The days when doctors riffled through a folder bulging with papers to find crucial information about a patient’s medical history are disappearing.
Today, health care providers at many physician practices, hospitals and health systems across America rely on electronic medical records that give the medical team, patients and their family members easy access to the same critical data.
Advocates note that EMRs make it easier for providers and patients to access health information, check test results, manage drug prescriptions, track preventive care, tailor patient education and schedule appointments. Health care providers who fail to adopt electronic medical records risk losing federal funds by law.
But critics of EMRs cite reports of computer hackers targeting insurers and health care providers, raising concerns about medical identity theft. Some physicians are reluctant to adopt EMRs, claiming they are costly, difficult to use and lack interoperability, meaning different computer systems can’t communicate with each other.
Patients Want Online Access
Health information technology plays a critical role in national efforts to reform health care, says Mark Savage, director of health information technology policy and programs at the National Partnership of Women and Families, a nonprofit advocacy organization in the District of Columbia that leads the Consumer Partnership for eHealth.
“These systems can lead to better health, better care and better value for people across the country,” says Savage, noting that many consumers want online access to their records.
In a nationwide survey by the National Partnership, a third of patients whose doctors do not offer online access would consider switching to a physician who does. Eighty percent of adults with a main doctor said their physician uses an electronic system, up from 64 percent in 2011. Eighty-five percent to 96 percent of patients said electronic systems are useful in delivering care, compared with 57 percent to 68 percent for paper records.
Experts cite the following benefits and pitfalls of electronic medical records:
Improved safety. EMRs can reduce medical errors caused by illegible handwriting and alert health care providers if a patient is allergic to a medication or when a prescribed medication may harmfully interact with another drug the patient is taking.
Reduced health care costs. Health information technology has the potential to reduce health care costs by preventing the duplication of expensive medical tests. The health care team can quickly access a patient’s medical record in real time to determine if costly procedures such as computed tomography scans or magnetic resonance imaging have already been done.
Enhanced communication. Medical records that can be accessed by computer, smartphones and tablets make it easy for patients and health care providers to review medical histories, look up laboratory results, email questions and schedule office visits for preventive and follow-up care.
“Electronic health records facilitate communication and dialogue between the health care team, patients and family members. We have children who live hundreds and thousands of miles away who can be involved in the care of their folks because of electronic health records,” says Salvatore Volpe, a primary care physician in Staten Island, New York. Volpe is chairman of the health information technology committee at the Medical Society of the State of New York.
Engaged patients. The National Partnership survey found that patients who frequently accessed their health information online were more motivated to take action to improve their health (71 percent for frequent users, compared with 39 percent for infrequent users). At Volpe’s practice, the examination rooms feature iPads that patients can use to access their medical records and visit websites to learn more about a medical condition.
Improved community health. Health information technology can help improve the overall health of a community by tracking trends, identifying health disparities, monitoring the use of preventive care and helping patients manage chronic medical conditions. For example, providers can use EMRs to identify and notify patients who are due for preventive care, including mammograms, colonoscopies, diabetic foot exams or prostate cancer screenings.
Increased risk of medical identify theft. Massive data breaches at health insurers and health systems nationwide are a growing problem threatening the finances and health of millions of Americans, says Larry Ponemon, chairman of Ponemon Institute, a research center in Traverse City, Michigan.
The electronic systems include valuable personal data wanted on the black market. “The electronic medical record is a lot more detailed than the average bank account that might be exposed to a cyber criminal,” he says. “The bad guys have recognized the value of the health record for creating new identities.”
Thieves use the data to get medical services leaving victims financially liable. Sixty-five percent of medical theft victims paid an average of $13,500 to resolve their cases, according to the Ponemon Institute’s Fifth Annual Study on Medical Identity Theft. Plus records with a mix of medical information from a victim and thief can lead to serious consequences, such as a patient getting the wrong blood type for a blood transfusion.
“Things may get worse before they get better,” says Ponemon, who advises consumers to review their electronic medical record for errors. Also check the “explanation of benefits” on health insurance statements to verify you received the medical services listed. Ask your health care providers about the steps they take to secure the electronic record.
Looking Ahead
Rapid changes are taking place in the health information technology industry, prompted in part by federal laws governing the use of EMRs in national efforts to design new ways to deliver and improve care. Some experts say the government mandates are needed to facilitate, while others view them as obstacles.
Dr. Glenn Tucker, an internist with Attleboro Medical Associates in Attleboro, Massachusetts, and chairman of the information technology committee at the Massachusetts Medical Society, says some mandates have “stifled innovation.”
“I’d like to see more [vendor] innovation in the area of usability, meaning how easy is it for a physician to use the system to provide better, safer care more efficiently,” he said. “Interoperability is another concern. The ability to send information across the street to someone who uses a different electronic system is next to impossible.”
Despite the challenges that lie ahead, Volpe sees physician resistance to EMRs eroding as a new generation of medical professionals takes over.
“We’ll see changes as we graduate more of the Xbox-Play Station-smart phone-tablet generation.”
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Understanding Your Electronic Medical Records originally appeared on usnews.com
