Benefits of an EMR

Ironically, the benefits of electronic record keeping in medicine were not highly touted when today's medical finance applications were designed. An EMR offers a host of benefits to the health care industry, but only a relatively small amount of doctors take advantage of this system.

Identification

• An EMR (Electronic Medical Record) stores patient medical files in a computer database rather than with a physical paper filing system, reports Medical Systems Development Corporation.

Benefits

• EMR systems are much more convenient and efficient than physical medical records, claims the Mayo Clinic. Different physicians can update patient records simultaneously. An EMR also does not require large amounts of space and manual labor to record and store information.

Significance

• Twenty-five to 40 percent of the $250 billion U.S. spends on health care is spent on overheads costs such as administrative paperwork, reports MSDC. An average doctor spends 30 minutes filling out paperwork for each hour spent with a patient.

Considerations

• EMR systems tend to benefit larger medical systems. Only 25 percent of doctor's use an EMR database, and most of them are in expansive hospitals or medical associations, reports The New York Times. The cost of implementing an EMR may be too expensive for smaller offices.

Potential

• The proliferation of EMR systems have many more potential benefits. An EMR gives medical researchers quick access to patient data, which can determine the most effective treatments and promote devices that allow personal care from doctors.