Question

Dr. Ashe has heard that EHR systems can improve decision making when used in patient care. Although he doubts any technology that appears to try to replace a doctor with a computer, he is willing to give the system a chance. Describe to Dr. Ashe how a clinical decision support system works as part of the EHR to improve patient care. What benefits should he expect to see? Make sure to address his concern that nothing (especially technology) should inhibit the physician’s flexibility in prescribing care for his patient.

Answer 1

1. Electronic health records allow physicians to review a comprehensive file that clearly identifies all aspects of a patient's health
2. EHR helps in identifying  who have not taken advantage of important screening examinations
3. EHR has decision making support tools which helps clinicians to access a patient’s history and possible drug contraindications.
4. EHR can provide access to more volumes of data like family histories,financial circumstances/insurance information,list of medications,lifestyle risk factors,mental health status,past surgical events
5. EHR allow patients ability to review clear, legible records and doctor's notes at their convenience which strengthen patient physician relationship as a step towards improvement in care
6. The clinical decision making system in EHR is efficient,cost benefiting and helps in avoidance of errors.
7. Quality research and analytical capabilities are very necessary for a good patient care. With EHR systems, the ability to analyze patient data becomes much simpler.