subject: Computerized medical records can save your life down the road [print this page] Computerized medical records can save your life down the road
In the modern world of medicine, having the ability to access one's medical records at a moment's notice is a tremendous advantage for that person, as well as any doctor or hospital. Medical management software should be a top priority for any modern doctor or practice, as the ability to readily keep track of patient's medical records in emergency situations is critical and can be the difference between life and death. An electronic medical record system, or EMR system for short, contains all the information regarding someone, such as their date of birth, social security number, doctor and hospital visits, medical history and symptoms. In the past, a doctor would have to call a patient's previous doctor or hospital to get specific information; one can see why this could present a problematic situation for all parties involved.
Regarding medical records, there are many different laws concerning the privacy and rights for individuals and their medical information. Because of the ease of access with computerized medical records, individuals are required to fill out several different medical forms if they want copies of their medical records themselves, as do requesting doctor's offices and lawyer firms. In fact, there are many different law firms who request medical records constantly for social security disability cases and injury lawsuits. Following the protocols for requesting medical records is tedious enough, so it really does help when a practice has EMR software available; if they did not, then the practice has to manually get the records, make copies through a copy service, and then either mail or fax them over. Since time is of the essence when requesting medical records, having a surefire way to access them is essential.
