Search Tag: EHR
You say tomatoes, I say tomaahtoes: EHRs need common standards
2018 25 Jul
There is a lot of variability in the way electronic health records are actually used by physicians, which highlights the need for basic standards in EHR design and implementation, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. Researchers from the American Medical Association and MedStar Health... Read more
EHRs need time to prove worth
2018 11 Jul
New research published in Health Affairs suggests that use of electronic health records (EHRs) can help improve quality of care after all. During the six-year study period (2008-2013), researchers found that mortality rates were initially higher among hospitals with more digital capabilities, but fell over time, as hospitals learned how to work... Read more
Making EHR documentation painless: the role of AI
2018 15 May
Use of electronic health record (EHR) is strongly associated with dissatisfaction and burnout among physicians. This is not surprising as they spend 34-55 percent of their work day creating notes and reviewing medical records in the EHR, which is time diverted from direct patient interactions. EHR developers should look at informatics solutions... Read more
How to turn around failing EHRs
2018 01 May
Electronic health records were supposed to cut medical costs by driving down administrative expenses. However, despite a wider adoption of EHRs, reductions in billing costs have not been realised, says a new study by Harvard Business School and Duke University researchers. “The theory was that part of having electronic records was to lower the cost.... Read more
New photo transfer apps are challenging security perceptions in medicine
2018 14 Apr
In today's medical establishments there are several ad-hoc, but often insecure, approaches to taking photos of patient's ailments in common use, making use of either phone or camera hardware. Most doctors wish to attach the resulting photos to their EHR (Electronic Health Record) systems, and be able to access them again quickly on-screen for... Read more
Has the EHR blame game gone too far?
2018 03 Apr
It is a common complaint among physicians that EHR documentation takes too much of their time. They say that EHR systems are not designed to support documentation in a way that works well for members of care teams. EHR usability is a point of frustration for clinicians and can have patient safety consequences, some experts have warned. In a new study... Read more
How to successfully coordinate multiple EHR workflows
2018 21 Feb
EHRs are supposed to help facilitate coordination between care providers, especially with regards to sharing of information useful in decision making. What about if there are different EHR systems being used within a healthcare facility? How do you handle or manage data from the different systems and ensure data can easily be shared when needed? Take... Read more
'Time saving' EHR copy-pasting must stop
2018 16 Jan
Not a few physicians have raised complaints about the "burden" of EHR documentation. It comes as no surprise that copy and paste in electronic health records is a common shortcut used by physicians, as shown by some studies. Use of copy and paste may be convenient, although this can potentially lead to serious safety risks. As a recent study in Journal... Read more
More than 50% EU hospitals underfund IT
2017 24 Nov
Hospitals across Europe in general consider IT as an enabler to improve patient safety and care. And even though deployment of big-ticket technologies – notably EHRs and eHealth tools – is on the rise, many provider organisations continue to make do with tight IT budgets. As Robert Brauer, HIMSS Analytics Research and Quality Assurance Coordinator... Read more
Increasing importance of EHR-related risk-mitigation strategies
2017 24 Oct
A new report from The Doctors Company, a physician-owned malpractice insurer, shows a significant increase in malpractice claims for errors attributed to electronic health records. There were 161 claims for which EHRs were either the cause or (more likely) a contributing factor between 2011 and 2016, compared to just two claims during the period 2007-2010.... Read more