Benefits of Electronic Medical Records for Doctors

There are many benefits of electronic medical records for doctors. In addition electronic medical records minimize the need for reams of paper, but they also save a lot of space. Most medical offices and hospitals have a large amount of space allocated to housing paper copies of medical records. However, all of this area could be freed up for patient care, extension of services, and the like, with the addition of electronic medical records. Doctors benefit because they save money on buying paper, printers, ink, and related supplies, while they can save even more money by expanding into the area that used to house paper records rather than constructing a larger facility.

Another way doctor's benefit from electronic medical records is that they are able to better facilitate and coordinate care of their patients. When EMR are used then the duplication of tests is reduced significantly, cross checking prescriptions is improved, and doctors are able to evaluate how a patient is being treated by various doctors for an array of health conditions.

Doctors also find they save plenty of time using electronic medical records contrary to paper records. Faxing and mailing copies are prevalent even today, but it is time consuming. When a doctor can obtain a patient's electronic medical records instantly then he/she is able to immediately see what tests have been carried out, what X-rays have been conducted, and any information pertaining to prescriptions, allergies, and other health information. In some situations, every second counts and electronic medical records could truly be the difference between life and death. This is especially true for emergencies where the patient may be affected and unable to talk or explain.

The use of EMR will generate $3.8 billion in 2015 with an annual growth of 11.5% in its use. Separating down the total, Ambulatory EMR/EHR software spending by all types of providers was $633.5 million in 2009 and should grow to $1.4 billion by 2015. The spending of EMR and HER in 2009 was almost $1.3 billion and is expected to grow to $2.4 billion by 2015.

Physicians may also benefit from using electronic medical records whenever they write prescriptions. Since the prescription is typed, there is no concern for a mistake due to illegibility not to mention the many other benefits provided by this type of software.

About the Author

EMR software helps improve medical practice efficiency and increase focus on patient care. EMR software systems are now considered a necessity by most doctors and hospitals.

Author (JamieHanson). Submitted on Sun, 10 Apr 2011 Time: 5:12 PM

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