An electronic medical record is used for every service that a patient receives from auxiliary departments such as pharmacy, laboratory or radiology which is generated from the administrative department. Some systems also permit detention of other signals such as nursing notes, physicians orders etc. Mostly these signals are not combined. They are captured and stored in silo systems, which have separate patient identification systems and their own private log-ins. Silo vendors maintain their own versions and standards of vocabularies, user, and patient identification, and these silos cannot be centrally accessed. Some who needs access to a patient’s medical records would have to use many applications, then log in and finally find the patient’s records.
When new results are available electronically, previous results can be edited or corrected and new information can be conveniently added. However for the clinician to receive this information, he/she has to be logged in. Further the dissimilar information formed into combined displays like flow sheets for clinical analysis. If a clinician has composite access to the contents of data, this will enable the system to display all cases in which patients are suffering from the same disease. This system would solve multiple vocabulary problems that are currently difficult to track. Data is assembled in a manner that the systems easily recognizes terms and inserts in the proper context.
However, these lists do not ensure that the values in one list are compatible with values of another list in another system. The result of this paper makes clear that although there is no single or simple factor to ensure success. Several things will help to move smoothly from paper-based records to electronic medical records. An appropriate environment for the effective functioning of an organization in which a system is installed is vital. The many factors responsible for the successful installation and running of a system include such vital factors as effective management, employment of trained personnel, and easily available technical training and support, coupled with financial stability.
Although the findings of this paper cannot be given a general form, the information and experience obtained can easily be applied to other settings. The test here would make practical use of the experience that participants in this study have gained, and create a research program that explores varied vendor systems, different users and other settings in which a practice is located. Organizational influences which can ensure system success must be identified and new methods must be determined to maximize the use of electronic medical records systems in health care if the potential of the EMR systems is to be utilized.
