Thankfully My Doctor Uses a Web Based EMR System
58The other day I went to my doctor to talk to her about some pain that I was having in my abdomen. She took my concerns very seriously and decided to run some tests. Unfortunately for me, the test results would not be into her office until very late on Thursday, and my doctor does not work on Fridays. Rather than having to wait all weekend for the results of these very important tests, my doctor told me that she would be able to get the results on Friday through the use of their office’s web based EMR system. I must have looked puzzled at that, because she went on to tell me a little bit more about the web based EMR system and how it works.
EMR stands for Electronic Medical Records and is a system by which a doctor can check his/her patient’s records without actually having to be in the office. Previously, all notes on patients were scribbled by hand onto pieces of paper, which were held together in a folder. While this system worked very well for a while, times have now changed and for a variety of reasons, the web based EMR system works much better than the previous pen and paper system ever did. One amazing thing about this new web based EMR system is that it gives the entire medical staff access to the patient’s medical records. (Of course, all staff members are required to follow HIPPA regulations, meaning that they can’t share my health information with anyone outside of my medical team.)
With the previous system, only one person on the medical staff would be able to look at my records at a time. If my doctor felt the need to take my records home with her to study them, but I called into the office and talked to one of the nurses, the nurse would have absolutely no clue as to what my condition actually was or how to help me. With the web based EMR system, my doctor can be looking at my charts at the same time as a nurse in a completely separate location can also be looking at them. My doctor can also send my charts to other doctors and can then better consult with them as to how to treat my conditions.
Another great thing about this web based EMR system is that my doctor will have full access to my records anywhere that she also has access to the internet. In my situation, a nurse at the office was able to upload my test results into the system, and my doctor was able to check them at home and send notes back to the nurses. The nurse then called me to let me know what the doctor had decided to do about my situation. I was put on a medication which has helped me to feel much better. I appreciate the fact that I was able to get relief four days more quickly simply because my doctor uses a web based EMR system.
There are other advantages to using a web based EMR system; it is a lot easier for doctors to consult with each other about their patients, and because it is all done online, there is no need for the doctors to struggle in reading another’s handwriting. There are even web based EMR systems which are free to clinics and medical offices, which means that the doctors are saving money on paper. (This also does wonders for the environment.) All in all, I am glad that my doctor’s office uses a web based EMR system. It makes me feel a lot better about the medical care that I am getting.
