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Universal Electronic Health Record (EHR) System

Kayla Yun

UW- Extended Campus

HCA 710: Communications and Marketing in Healthcare

Professor Haugen

May 7, 2021
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Electronic health records (EHR) are the comprehensive compilation of

electronically recorded health records for individuals and communities in a multimedia

format. This information may be exchanged through various settings in health care. EHR

systems are configured to reliably archive data and to capture a patient's condition over

time. It removes the need to monitor the past paper medical history of a patient and

helps to ensure reliable and legible details. As there is only one modifiable file, it will

minimize the risk of data replication, which ensures that the file is more likely to be up

to date and eliminates the likelihood of missing documentation. To reduce patient

errors, high-quality electronic health record (EHR) technologies are critical in health care

(Adane et al., 2019). EHRs allow for patients to get quality patient services because

health care professionals have access to full and reliable data. This new technology has

caused medical practices to move from paper charts to electronic records due to its

improved efficiency and cost saving benefits. EHRs can also increase the capacity to

detect illnesses, minimize medical errors, improve coordination of care, and overall

improve quality of care. Epic Systems is simply the most commonly used EHR in the

United States, with the organization currently archiving at least a majority of the health

data of nearly half of the country's population (Shull, 2019).

I propose that there be a universal EHR system for all potential healthcare

facilities across the entire United States. My proposal will include a universal EHR

system that allows for easier access to EHRs that reach all demographics and
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underserved populations in a more effective manner. Personal health information can

be more easily managed at every potential care location, while still providing privacy,

security, and autonomy. Overall, this proposal will not only improve patient health

outcomes but will save billions of dollars in healthcare spending every year. Improved

results from this universal system may decrease hospitalization and reduce overall use

of healthcare services. In an attempt to get us out of the current national healthcare

spending crisis, this would significantly contribute to healthcare reform.

Due to numerous problems with integration, optimization, interoperability, and

cyber protection, EHR adoption in the U.S. has been slow. Hundreds of government

certified EHR devices are in operation across the United States, each with its own set of

medical terminologies, technological requirements, and practical capabilities (Reisman,

2017). Because of these variations, creating a single uniform interoperability format for

data exchange is challenging (Reisman, 2017). In reality, since EHR systems are always

highly tailored to an organization's individual process and requirements, even those

based on the same architecture are not often interoperable (Reisman, 2017).

Comparative to the U.S., Australia unveiled in 2012 a personally controlled electronic

health record (PCEHR). The PCEHR is structured to facilitate exchange of all health

details regarding a patient with them and any other health provider interested in their

treatment to which the patient grants consent, using a distributed model and utilizing

key component national eHealth infrastructure (Pearce et al. 2014).

Control of knowledge and funding to build and sustain a universal system are

needed to effectively enforce a national strategy for an EHR system (Charles, 2008). In
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order to obtain this, the federal government and the Department of Health & Human

Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) must get involved. This is a rather

complicated mission, and to achieve it, only Congress has the power, resources, and

control. I propose that Congress willingly supply billions of dollars in federal funding to

ensure that every U.S. citizen's electronic health record is linked to a centralized

national scheme, which will increase confidence in the healthcare system and increase

patient value. We need to develop a simple, universal EMR framework that can be used

by any organization, regardless of their technical capabilities. The best solution would be

to utilize a safe, internet-based system that every hospital or medical center could

access. The basic infrastructure must be in place so that various organizations can access

them at their own levels and gradually elaborate them at their own speed. The federal

government must orchestrate an efficient framework with proper instructive support

and training for all healthcare providers across the United States. Proper

communication, procedures, and guidelines must be set in place in order to accomplish

the task of a universal EHR system.

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References

Adane, K., Gizachew, M., & Kendie, S. (2019). The role of medical data in efficient

patient care delivery: a review. Risk management and healthcare policy, 12, 67–

73. https://doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S179259

Charles A S. (2008). Developing universal electronic medical records. Gastroenterology

& hepatology, 4(3), 193–195.

Pearce, C., & Bainbridge, M. (2014). A personally controlled electronic health record for

Australia. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA,

21(4), 707–713. https://doi.org/10.1136/amiajnl-2013-002068

Reisman M. (2017). EHRs: The Challenge of Making Electronic Data Usable and

Interoperable. P & T : a peer-reviewed journal for formulary management, 42(9),

572–575.

Shull J. G. (2019). Digital Health and the State of Interoperable Electronic Health

Records. JMIR medical informatics, 7(4), e12712. https://doi.org/10.2196/12712

EHR software helps both patients and providers save money. NueMD. (2016, August 24).

https://nuemd.com/news/2016/07/22/ehr-software-helps-both-patients-

providers-save-money.