Staying healthy in the modern age is, for the most part, a much easier thing to do than it was in centuries past, due to the advancements in science, technology, and medicine. There are more cures and successful treatments than ever before, and the understanding of the human body and what it needs has come quite a long way since the days that bloodletting and heroin were used to treat ailments.
And now, with the world more connected than ever before, we have seen a shift in almost every realm of society from paper records and data to digital versions. While there are certain security factors that are cause for vigilant data protection, in general this change to computer systems over physical copies has proven to be a positive step on the path of progress. Just consider the benefits of electronic health records in relation to the wellbeing of patients across the country and the world.
The benefits of electronic health records
From vaccine tracking systems and digital immunization records to hospital staff electronic records, the positive impact of occupational medicine software and electronic health records software cannot be ignored. Take, for example, a vaccine tracking system. Vaccines are incredibly important in our society, preventing over 2.5 million deaths every year, and helping to diminish and in some cases completely eradicate serious diseases. By making those records digital, they are more easily accessible to doctors and medical professionals, and there are less opportunities for errors, mixups, or incorrect information.
In fact, about 81% of doctors have reported that they believe that among the benefits of electronic health records, or EHRs, is better accessibility to clinical information. And more than 66% have said that these types of EHRs can indeed improve the care and treatment of any given patient. The computerized systems also allow less room for human error.
Eliminating error and improving efficiency in health care
Many health care facilities use computerized physician order entry systems, which are essentially prescriptions and instructions from your doctor that are entered into an electronic system as opposed to the traditional paper charts. The main benefit of this type of system is the capability of diminishing the errors or misunderstandings that can be caused by illegible handwriting. Using a computerized physician order entry system, or CPOE system, has been shown to reduce major medication mistakes in hospitals by up to 55%. But there are other ways to reduce human errors as well.
One study reported that including a clinical decision support system, or a CDS system, in a CPOE system, has the potential to diminish medication errors by up to 86%. CDS systems is a computer system that suggests types and dosages of medications, taking into account patient allergies and health history, and alerting the physician or pharmacist if the prescribed dosage does not quite fit the needs of the patient.
The progress of society as medicine has advanced hand in hand with technology has been incredible, and it seems that these positive developments will not be ending any time soon. As more and more brilliant minds work together for the good of humankind, we become more and more capable, skilled, and productive as a species. The many benefits of electronic health records are just one aspect of the incredible continued advancement of human beings.
