Question

5 to 10 year predictions of Electronic Health Records (EHR)/ Electronic Medical Records (EMR).

Answer 1

At its core, an electronic health record (EHR) is a collection of patient-related information that is stored electronically. What began as a way for medical professionals and healthcare facilities to reduce filing cabinets filled with patient information in favor of an easier and more productive experience has quickly grown into so much more, largely due to the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act. EHRs are the key to sharing information across healthcare networks, for example, giving medical professionals the ability to provide a deeper level of care based on both the information that has been collected and the ease at which that information is available.

According to the HealthIT.gov Dashboard, 83% of physicians in the United States were using EHRs by December 31, 2014. As with any type of disruptive technology, however, EHRs are still evolving. In fact, the systems in use today have little resemblance to the first systems from the late 1990s and early 2000s. It makes sense that this trend will continue as widespread adoption increases, particularly as certain concerns native in the technology today are addressed and certain natural benefits continue to take shape.

Under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), you have the right to access your personal medical records through your medical provider. To access your electronic medical records (EMR), you will need to create a medical records request and submit it your healthcare provider.

EHRs will feature automation analytics, telemedicine, genomics and more in the not-too-distant future. The electronic health record is the lynchpin of healthcare information technology. And it has been evolving at a consistently quick pace in recent years.

The history of electronic health records (EHRs)

Prior to the 1960s, all medical records were kept on paper and in manual filing systems. ... Those records were labeled using the patient's last name, last few numbers of the patient's social security number, or some other chart numbering system.