Digital health records can support reliable decision-making
Discuss about the DHR for Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics.
In my opinion, Sometimes, the digital health record could negatively impact on the performance of the company. Further, Digital health records could be an easy method to collect the information of a large number of patient’s information at one place. This essay critically evaluates the importance of digital health record in the hospitals. As well as, it discusses challenges that may be confronted by the hospitals or doctors at the time of using the digital health record.
In the current era, a large number of doctor and hospitals use digital health records for removing their paperwork from the operation. It could also support to make a reliable decision with respect to the current matter. It is observed that most of the health organization does not aware of the application of electronic health records. It could negatively impact on their performance (Wachter, 2015). Thus, it is required for the health care organization to improve their knowledge with respect to the application of the electronic health records for sustaining their position in the marketplace and obtain a reliable outcome. Many times, the organization is failed to secure the confidential information of the patient in the computer as it could lead to making negative image among the patient’s mind (Li, Yu, Zheng, Ren, and Lou, 2013). Moreover, it is addressed that the digital health records could lead to less manual work but some of the organization follow the hybrid quality of the operation process. It is also evaluated that that hybrid method could create the misconduct at the working place.
According to Fernández-Alemán, Señor, Lozoya, and Toval (2013), digital health record could lead to the hospitals to record all the confidential information in softcopy rather than hardcopy. A healthcare organization could obtain many benefits from the application of electronic health records. Further, these advantages go to certain parties considered in the healthcare like healthcare managers, patients, and clinicians. It is also stated that clinicians are medical employees that are directly involved with patients like physicians, nurses, psychologists, and psychiatrists. It could be operating in both private as well as the public healthcare sector. Each medical worker may be liable for maintaining a record of patients. From the application of digital health record enable them to obtain higher benefits in the least time and cost.
Kellermann and Jones, (2013) argued that digital health record aid health organization to make a reliable decision. Furthermore, it is analyzed that organization would be capable to collect the reliable information with respect to patient data like allergies found, drugs administered, certain drugs, and efficiency of initial treatments. It could also be effective for a health organization in making a reliable decision. For example, if the organization offers the same facility to their patients then they could complaints about medication on the basis of the result. Furthermore, it could also be effective for simply locate health record of patients as compared to the physical data like files. In addition, it enables the organization to save a huge amount of data at the same place.
Challenges in securing patient data
In support of this, DesRoches, et al. (2013) examined that it enables the organization to access reliable information with respect to the current research matter. Moreover, the digital health record enables to collect technical information with respect to the health issues. Further, it is stated that the digital health record facilitates health organization to understand the current research on health issues and other development as it could be easily accessed by considering the digital healthcare record. It will be simple, for example, for a specialist or clinician to search documents of those consumers who are admitted in the hospitals with leaving their place and addressed the file cabinets, statistical manuals, and journals.
In the favored of Lupton (2013) addressed that digital healthcare record system could assist the healthcare organization to time to manage the information of patients and use in the upcoming period. From the application of the digital health record could assist the clinicians to address and follow up on the issues of patients like progressive lab reports, medical history, and bookings. In addition, it permits clinicians to share the accessible data to their patients about the facilities as it could be effective for obtaining a reliable outcome.
In oppose to this, Coorevits, et al. (2013) explained that healthcare executives are professionals that is accountable for the leadership, the management team of hospitals, healthcare networks. It could also enable the healthcare organization for the efficient working atmosphere in healthcare units. In addition, it is also found that they supervise each department of the hospitals or healthcare institution like laboratory, radiology, and pharmacy amid others. They also support to possess the professional skills of the clinicians.
In support to this, Rodrigues, De La Torre, Fernández, and López-Coronado, (2013) examined that digital health record could support the organization to make the easy process of the workflow and obtain a reliable outcome. The digital health record could support to combine patient experience in the facility of the healthcare like bookings, laboratory reports, referrals records, and billing report. Furthermore, the digital health record could also be effective for making the plan about the whole process of business and obtain a reliable outcome. The data is essential for healthcare executives and hospitals management clubs.
Bahga and Madisetti, (2013) argued that digital health record facilitates the organization to simply secure the information of patients in the hospitals. The organization could make a different number of patients as it could be effective to differentiate the information of the patients and tracked them to offer the appropriate facility to their patients. Moreover, it is also evaluated that digital health record could enable the organization to secure the confidential data of patients and mandate them to not share data of patients with others. The digital health record also facilitates the organization to delivers many services to their patients as it could be associated with updates patient records, referrals information, and pharmacy transcriptions. Consequently, patients will be capable to have the health facility in another hospital on the bias of their connivance.
Hybrid process may create misconduct
In support of this, Labrique, Vasudevan, Kochi, Fabricant, and Mehl, (2013) examined that digital health record is beneficial for reducing the costs. Although, the initial cost of equipment installment can be higher but, day to day expenses of health care unit could be reduced by applying the feasible EHR system. Digital health record may eliminate the other facilities such as files, cabinet and free up space that could be utilized for other purposes. It also declines the number of human resources and saves time due to an automated process.
In contrast to this, Lupton, (2014), illustrated that digital health record could be advantageous for patients. It facilitates easy access for patients to check their personal health records such as medical traits, past diagnostics, and administration of the drug. The patient can be competent to organize their health booking as well as a consultancy by using the digital health record. It is fact that digital health record could be used for centrally managed and stored. It is stated that the case of losses in personal data due to misplacement and negligence can be declined. It indicates that there is no need to fill fresh form each time when patient visit in a healthcare facility. Moreover, a digital health record takes less time for patients due to eliminating physical record. With the digital record, the clinicians have centrally maintained all the files as it could be easily accessed.
According to Levy, Janke, and Langa, (2015), there are certain barriers which hinder the optimization of digital health records and risks. It could be resolved by using effective strategies. The data incorporated in digital health record can be accessible by different departments in a healthcare unit. It is an effective aspect, which needs a very secure process of maintenance. Along with this, a high standard of security can be translated into the high cost of maintenance that cannot be afforded by the majority of care providers.
In opposed to this, Topol, Steinhubl, and Torkamani, (2015) evaluated that clinicians may have different competencies in the usage of the digital health record. It could be hazardous when essential data is either misplaced or accidentally changed. In spite of security issues at the workplace, it is considered that such health record could be prone to unofficial access and impairment by external parties like viruses, web hackers, along with internet-based threats of security.
As per the view of Thomas and Bond (2014), a digital health record can be centrally organized hence distinct personnel may have the right to access them. For example, the medical record of the patient could be accessed without difficulty by a different department within a facility and externally by another unit of healthcare. It indicates unethical usage of patient’s record. There could be also chances of manipulation in information in which data of patients may be entered incorrectly. It may lead to wrong medication and diagnosis. There is fact that digital health record is a comparatively current development in practices of medical hence there is no adequate regulation concerning disclosure and use of personal data. It is a key challenge in the practices of the digital health record.
Benefits of digital health records for medical employees
Sheikh, Jha, Cresswell, Greaves, and Bates, (2014) argued that for succeeding the digital health record, there is need of integrity with accountability in order to determine distinct roles in practices of medicine. It will involve accountability on the part of the clinician, patients, insurance corporations, health management and other hospital staff. When healthcare key players and government makes effort to execute such measures, then there could be issues that the number of personnel can access the digital health record. Along with this, the base of the patient is huge so that there could be chances of mass breach of privacy and confidentiality about information of the patient.
In support of this, Fernández-Luque and Bau, (2015) stated that there is no clear rule with regulation to govern the retention, creation, and sharing of the information of the patient. Initially, there should be a harmonized way to generate the file of the patient. There is also need to include an identifier of the patient, which should be mandatory to apply across all healthcare providers. Moreover, there is also a requirement to make a standard layout for the collection of patient data in across the profession of healthcare. Lastly, there should be standard way regarding sharing of data amongst various hospitals of healthcare units in case of requirements. These requirements involve the alteration in preference by patients, referrals and even cases in which some healthcare units close down and data of patient needs to be maintained.
In contrast to this, Thomas and Bond, (2014) evaluated that there is a need for two approaches in order to improve the sharing of health information amongst hospitals. These approaches are centralized information server model and peer to peer model of organization in the file. When, both approaches are feasible but, still concentrated unusable as there are no consistent techniques with the format to create the record. It indicates that even if records would be passed to distinct units then, the usability of these records would be restricted.
Conclusion
With respect to the above discussion, it can be concluded that digital health record enables the healthcare organization to record all information of patients and provide the essential services to them. According to my perspective, healthcare organization could take many benefits by usage of the digital health record technique. It includes easily access data, timely offer reliable services, prompt service, secure many patients records, deal with the diverse situation, cost-effective and make a reliable decision. I have observed that healthcare organization may face some barriers at the time of implementing digital health record in the organization. These are possibilities of unethical behaviors, possibilities of wrong diagnosis and medication, lack of rules and regulation with respect to patient’s confidentiality.
Reducing healthcare costs with digital health records
It can be recommended that organization should use the audit system in specified time to understand the actual situation of the digital health record and make the correction as per the situation it could be effective for making consistency in the whole process. It could also be effective for securing the confidentiality of the patients.
References
Bahga, A., & Madisetti, V. K. (2013). A cloud-based approach for interoperable electronic health records (EHRs). IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics, 17(5), 894-906.
Coorevits, P., Sundgren, M., Klein, G. O., Bahr, A., Claerhout, B., Daniel, C., … & De Moor, G. (2013). Electronic health records: new opportunities for clinical research. Journal of internal medicine, 274(6), 547-560.
DesRoches, C. M., Charles, D., Furukawa, M. F., Joshi, M. S., Kralovec, P., Mostashari, F., … & Jha, A. K. (2013). Adoption of electronic health records grows rapidly, but fewer than half of US hospitals had at least a basic system in 2012. Health Affairs, 32(8), 1478-1485.
Fernández-Alemán, J. L., Señor, I. C., Lozoya, P. Á. O., & Toval, A. (2013). Security and privacy in electronic health records: A systematic literature review. Journal of biomedical informatics, 46(3), 541-562.
Fernández-Luque, L., & Bau, T. (2015). Health and social media: a perfect storm of information. Healthcare informatics research, 21(2), 67-73.
Kellermann, A. L., & Jones, S. S. (2013). What it will take to achieve the as-yet-unfulfilled promises of health information technology. Health affairs, 32(1), 63-68.
Labrique, A. B., Vasudevan, L., Kochi, E., Fabricant, R., & Mehl, G. (2013). mHealth innovations as health system strengthening tools: 12 common applications and a visual framework. Global health: science and practice, 1(2), 160-171.
Levy, H., Janke, A. T., & Langa, K. M. (2015). Health literacy and the digital divide among older Americans. Journal of general internal medicine, 30(3), 284-289.
Li, M., Yu, S., Zheng, Y., Ren, K., & Lou, W. (2013). Scalable and secure sharing of personal health records in cloud computing using attribute-based encryption. IEEE transactions on parallel and distributed systems, 24(1), 131-143.
Lupton, D. (2013). The digitally engaged patient: Self-monitoring and self-care in the digital health era. Social Theory & Health, 11(3), 256-270.
Lupton, D. (2014). Critical perspectives on digital health technologies. Sociology Compass, 8(12), 1344-1359.
Rodrigues, J. J., De La Torre, I., Fernández, G., & López-Coronado, M. (2013). Analysis of the security and privacy requirements of cloud-based electronic health records systems. Journal of medical Internet research, 15(8).
Sheikh, A., Jha, A., Cresswell, K., Greaves, F., & Bates, D. W. (2014). Adoption of electronic health records in UK hospitals: lessons from the USA. The Lancet, 384(9937), 8-9.
Thomas, J. G., & Bond, D. S. (2014). Review of innovations in digital health technology to promote weight control. Current diabetes reports, 14(5), 485.
Topol, E. J., Steinhubl, S. R., & Torkamani, A. (2015). Digital medical tools and sensors. Jama, 313(4), 353-354.
Wachter, R. (2015). The digital doctor. Hope, Hype and at the Dawn of Medicines Computer Age, 2015.
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