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tronic medical record. In a minute, I'd confirmed
that we were in exactly the right place.
The rise of EMR technology has, to many crit-
ics, been accompanied by a sense of obligation.
But, as my mid-procedure check shows, it's easy
to see the practical benefits that EMRs bring and
why they'll continue to be an essential technology
for surgical facilities.
1
Advantage of accessibility
The easy accessibility of data — and potentially a patient's entire
medical history — through EMRs is definitely an asset. Physicians can
make better judgments and stop second-guessing themselves.
During the case I described above, I didn't have to call the physician who per-
formed the colonoscopy to verify the targeted site. I didn't have to hope I'd be
able to catch him while he was available, and I didn't have to wait for him to get
back to me while he consulted his own records on the case. The need for out-
side information arises frequently in surgery. With EMRs, chasing paper is in the
past.
But an even bigger benefit to surgeons is having instantaneous access to radi-
ology studies. As a resident, I had to carry 50-pound racks of X-rays to the OR,
then shuffle through them, hoping I'd brought the right one. Now it takes sur-
geons a couple of seconds to access electronic records and refresh their under-
standing of where they're going.
EMRs' benefits don't stop at the OR door, though. Their availability through
secure, web-based portals makes charts, test results and other patient infor-
mation portable and retrievable for physicians anywhere, at any time, without
making a single phone call.
2
Expanding reach
While the accessibility and portability of patient data has been EMR
systems' main selling point, their expanding interconnectivity over the
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EMRs
can track a patient's entire
experience, offering insights into your quality of care.
