EMR is paper less which reduces a lot of hard work that is done in maintaining the records over paper. It is very much easy to fill as compared to the traditional paper based records. Paper based records are difficult to gather and manage in files as every patient will need a different file and it is very hard to maintain. There are very much chances of loosing the records when it is a paper based record keeping system.
Paper based records can also be unorganized as papers can be by mistake kept in wrong files and sometimes in hurry it seems difficult to find out the right file and paper is kept in another file that is not related to that particular patient. Where as EMR allows to fill the record at proper place just by finding out the record of particular person in some clicks. This computerized system is also very much secure and not any person can access it. EMR is also flexible as it allows to make changes and the specialist can arrange the records according to his own choice that how he wants to keep it.
EMR is available at any time anywhere and this is the biggest benefit of the EMR. It is not possible in paper based records as it is difficult to search the file of particular patient manually. EMR is easily understandable by all the consultants and physicians but still it is not being implemented everywhere. EMR is also saving a lot of expenses as in paper based records there are the expenses of files, papers and the salaries of the employees who are appointed for maintaining this record. Where as the EMR is just having the expenses of soft wares and that is just for one time expense.
Apart from all these benefits still there are majority of the doctors, professionals and consultants who are not implementing EMR. (Everything you wanted to know, 2) Slow Adoption of EMR: In spite of having many benefits and advantages over the traditional paper based system it has been observed that still the adoption of EMR is not very much rapid and it has been implemented in very few places. A great deal of data collection is still being done over paper which is a very old and traditional method of collecting the records and this is simply the example of making no use of the technology.
The main reason for this issue is that the health care industry is not willing to make expenses towards this area; they are interested in funding over other different areas like finance, equipments, laboratories, examination rooms and so on. Many issues are involved in the slow adoption rate of electronic medical reporting system. The major issue is the interoperability. There is mostly a lack of communication between the different departments of the medical organizations.
This lack of communication has negative impacts over the exchange of data and information. Such interoperability requires the use of different information technology systems and many different software applications; which makes it possible to manage the records. Many medical organizations consider that this is the most expensive and difficult task to perform. Other issues may include the issue of privacy as many patients do not want to disclose the information regarding their health and they want to share it just with their physicians.