How Has Digital Charting Enhanced Patient Care?

The world of healthcare IT has changed, and so has the way we interact with our patients. Thanks to smartphones, tablets, and the cloud, we’re now able to provide patients with instant access to their medical records from anywhere.

Here are just some of the ways that digitizing medical records and using mobile devices in healthcare has improved patient care.

Health Information Exchange

When HIE (health information exchange) became a thing, it was initially used as a tool to facilitate healthcare collaboration between facilities. However, since its inception, HIE has become much more than a communication tool; it’s a vehicle that can bring together relevant healthcare information from anywhere.

Thanks to the EHR (electronic health record) Incentive Program provided under the Affordable Care Act, more and more hospitals have been integrating HIE into their workflow. The benefits of HIE include the ability to securely share patient information across locations, enable more efficient communication between healthcare providers, and improve medical outcomes.

Instant Access To Medical Records

Thanks to the EHR Incentive Program and the increased use of HIE, patients can now have instant access to their medical records. This has enabled healthcare providers to more effectively track the progress of their patients’ diseases and to identify potential problems before they become acute.

Even more impressively, the entire medical record can be brought up on a mobile device so that the physician can review information as needed during the course of the patient’s visit. This has dramatically improved the patient experience, since having complete and up-to-date information available at all times has enabled healthcare providers to improve the quality of their care and to innovate new treatments.

Care Transitions

One of the most significant advantages of having the medical record available on mobile devices is being able to continue care for the patient at another site or location. This is particularly valuable in the case of complex or emergency care, where patients may require frequent follow-ups at multiple locations. By creating an electronic record at the initial site of care, patients can be easily tracked throughout their entire treatment cycle, and if necessary, follow-ups or referrals can be easily made from anywhere at any time.

Care Coordination

Another significant advantage of mobile healthcare is the ability to coordinate care. Since the medical record is available at all times on a mobile device, healthcare providers can easily keep track of the patient’s progress during the course of their treatment and follow up with the patient after their appointment. This helps to ensure that the patient receives the appropriate services and that their needs are continuously met throughout their healthcare journey.

Improved Patient Engagement

Thanks to mobile healthcare, patients now have more engagement with their healthcare providers than ever before. Since the medical record is available at all times on a mobile device, patients can access their information as needed and be more engaged in their care than they have ever been before. This is valuable in both clinical settings and even more so outside of the clinic – by providing patients with instant and easy access to their medical records, they can have a more active role in shaping their care and ensuring that their needs are met.

Reduced Costs

The use of mobile medical devices and EHRs has significant potential to reduce healthcare costs. Since the entire medical record is available at all times on a mobile device, healthcare providers can access information about a patient’s prior medical history and treatment regimens, which in turn can reduce the need for unnecessary testing and treatment courses. This can result in significant cost savings.

Faster Recovery

When a patient experiences a health crisis or turns up with a serious illness, it is essential that they receive the best possible care as soon as possible. Thanks to mobile healthcare, that care can be delivered closer to home, with less reliance on the hospital system. Since patients can access their medical records from anywhere via a mobile device, if they experience a health crisis or become ill while at home, they can alert their healthcare provider, who will then be able to assess the situation and respond more effectively than if the patient had not had access to medical records beforehand.

Better Patient Experience

One of the most significant advantages of mobile healthcare is its potential to improve the patient experience. Thanks to the increased use of EHRs and HIE, patients can now have instant access to their medical records, which in turn can improve their experience while traveling to a medical facility for an appointment or while hospitalized. Also, being able to examine a patient’s medical records on a mobile device can help to mitigate the potential for medical errors and inappropriate treatment, which in turn can result in better patient outcomes and more positive patient experiences.