Patients and healthcare providers alike have significantly benefited from the increasingly widespread usage of electronic health records, or EHRs. These digitized, accessible forms of storing, updating, and sharing patient data have given doctors and healthcare personnel valuable information that aids providing better patient care. While the usage of EHRs wasn’t as widely popular roughly a decade ago, today virtually every healthcare provider, from hospitals to private practices, uses them at some level. And they can be used for a variety of purposes, from tracking patient history to staying on top of patient medication.
What do EHRs do for patients and doctors?
Electronic health records benefit patients and improve the quality of the medical care that they receive. Through the use of EHRs, doctors and other healthcare personnel can reduce the number of medical errors, aid them in making the right diagnoses, and even improve patient safety. This stems from the wealth of patient information EHRs contain. Often a patient’s medical history, treatments, procedures, medication, and even consultations can all be found in one essential file. (There are still some limitations because many EHRs are not compatible with others, so visits to a doctor in one health system often will not appear in the EHRs of another health system.)
At a glance, virtually any authorized personnel involved in a patient’s care would get a bird’s eye view of their health and their wellness. Furthermore, there will be far better maintenance of their health as these EHRs can be updated to include outpatient treatment, prescriptions, and medication. Patients and doctors alike may be able to see their prescribed medication and stay on top of what they need.
EHRs and Medication
So, how do EHRs and medication work? How do doctors update prescriptions here, and how can patients locate them?
Qualified EHRs can keep a detailed record of patient medications. In an EHR, providers can create, update, and maintain the active list of drugs that a patient receives, as well as their allergies. EHRs can also do automatic checks for issues when a new medication is prescribed, indicating whether or not there will be issues with allergies. It makes handling medication for patients safer, primarily when used with the right guidelines.
EHRs, E-Prescriptions, and the Medication List
EHRs can generate and transmit prescriptions electronically. They also hold a list of the active medication that a patient is taking at the time. This way, healthcare providers can simply prescribe the necessary medicines to their patients without the need for paper prescriptions that can be lost or misinterpreted. Patients can also easily refer back to their active medication lists as needed.
E-prescribing is an EHR function that allows healthcare professionals to enter the necessary prescriptions via a mobile device or a desktop computer. The information is securely transmitted to the patient’s EHR and the pharmacy that will be fulfilling the prescription. The pharmacy then receives the request and begins filling it as instructed. It can be cheaper, more convenient, and a whole lot faster.
Patients can also refer back to their active medication list in the EHRs, which is the list of the medications that are currently prescribed to the patient. It’s part of the core measures in “Meaningful Use” for EHRs. As required by the government, there must also be a list of their medication history with the active medication they are taking.
Depending on the user interface and software of the EHR, there might be a difference where the list may get found. Still, every EHR should have this list readily available for patients to access so they can refer back to their prescriptions and see whether they have gotten filled or not.
Ultimately, this results in well-updated patient medication, cheaper, and more convenient processes. What’s more, patients are protected from medication errors and other issues.
EHRs contain a wealth of patient-related health information, not the least of which is their medication and medication history. To get access to your complete medical records, visit PicnicHealth.com.
