Clinical Decision Making Improvements: Electronic medical records contain a wide array of decision-making tools such as treatment plan recommendations and drug cross reaction alerts.
Many EMRs have PDR based medication dictionaries.
There are also many mobile applications springing up that have similar functions.
Doctors can also make treatment recommendations based off a patient's diagnosis.
The provider can make better educated decisions when they keep a close eye on medical information through integration of external sources such as labs, imaging centers, hospitals, and pharmacies.
Enhanced Documentation: EMR software allows more than one user to access the patient's record which can be altered in realtime which ultimately results in a more complete and accurate chart.
Loss of information through damage and loss to paper charts puts many providers at risk.
There are many security measures being put in place that control permissions to a patients' record.
With the pressures to conform to new pay-for-performance programs, computerized documentation allows us to manipulate data for reporting capabilities.
The information can then be used for research reports, health maintenance reminders, statistics, drug recalls, and patient marketing.
Enhanced Patient Care: Web consultations are becoming more and more popular now that doctors can access patient data from anywhere via a secure connection.
Health maintenance reminders also improve patient care.
Patient care may be very difficult to quantify.
Enhanced patient care can lead to increased revenues through word of mouth and referrals.
EMR systems can make systems efficient and boost patient confidence.
Patients see confidence in physicians who use technology.