What Is Electronic Health Record (EHR)?
Imagine a world where your doctor could pull up all your medical information in seconds without ever having to ask you or look it up. Electronic health record (EHR) changes how doctors practice medicine. An EHR is an automated, paperless, online medical record for which eligible providers (EP), such as nurses and physicians, enter patient medical data. An EHR contains valuable and pertinent automated medical information such as patient demographics, allergies, medications, immunizations, lab results, imaging results and more. Rather than being printed out on paper or stored in a filing cabinet somewhere, this information can be accessed at the push of a button—which means that doctors can spend less time searching for things and more time treating patients. Electronic health records are the future. We know this because the government said so, and what the government says goes—especially regarding healthcare. Electronic health records (EHRs) have some pretty incredible benefits. They allow doctors and other healthcare providers to share patient information more easily and quickly than ever before, which can mean faster patient treatment and less human error in medical care. But they also come with their own set of challenges, especially when it comes to privacy issues. Electronic health records are designed to improve patient care, but they can also be used to invade your privacy. Although EHRs are meant to allow doctors to share medical information, they may also be accessed by third parties who aren't authorized to view your data. Of course, it's not just government agencies that have access to your medical records—it's also marketers. They're looking for new ways to target you with advertising, and your EHR can provide them with the information they need. For example, do you want your doctor to know if you need mental health treatment? Or would you rather keep that information private?
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