a quarterly report by - Technopak

Electronic Medical Records
perspective
a quar terly repor t by
In India, barring a few private hospitals, all records are maintained in physical form. Each patient has a
unique clinical history and their own sets of tests and records which are necessary to be recorded and
filed for future reference. Such a scenario poses a daunting challenge for every member of the healthcare
delivery team. Even if storage is possible, the crux of the problem is fast retrieval of patient’s medical data
at vital times.
Also if a patient’s records are filed in one hospital, for a cross referral check or an opinion at a second
hospital, the patient has to go through the entire process of documentation and testing again adding to his
financial distress.
Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) eliminate the burden of tedious paperwork occupying much of the
physician’s quality time. They serve as a comprehensive database of the patient’s entire history, but they
are also very user-friendly as they help to locate relevant data instantly when needed across multiple
locations and point of times. Providing instant portability they also prove useful in other supplementary
fields such as liaisoning with the insurer, tracking public health as well as administrative roles of auditing.
Exhibit 11
Continuity in
treatment
Safe with
authorised viewership
Vital information
at vital times
Advantages of EMR
Accessible at all times,
continually upgraded
Cost efficient
Search and sorting
made easy
Volume 02 / 2009
04
| Volume 02
National Health Service (NHS)
UK’s public healthcare system is a pioneer in
implementing electronic records. Apart from the
obvious benefits,confidentiality is maintained at every
level by providing Smart Cards to physicians limiting
their access to only relevant areas of the record.
In the United States, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
has the largest enterprise-wide HIS that includes an EMR
system, known as the Veterans Health Information Systems
and Technology Architecture (VistA). VistA imbibes
an Imaging System which provides comprehensive database
including specialties such as cardiology, radiology and orthopedics.
A graphical user interface known as the Computerized
Patient Record System (CPRS) allows physicians to review and
update a patient’s EMR at any of the VA’s facilities. CPRS allows
the providers to place orders, indent medications, special
procedures, X-rays, patient care nursing orders, diets, and
laboratory tests.
Building Operational Efficiency in Healthcare Delivery | 48