Modern society is founded on the benefits of extensive use of technology in many different areas. The implementation of modern technologies in the healthcare system resulted in the emergence of various digital healthcare information systems. Overall, digital health refers to the use of information and communication technologies to manage health risks and promote the population’s wellness (Ronquillo et al., 2022). Thus, digital health is designed to improve access to healthcare and increase the quality and efficiency of care with lower costs while maintaining an increased level of personalized care for patients. This essay will explore the two most common digital health technologies, Electronic Health Record (EHR) and Health Information Exchange (HIE), to identify how they help healthcare organizations and improve patients’ health management.
EHR presents an electronic version of a patient’s medical history which includes different types of relevant clinical data, such as the patient’s demographics, treatment process, prescribed medications, and laboratory test data. The early electronic system for health information systems was developed in the 1960s as an alternative to manual filing systems for medical records (Marquez, 2022). Implementation of EHR systems began in the early 2000s, and since then, the systems have been upgraded many times to meet the contemporary data storage and security requirements. EHR systems improve the quality of care through increased patient safety and better health outcomes. Furthermore, through advanced data storage capacity, EHR systems can reduce errors and manage risks. For example, the system can calculate the best treatment methods considering the patient’s unique characteristics, such as allergies and history of previous reactions to medication. With the use of EHR, patients can always receive up-to-date information about their health and treatment process. Lastly, the systems increase the quality of care by making it easier to guarantee an individualized approach to the patient and providing substantial support to the diagnostic process and therapeutic decision-making.
On the other hand, the HIE systems allow the secure exchange of digital health information between healthcare providers. With the use of manual filing systems for information storage, the quality of care was negatively affected by the low speed of informational exchange between providers, as paper documents needed to be delivered through fax. Alternatively, patients themselves were required to collect and carry documents with health records to submit to other care providers. HIE addressed the problem of slow information exchange through different methods, such as the direct exchange between providers and query-based exchange based on clinical sources. HIE increases the quality of care in healthcare organizations by providing timely informational support.
Next, besides their original purpose of improving the healthcare quality through increased data storage and higher speed of informational exchange, EHR and HIE technologies help patients manage their health. With the use of HIE, EHR enables the creation of patient-focused resources, such as Patient Portals and Care Coordination plans. According to Han et al. (2019), Patient Portals can improve patients’ health knowledge and adherence to medication and dietary recommendations. Furthermore, patients’ engagement in Care Coordination plans increases patients’ safety and allows for more effective patient health management.
In conclusion, this essay explored the use of digital technologies in healthcare using the example of EHR and HIE systems. Implementing an EHR system for healthcare providers improves the quality of care through a more extensive knowledge basis for decision-making and guaranteed patient-centered care. The use of the HIE system improves the overall efficiency of the healthcare system, increasing the level of patients’ safety. Lastly, the implementation of both technologies encourages more effective patients’ health management by improving their health knowledge and providing them an opportunity to make additions to care coordination plans.
References
Han, H. R., Gleason, K. T., Sun, C. A., Miller, H. N., Kang, S. J., Chow, S., Anderson, R., Nagy, P., & Bauer, T. (2019). Using Patient Portals to improve patient outcomes: Systematic review. JMIR human factors, 6(4), 1-11. Web.
Marquez, G. (2022). The history of electronic health records (EHRs). Elation Health. Web.
Ronquillo Y., Meyers, A., & Korvek, S. J. (2022). StatPearls [eBook edition]. StatPearls Publishing. Web.