Imagine You’re Sick…
It’s a weekend. You end up at the ER. Now imagine your medical records are electronic. Your doctor accesses them quickly via the new, statewide, electronic health record network, the Health Information Exchange.
Here are just some of the benefits you could expect:
Improved Speed & Quality of Care:
With an Electronic Health Record (EHR) doctors have secure, immediate access to your essential medical information to treat you quickly. Drugs, labs, allergies, medical history- all are included. Drug interactions are displayed. And, through your own personal health record (PHR) you can review your record online and receive medical instructions upon your release.
Improved Safety:
When critical information is available in real time at the point of care, the risk of a medical error is greatly decreased. And, when past test results are included in the EHR, duplicate, expensive tests will not need to be ordered.
Increased Efficiencies:
Decreased paperwork and immediate access to records, labs and other test results increase the efficiencies for delivering healthcare services while lowering medical costs for all involved, including you, the patient.
Greater Convenience:
No more need to repeat your medical and personal history, contact data, or insurance and billing information! You give it once; it’s in your EHR.
Privacy and Security Safeguards:
Safeguards are required to ensure your privacy and the secure exchange of your medical information. Contrast that with the unwieldy paper records still in use in many facilities, with outdated and error-prone faxed or telephoned exchange of information.
- You control permissions for what is shared and with whom. Selected sensitive categories of your medical record will not be exchanged without your permission.
- Your records are identified and confirmed through a careful, multi-criteria matching procedure.
- You review your own health and medical history via a secure Internet account (PHR) and you can review who else has looked at it.
- You don’t have to worry about your boss looking at your records. Employers do not have access to your medical information.
When critical information is available in real time at the point of care, the risk of a medical error is greatly decreased. And, when past test results are included in the EHR, duplicate and expensive tests may not be needed.
No need to repeat your medical and personal history, contact data, or insurance and billing information! You give it once, and it’s in your EHR. Decreased paperwork and immediate access to records, labs and other test results increases efficiencies and lowers costs for all involved, including you, the patient. 
With an Electronic Health Record (EHR) providers have secure, immediate access to your essential medical information to support quick, accurate diagnoses and treatment. 
Paper records are still in use in many facilities; they are unwieldy and easily damaged and require outdated and error-prone faxed or telephoned exchange of information. Contrast them with electronic health records that have legally-mandated safeguards built in to ensure your privacy and the secure exchange of your medical information.
