Organizations that provide medical care, or provide administrative support to health institutions, are more often than not incredibly short on time. Filing the vast quantities of paperwork that are amassed within this type of organization, is a difficult task. If even the smallest of errors are made, retrieving vital documents when they are needed most could take far too long, which at worst could potentially endanger the health of the organizations patients by delaying treatment.

On top of this, there are numerous security and safety issues to contend with. Paper documents are vulnerable to theft, fire damage, water damage and simple wear and tear over time. But there is a way for health care providers to store their patients’ medical records in a safe, easy to retrieve way, minimizing all the risks that come with keeping traditional paper records.

Electronic Medical Records (EMR)

Using an EMR system will allow for documents to be securely and safely held in a data center. The service will instantly be faster, as the records are easily accessible without having to open and look through filing cabinets. An electronic medical record will allow an organization to offer a better service to patients, through easy retrieval of important information as and when it is needed.

When information is stored as a secure electronic medical record, the chance of important data getting lost from patients’ files is minimized. The files can be password protected to limit access, so that only authorized personnel can have access to individual documents. Secure encryption technologies also allow for the increased security of patient information. Continual backups of patients’ records ensure that in case of an emergency situation, such as fire or flooding, records are not lost.

Another often unconsidered advantage of storing medical record electronically is the amount of space that can be saved. The sheer bulk of filing cabinets means that as more and more records are collected, there is increasingly less space available. Electronic records need a tiny amount of physical space. It takes thousands and thousands of filing cabinets filled with documents to fill a single modern hard-drive. In medical centers this leaves more workspace for medical equipment and in administrative support functions, it could allow for a smaller premises.

EMR also allows for documents to be text searchable. This means that a patient’s name can be typed in and the computer will present their medical records to the user within seconds. And as the records all use a standard, easy-to-read format, it is far easier to read documents, eliminating any problems caused by illegible handwriting or formatting errors.

Some digital archives and back-up solutions also allow medical records to be accessed "anywhere, anytime", from multiple offices or locations. As some organizations are not blessed with sophisticated IT departments, these back-up solutions provide a better and cheaper service that is easy to manage.

Using an electronic medical record system can help any clinical establishment to run in a smooth and effective manner, which can only benefit both patients and staff. EMR saves time, energy and space, whilst simultaneously minimizing the possibility of errors. These systems can also be utilized for other tasks such as scheduling appointments and billing procedures. The initial expense of setting up an EMR system is far outweighed by the huge benefits received by patients, staff and management over time. Once an organization has an EMR system installed, they simply won’t be able to live without it.