Demand for Restructured Electronic Health Records
July 24, 2018
When electronic health records (EHRs) were first introduced to the medical industry, the hope was that they would decrease physicians’ workloads and improve the quality of patient care. However, researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine have found that EHRs are not being used to their full potential. In fact, their study shows that EHRs have increased physicians’ workloads, causing a higher incidence of physician burnout. In addition, they have not provided significant improvements in patient care. Researchers recommend restructuring EHRs so that doctors have access to their patients’ clinical information and provide improved patient care.
According to the Executive Director of the Penn Medicine Center for Health Care Innovation, healthcare is suffering because health records are not keeping up with the technology that is available. For example, doctors should have the same access to patient records as they do to the latest news about their favorite sports teams. Yet, to check up on a patient, doctor’s still have to consult a chart.
Changing How EHRs are Used
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania Health Systems discuss several examples of how EHRs can be reconfigured into subscription services. For example, Penn developed a web application that allows residents to receive a push notification on their smartphone when a medication needs to be renewed. While Penn established automatic expiration dates for certain medications for in-patients, physicians did not always remember to renew the prescription when it expired. The notification app reduced the number of missed renewals by one-third.
A clinical informatics manager at the Center for Health Care Innovation said that providers were relieved to have one less thing to worry about. When a physician is required to obtain the chart, learn the information quickly, and proceed with the appropriate medical care, there is a greater chance of error.
Push notifications also reduce the amount of time between receiving patient information and providing medical care. Prior to this new technology, doctors waited until morning rounds were complete to determine which patients on ventilators in the intensive care unit could breathe on their own. The push notifications deliver prompts to clinicians when patients meet the readiness criteria. As a result, patients spend less than half a day on ventilators.
Like news feeds, push notifications filter information and forward only the most important and relevant patient information. For example, the renal doctor only receives alerts about the patient’s kidney function. They do not have to sift through the complete patient record to know whether the patient’s kidney is functioning properly.
Baltimore Medical Malpractice Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton Represent Victims of Medical Negligence
If you have been injured or became ill while in the care of a medical professional, it is in your best interest to contact the Baltimore medical malpractice lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton. If the physician in charge of your care failed to thoroughly review your EHR or did not provide the appropriate care based on your clinical information, we will take the appropriate legal action. Our skilled team will secure the maximum financial compensation you deserve and will not stop fighting for you until you are completely satisfied. To schedule a free consultation, call us today at 800-547-4LAW (4529) or contact us online.
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