Standardized Electronic Health Record. Health, Medicine, Nursing

Standardized Electronic Health Record
Name
Institutional Affiliation
Standardized Electronic Health Record
Introduction
Electronic health records (EHR) have had a significant impact on nurses in primary care settings. The traditional paper-based records presented challenges such as higher incidences of medical errors, frequent communication breakdowns, and reduced workflow efficiency. Current electronic health records offer better health outcomes, quality of care, cost-savings, and communication for health providers. EHRs systems date back to the 1960s when clinical data management and Problem-Oriented Medical Records were being developed for documenting patient information. The Regenstrief Institute was instrumental in creating the first electronic medical record system in 1972. However, the high costs involved limited its widespread adoption in healthcare institutions. The emergence of personal computers and the internet during the 1990s promoted the use of electronic-based medical records. This is because they were affordable and allowed faster and easier sharing of medical information between physicians in primary care settings. During the 21st century, various laws have been enacted those mandate health providers to use electronic systems for patient records. The regulations have also focused on protecting the confidentiality and privacy of patients (Evans, 2016). Significantly, many governments have invested in encouraging health providers to adopt electronic medical systems into their practice. The present paper supports that standardized electronic health records (EHR) by nurses in a primary care setting is an effective tool in reducing medical errors compared to paper-based records.
Thesis Statement:
The use of a standardized electronic health record (EHR) by nurses in a Primary Care setting is an effective tool in reducing medical errors compared to paper-based records.
Journal selection:
I have chosen to submit my manuscript to The Journal of Clinical Nursing as JCN “publish high quality papers from across the methodological spectrum that make an important and novel contribution to the field of clinical nursing (regardless of where care is provided), and which demonstrate clinical application and international relevance” (Wiley Online Library, 2020). Additionally, “the dev...