanced ability to identify patients who are due for preventive screenings or checkups
- An enhanced ability to identify patients who need to be recalled for follow up care of chronic diseases
- Enhanced patient privacy and confidentiality as defined in legislation and professional practice standards.
- Seamless, legible, electronic communication of patient information between physicians (GP and Specialist) and health care facilities.
Overall Medical Practice Benefits:
- An enhanced ability to monitor and improve overall quality of care within the practice
- An ability to run population-based reports that can assist in supporting overall better community health (e.g. epidemiology)
- Improved access to imaging reports, medication profiles, hospital discharge reports and other data.
- Easier access to patient booking and appointment scheduling, specialist referrals and community clinic bookings.
- Help in clinical decision making
- Improved office efficiency, workflow.
- Greater coordination of multiple physician groups such as Continuum.
- Off line medical record access for patients and physicians
- Enhanced information flow between clinics (e.g. Travel vaccines from Continuum Travel flow directly in to a patients permanent medical record)
