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Electronic Medical Records

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Electronic Medical Records
Electronic Medical Records Essay Cynthia Jones
Grand Canyon University: HCA 450
November 11, 2012

Electronic Medical Records Essay Medical record keeping has change in the last couple of decades. In the past patients records were kept in a file on paper taking up excessive room. In the past, paper charts were the only means of keeping a patient’s medical diagnoses documented. Some of these charts are still used today in healthcare facilities, however they are slowly being replaced with a more advance method; electronic medical records (EMR’s). This virtual data–information center can serve as a vehicle to promote and to disseminate standardized data definitions and best practices to providers, consumers, and others interested in quality improvement efforts nationally and internationally (Varkey, 2010). The Electronic Medical Records is an advance computerizes medical record system that delivers medical data for physician’s office and hospitals within a matter of seconds while offering care. This system allows the healthcare staff and physicians to modified, store and retrieves patient’s medical records. Electronic medical records are legible and organized. The Electronic Medical Record (EMR) has been around since the late 1960‘s, when Larry Weed introduced the concept of the Problem Oriented Medical Record into medical practice (NASBHC, 2012). Weeds innovation introduces the concept of the Problem Oriented Medical Record into the medical practice, which verifies the diagnosis (NASBHC, 2012). However, it wasn’t until 1972 when the Regenstreif Institute developed the first medical records system. Although it was a great invention, physicians didn’t seek to use it right away. This new system would help physicians improve patients care. Although, $19 billion in stimulus funds have been invested into the Electronic health record (EHRs) another name for EMRs; the Obama administration highly suggested that health care and hospitals facilities start to



References: Prathibha Varkey (2010). Medical Quality Management, Sudbury, Massachusetts: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. History of the Electronic Medical Record system (2012) Retrieved November 8, 2012 www.nasbhc.org Will Electronic Medical Records Improve Health Care? (2009) Retrieved November 8 2012 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=electronic-health-records

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