Technology And Healthcare – Boon Of EMR

By Matt Wilson, Aegis HealthTech

In the ever-changing world of healthcare where new and advanced ways are being brought in to make the entire process of health checkups and post care measures efficient and hassle free, Electronic Medical Records or EMR is proving to be a boon for both the medical practitioners and the patients. It has brought two of the vital aspects of healthcare to the forefront – time saving and updated medical information. To understand fully, how EMR acts as a boon for both technology and healthcare, one has to understand about patient engagement and the role of EMR. Today we are going to discuss the same.

What Do We Mean By Patient Engagement?

A multi-faceted concept, patient engagement talks into account the patient’s knowledge, skills, willingness and the ability to manage his or her health. In other words, it aims to derive benefit out of the patient’s involvement in the decision making process which in turn gives rise to a positive attitude and impact on one’s health. Recent researches and studies show that patients who are engaged in this way are more open to the concept of medical treatment and the benefits it will have on one’s health. It leads to the development of a positive and loyal attitude towards the health care system.

Maximizing EMR as Part of IT to Engage More Patients

The concept of patient engagement is now at the forefront of the US healthcare policy. This has led to the growing demand of IT in the healthcare market. In the last 20 years, the healthcare market has significantly moved from concentrating on revenue cycle management to a wider application i.e. the EMR. Electronic Medical Record is redefining the way the medical industry functions. It has become an integral part of the day-to-day activities of the medical practice. The pros are many and the cons are very few.

Gaining More with a Single Technology

Statistics show that the medical industry spends less to retain the current existing patients than developing relations with new ones. This becomes more significant if your clinic operates on a single specialty practice. One of the best and the easiest way to ensure that your host of patients remains happy all the time is by ensuring that the portal is used for their benefit and well-being. While, it is advisable that as a medical practitioner, you should avoid giving direct advice when you are not in chamber but the portal can be a significant tool that helps to manage pre-administered treatment regimes.

When your patients have access to the portal they can easily post questions on their queries. In turn, you will receive the notifications and can answer as per your convenience.

Another major benefit of the portal is that you can opt for a monthly newsletter. Take stock of the ailments affecting your patients. Now draw up your recommendations, treatment measures, and plan of action and submit them in the form of a newsletter every month. This will help to bolster your business.

What Are The Latest Trends in Patient Engagement Technology?

• Checking out medical information such as lab reports, health summary
• Feasibility to message staff
• Information on the scheduled appointment
• Payment of bills and dues, if any
• Refilling of prescription

The increasing demand for patient portal has led to consumer request for better quality healthcare in the IT sector. As such advanced features are being developed at regular intervals. The ones that are available on the current basis include:

• Self-scheduling of appointments
• Healthcare plans
• Mobile based access to the portal
• Patient surveys
• Patient education
• Remote portal management

21^st Century And Beyond – What Is The Status of Patient Engagement?

The ongoing aging US population along-with defined financial access in the field of healthcare has led to the rise of a complex medical situation where the service providers are left with no option but to adopt patient portal engagement so as to lower the medical costs.

The positive news is patients are in favor of patient engagement portal. In fact, there is growing evidence that individuals who resort to portal are better aware of their health condition and are better equipped to deal with any emergency that might arise.