An EMR, the acronym for electronic medical records, is a digital version of all of the paper records that exist in a medical physician’s office. EMRs contain the medical and treatment of a patient within one specific practice. EMRs are limited to the confines of a particular practice and if a patient seeks to change the health care provider that they attend, these records would need to be printed out and mailed to the new provider.
Benefits of EMRs
EMRs allow clinicians to:
- Track data easily over time
- Identify which patients are due for checkups or other procedures
- Keep track of what medications patients are on
- Check on the status of certain parameters of their patients’ health
- Efficiently monitor and improve the overall quality of care within a practice
Mental Health EMRs
An EMR for a patient’s mental health makes it easier for a psychiatrist or therapist to have quick and easy access to their patients’ medical records. It is crucial to keep a close eye on the in-house records of a mental health patient because it creates an environment where the patient’s needs are easily understood and met. There are several benefits that Mental Health EMRs offer to physicians such as systems that allow for a therapist to closely monitor their patients’ progress. These systems are important, especially in behavioral health centers, because it will assist a physician in figuring out which therapies will better support their client in recovering.
EMRs significantly improve the time management of any practice that uses them as they make it easier for physicians to bring up and review records. This swift response time enhances the relationship between patient and physician because the patient sees going to the practice as less of a chore and attaches more positive feelings to the experience.
