Five Ways Specialized EHR Innovation Is Transforming the Healthcare Industry

Health software in the digital era has introduced a sea of change to healthcare already, and it shows no signs of stopping anytime soon. With the introduction of specialized electronic health record (EHR) technology, hospitals, outpatient clinics, and healthcare organizations have better and more complete access to secure patient records without the insecurities of paper tracking. But EHR technology is about far more than convenience. In fact, it’s transforming the way we practice medicine right now. Here are five huge ways in which patient care and the health care industry stand to benefit from all this innovation.

1. More Accessible Data Makes It Easier to Diagnose Patients

The use of digital medical records has changed how healthcare providers aggregate their data. As providers migrated from older paper systems to new digital ones, two major factors changed the way that patient data is handled. The first is that the practical problem of lost paper files is gone. Records are centrally collected and digitally backed up, so it is less conceivable that authorizations, prescription records, and other vital patient data could get lost. Regardless of whether clinics close or change ownership or if patients move or see new providers, their data easily travels with them through electronic records.

The second is that the aggregate availability of patient data makes it less likely that a healthcare provider might miss something when it comes to said data. Records that are more complete can help doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals give better, more complete diagnoses. Specialized EHRs compile all essential data into one uniform view, allowing physicians to easily analyze concerns and take into account all patient information.

Specialized EHRs offer even more support for medical decision-making. When EHRs are tailored to the specific area of expertise of the doctor or diagnoses of the patients, better recommendations can be made and trends identified earlier. For example, the sophisticated algorithms that power cardiac EHRs will remind physicians of drug interactions, suggest additional screenings for at-risk patients, and create treatment plans that incorporate the most recent best practices.

Errors can often be avoided with specialized EHRs that streamline workflows, consolidate a patient’s lengthy medication list, and keep all providers informed of treatment progress or new diagnoses. Customizable alerts and reminders ensure that testing is done on time, billing is completed accurately, and prescriptions are refilled timely and at the correct dosage.

2. A Combination of Better Data Collection and Private Data Segregation Creates More Accurate General Health Profiles

Another aspect of this data collection is that it allows for greater collective profiles. While patient identity is obviously protected by private privilege, the collection of generic non-private data (such as prevalence of illness or injuries in a statistical area) is now suddenly visible to healthcare providers and can be used in everything from seasonal change to potential outbreaks of illness.

As seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, being able to predict outbreaks and proactively vaccinate a population or staff emergency facilities is a new way to use specialized EHRs. The same technology is being used to identify cluster of infectious disease early and put preventative measures in place.

This can also be helpful in assessing health profiles in a municipal area or a region-specific scenario—providing an overview of population health. Public health programs have historically been difficult to prove effective. With specialized EHRs that track health measures for large population sets over time, it is now possible to see the results. These systems use big data and AI to estimate disease and diagnosis prevalence in a population, the burden of care on the system, and when and where preventative care can make a difference. This data can improve targeting and planning for public health initiatives.

This change will allow healthcare providers to make more consistent decisions as well as improve predictive processes (e.g.  what amounts and types of medications or equipment need to be allocated in a given period).  Analytics can assess historic patient demand and flow through a facility. Understanding this can help hospital and clinic administrators make better decisions about everything from how many wheelchairs to have available, efficient staff scheduling, and where to place elevators in a new construction facility. It also streamlines workflows and reduces the amount of time providers spend on documentation, billing, and communication.

3. EHRs Are Helping in the Decision-Making and Treatment Process

Another massive change in the way EMRs are transforming patient care is in the actual decision-making process itself. With the ability to have real-time medical information on hand, doctors faced with difficult decisions are no longer alone in trying to make the most informed decision. With modern medical tracking, it becomes easier to see which treatment strategies are successful and which ones aren’t. In addition, EHRs make pooled accessibility possible, allowing even doctors to get second opinions from other doctors at medical facilities. This will help the process of treatment become more effective overall, meaning that patients will get the best treatment options possible.

The differences are especially clear in specialized clinical settings. Using urgent care as an example, you have many important decisions to make to keep your facility working, meaning every minute counts when it comes to patient care. Specialized EHR urgent care workflows allow you to streamline patient flow, giving providers a handy view of each person’s check-in and location status along with a clear picture of the patient’s visit history. The best EHR systems will also limit the time providers have to spend entering vitals and prep information. After the exam, the provider can easily enter new diagnostic information into the chart and place any appropriate orders—then quickly move on to the next patient.

Accessibility to more and better data has greatly improved decision making and patient outcomes. In addition to consolidating patient information, specialized EHRs are designed to support decision making in the specific area of expertise. Wound care EHRs have additional training models and machine learning to identify early signs of infection and alert providers to follow-up sooner or intervene quickly. Neurology EHRs can track seizure activity or monitor for signs of deterioration. OBGYN systems monitor fetal health signs and are trained to identify signs of pregnancy complications.

4. Electronic Health Records Improve Communication Between Providers and Patients or Caregivers

Not only do EHRs improve communication between disparate providers and facilities, but also between doctors and their patients or the patient’s caregivers. Portals offer secure messaging, a repository for test results and health history, and a method to send instructions and diagnostic information. Specialized EHRs can recommend reading for patients about new symptoms, fact sheets, and explanations for diagnoses, test results, or medications.

With access to patient records, EHRs can alert patients when they need vaccines, follow-ups, testing, or consultations. Particularly for complex medical conditions, these reminders are essential for patients to track their progress and complete testing when necessary.

It provides an always-on communication channel for patients to ask questions and receive advice from reliable sources. Any handwriting or language barriers are eliminated through an EHR. Patients can take their time to fully read and understand materials and have them quickly translated into their native language. In general, EHRs improve health literacy by giving patients more information about their own health and channels to receive educational materials in a format they can understand, share with caregivers, and review on-demand.

EHRs also support and oversight for healthcare providers. Supervisors can review documents, access tests, evaluate relevant data, and provide support where needed for better care. Specialized EHRs can flag potential medication interactions and suggest better alternatives based on the patient’s personal information.

5. Specialized EHRs Ensure Compliance and Streamline Workflows

With constant changes to CMS and insurance billing protocols, it’s important to be working within an EHR system that is versed in the most up-to-date requirements, and the nuances of your particular field. An EHR tailored to the needs of employee or occupational health will include support and information on billing codes that are rarely used in other specialties. Default billing will reflect the work typically done by the users rather than codes used by the wider medical profession.

It will also prompt workflows and recommendations that are appropriate to your patients and the level of care you provide at your clinic or facility. Alerts, test results, and communications go to the right team members and scheduling assistants can suggest workflows that create new efficiencies and ensure high-priority or high-risk patients get the immediate attention they need.  

Any reduction in manual entry will save time for healthcare providers and the teams that support them, including finance, management, and administration. The best EHRs can immediately verify codes and prevent the need for a lengthy review process after a rejection. This technology can verify insurance in real-time and ensure that all claims are delivered to the correct company, department, and contact.

The Importance of a Modern, Specialized EHR

In the end, EHRs have massively changed how we handle healthcare. As integrated healthcare replaces older methods of record-keeping and efficiencies and processes advance, we will continue to improve patient care through the analysis of robust and large data sets aggregated by EHR systems and understood by AI and machine learning.

The healthcare industry as we know it is in a completely different place then it was just 20 years ago. With access to aggregate patient data, and with healthcare providers having access to courses of action which are best on the aggregate of the population, healthcare will be able to make strides forward that would have previously been considered inconceivable. The future is here in healthcare, and it is one built off of the shift towards specialized EHR patient records.