Ways Electronic Health Records will continue to improve in coming years

Technological advancements in healthcare show promise in Electronic Health Records (EHR) to improving care delivery and easing burnout tied to it.

Electronic Health Records are electronically-stored patient-related information and are used to share patient-information among physicians. EHR provides the ability to offer a higher level of care based on the ease of information availability and collection to healthcare professionals. Electronic Health records are the perfect solution for better quality care. As more patient data is getting digital and an increasing number of patients are aspiring to have mobile access to their health records, the role of EHR is becoming vital in Healthcare Digitalization.

Let's look at the benefits of EHR and how technology is helping to improve electronic medical record systems in 2021 and beyond:

The fusion of Artificial Intelligence and Voice Recognition with EHR

Artificial Intelligence has previously given promising results in the healthcare sector by supporting doctors in diagnoses. Additionally, several companies are exploring bringing AI to EHR via voice recognition capabilities. Particularly for providers who have endless work to do, using voice commands with patient care could be very helpful.

More Informed Care Decisions with Predictive Analysis

The Healthcare industry is highly influenced by the predictive analytics application. From changing cancer treatments to optimizing emergency staffing, predictive analytics technology is being used in a wide range of applications and will soon be adopted even more. The NorthShore University Health System has developed a predictive engine that works with EHR for clinical analytics to give more useful information about patients to healthcare professionals. Using AI-powered methods such as statistics, data mining, and modeling to provide better clinical outcomes, EHR with AI will improve patient experience and care delivery.

5G with EHR

5G internet's quicker speed, lower latency, and higher bandwidth might improve patient care, according to hospital executives and healthcare analysts. It's not wrong to say that 5G is going to influence the whole healthcare market. 5G has lots of benefits to offer for healthcare like telemedicine, remote monitoring, and many more. In the 5G-enabled health ecosystem, patients will become more engaged participants in driving their health outcomes.

Blockchain with EHR

Currently, many sectors like the supply chain industry use blockchain to maximize visibility about shipments and share updated information with respective parties. In the same way, blockchain has the potential to be used in the healthcare sector as well. One major point of blockchain, that is advantageous to healthcare applications, is decentralization which makes it feasible to implement distributed healthcare applications that do not rely on a centralized authority. Additionally, the fact that the data in the blockchain is replicated between all the nodes in the network generates an atmosphere of clarity and openness, enabling healthcare stakeholders, and in special, the patients, to understand how their data is handled, by whom, when and how.

Blockchain also helps in securing health healthcare. Settling any one node in the blockchain network does not affect the status of the ledger since the information in the ledger is replicated between multiple nodes in the network. Hence, by its nature, blockchain can defend healthcare data from potential data loss, fraud, or security attacks, such as ransomware attacks.

Patient Engagement Technology

Another thing that will rule healthcare is patient engagement tools. Patient engagement is the active participation of the patient in their care journey. EHR platforms could also collect data about a connected medical wearable. Some facilities also depend upon EHR platforms to boost patient engagement levels and decrease manual tasks performed by administrative staff members. It leads to better adherence and improved outcomes.

Internet of Medical Things

The Internet of Things, or IoT, is already being used in our day to day life. 2021 will see an expansion in the application of the Internet of Things (IoT) in the healthcare industry. Healthcare information technology is now exploring this technology for use in healthcare, as the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). Medical devices that track, record, and transfer health data and alarms are already in use. Sensors built into them can record temperature, blood pressure, ECG, and glucose levels. Physicians can use these devices to judge disease control without frequent visits or hospitalization.

Summary

EHRs have already come a long way in the industry. Yet, there's still a lot more to achieve and the future holds various advantages for electronic health record systems. With the above-stated facts, it's obvious that EHRs are expected to improve even more in 2021 for both providers and patients. As more patient information is growing digital and a large number of consumers are expressing the urge to have mobile access to their health records, the role of EHR is becoming significantly powerful in healthcare. 2020 saw a large-scale disruption in the healthcare industry. The pandemic revealed the loopholes in our healthcare system and forced us to adopt better technologies to defeat these difficulties. These technological improvements aren't going to stop anytime soon. Healthcare technology will keep on growing to improve patient care and experience.

Embracing these technologies will keep your practice on top of things, and you'll also keep your patients happy.