Health Information Technology
All instruments used by medical professionals to store, disseminate, and analyze patient data come under the purview of “health information technology”. Nowadays, these instruments are vastly used by patients as well. One type of health IT instrument is electronic health records (EHRs).
Types of Health Information Technology Instrument
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Digital health records (EHRs): EHRs allow doctors to manage their medical information better and may allow them to access it even when their office is closed, so they may help you when an issue arises. EHRs also make it simpler for your doctor to share data with specialists, ensuring that those experts who require your data have access to it when needed.
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Personal health information (PHRs): A PHR is quite similar to an EHR, except that you have control over the data entered into it. A PHR can record data from doctor appointments, but it can also represent your life outside the doctor’s office and your health priorities, such as keeping track of your diet, exercise routine, and blood pressure. Your PHR may occasionally connect to your doctor’s EHR.
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E-prescribing (digital prescribing): Paper prescriptions have the potential to be lost or misread. Direct communication between your doctor and pharmacist is made possible through e-prescribing. It suggests that when you visit the pharmacy to pick up medication, you do not need to bring the printed prescription.
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Security and privacy: Your health information can be more securely protected by all of these technological methods. Electronic data, for instance, can be encrypted so that only authorized individuals can read it. Additionally, health IT can make it simpler to track and document who or what has accessed your information.
Instead of worrying about the daily headaches of managing your health care, health IT can free you up to concentrate on your health.
Examples
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Quicker, more precise prescriptions: Electronic prescribing systems automatically transmit prescription orders to the pharmacy on your behalf, saving you time by having your medication ready for pickup when you get there.
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Rapid information sharing: When a healthcare professional adds patient notes or test results to your EHR, those additions may be made accessible to other healthcare professionals who have been granted access to your records.
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Paperwork Reduction: You’ve undoubtedly filled out paperwork with similar questions about your personal information and medical history thousands of times as a patient. With Health IT, the need for the same is done away with
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Less unnecessary testing is requested: Sometimes, doctors requested tests that you had already undergone because they could not simply get the results of earlier testing.
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Better follow-up and follow-through: Numerous EHRs provide reminder systems that you and your doctor use. Some EHRs, for instance, prompt your physician to follow up with you regarding ongoing medical issues or to provide you with information or services in response to changes in your health. Health IT makes these processes automatic.
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Secure information access: Having your records in an EHR should make it simpler to reconstruct your documents and make them accessible to clinicians outside of your home if you need to transfer them temporarily or permanently. The Federal Government mandates that approved systems adhere to specific security requirements so that professionals and other people you designate can access the data they require to manage your care properly. Your State laws may also mandate extra safeguards.