Electronic Medical Records
The Pros and Cons
I am in favor of computerizing Americans’ medical records, but only to the certain extent that it does not have to be mandatory in every healthcare establishment by five years and also that it can be the establishments choice whether or not to be entirely computerized. Even though Electronic Medical Records have many benefits, they still have their flaws which could have some negative consequences.
The Pros and Cons of EMRs
PROS
- EMRs can speed up the process of diagnosis for patients saving time and money
- Your patient’s history, diagnostic test results and even medical imaging can be integrated or consolidated into a single set of records, easily accessible via any computer in your medical practice’s network
- A patient's medical records can be easily transported from different healthcare facilities
CONS
- The convenience and immediacy of electronic records make it easier to violate privacy
- High costs are involved in start-up, implementation, training, and maintenance. Large facilities may not have a problem with the high costs, but the smaller clinics may not have the finances to go fully electronic
- With such a vast system, the software for the EMRs would have to be updated frequently to keep up with all of the advances in technology