Electronic Health Record (EHR) Systems: Features, Implementations, Benefits, and Barriers

Electronic Health Record (EHR) Systems
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Electronic Health Record (EHR) Systems
Over the past decade, there has been a growing consciousness among health facilities around the globe to adopt electronic health record (EHR) systems to ensure the effective provision of healthcare services to patients. EHR systems have largely replaced conventional paper-based health records due to recent advancements in information and transformative innovations in healthcare (Shawahna, 2019). The EHR systems allow the healthcare professionals to systematically collect, organize, and compile patient information, for instance, their medical imaging reports, vital signs, medical history, notes made by caregivers, laboratory results, and prescription and nonprescription medications. This report focuses on the process of selecting, acquiring, and implementing an effective EHR system to improve health provision, patient safety, and productivity among healthcare providers.
Selecting an EHR System
Selecting the right EHR system for a healthcare facility can be a daunting process. The first step in selecting an effective EHR system involves understanding the types of systems available and the benefits and risks associated with each type. EHRs are primarily classified as remotely-hosted and physician-hosted systems (Neal, 2011). Physician-hosted EHR systems stored data in the servers owned by the physicians or the healthcare facility. The owners of physician-hosted systems are expected to purchase both EHR software and the hardware, including the servers. The physician or health facility owning the system is also responsible for the servers’ security, data back up, and maintenance. Thus, data remains in the possession and control of the health facility. Vendors also include a code for disabling the software depending on the customer’s needs. Physician-hosted EHR systems are suitable for healthcare facilities that wish to remain in control of their data and possess the technological capabilities of protecting and maintaining their serves.
Remotely-hosted EHR systems allow health facilities to store their data on a server belonging to another organization. The other organization is responsible for storing healthcare data from the facility (Sittig & Singh, 2018). It also offers security, maintenance, and data backup for the remotely-hosted EHR systems. Unlike in physician-hosted systems, the data for healthcare facilities using remotely-hosted EHR systems is controlled by a third party that owns the servers. Remotely-hosted EHR systems can either be subsidized, dedicated hosting in which the vendor, and cloud-based hosting store data. Health facilities are advised to adopt cloud-based storage because it is more affordable and has a large space for data. Additionally, a highly skilled third party takes care of maintenance, security, and data backup, allowing the healthcare facilities to focus on more important issues such as patient welfare.
Important Features in EHR Systems
Clinical Decision Support System
The clinical decision support system (CDSS) is linked to the EHR system to facilitate decision support for all healthcare facility staff members, including nurses, physicians, and administrators (Hossain et al., 2019). CDSS analyzes data with the EHR system to generate reminders and prompts that assist healthcare providers in implementing evidence-based practices in hospitals. Previous studies reveal that CDSS is an effective support system that possesses a strong external and internal validity. Most EHR systems have CDSS that also provide alerts, warnings, and other important clinical information that healthcare providers can utilize to make meaningful decisions that improve healthcare provision (Shawahna, 2019). Poor CDSS systems have an adverse impact on the patient system and can potentially compromise the entire healthcare system. System failures may be characterized by erroneous dose calculations, incorrect patient identification, and the inability to obtain useful patient information. Healthcare facilities should maintain effective CDSS and EHR systems to avoid putting the patients’ health at risk.
Computerized Provider Oder Entry
The computerized provider order entry (CPOE) system is an integral part of the EHR that allows healthcare providers to electronically maintain medical administration information, record full-range orders, and review changes made on the orders by other caregivers (Nicholoson et al., 2017). The CPOE system also provides healthcare professionals with safety alerts whenever it is triggered by unsafe orders are entered, for instance, if a drug is administered twice to the same patient. CPOE can significantly increase the efficiency of healthcare providers and markedly improve patient safety when the system is correctly configured. Reduced adverse drug incidents also characterize the use of the CPOE system. Integrating CPOE with EHR increases the completeness and legibility of medical prescriptions. However, the existing CPOE systems demand a tremendous amount of time, focus, and effort for successful customization to fit the clinical needs of healthcare facilities. Additionally, the CPOE system may, in some instances, allow the entry of unsafe orders that may jeopardize patients. Nevertheless, the system is an efficient means of identifying and remedying medical errors in medical facilities. Any health facility integrating CPOE with the EHR should train tits staff to promote effective system application and improve healthcare delivery.
Acquisition of the EHR System
The EHR system acquisition process has two major steps, focusing on planning steps followed by negotiation and contracting. The first stage involves communicating with the vendor to help them understand specific requirements and the models needed by a healthcare facility. Identifying the types of EHR products and models available is important in making the right decision in the acquisition process (Shortliffe & Chiang, 2021). Planning also involves researching the market and comparing EHR models and vendor offers. The healthcare facility should also prioritize its operational and technical requirements before going through the regulatory and certification process.
The second stage involves negotiating and contracting with the EHR system vendor. The healthcare facility purchasing the EHR system should examine its security and safety. Experts may also help the healthcare providers determine whether or not the EHR system’s performance meets their expectations. Negotiation may also involve training individuals on the effective strategies of managing data using the EHR syste...