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By Magaly Olivero
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.
Read the complete article at: Understanding Your Electronic Medical Records
