The Value of Electronic Health Records Healthcare Delivery

clinical data warehouseIn the field of healthcare a quick diagnosis is often essential to the successful treatment of patients. Whenever anyone visits any type of medical facility, a record is generated. Subsequent visits will add to this record, giving the patient a medical history. In the past, these records were paper based, but there is a push by the federal government to ensure that all medical records are converted to an electronic format. This will enable not only quicker access to these records, but also better patient care. Initially, facilities were slow to adopt this new policy, but it has gained steam in recent years, especially as the benefits became evident.

The creation of electronic medical records has led to the development of the clinical data warehouse. This has facilitated a greater level of communication between various departments. It has also enabled a new level of cooperation between different healthcare providers. Data warehousing in healthcare has improved the ability to track studies and to get information on new medications. This has also been an effective tool in helping physicians in reaching a diagnosis in some cases.

Some clinical data repositories are set up so that patients have secure forums in which to share personal medical history with doctors. This kind of communication opens up new channels of cooperation between doctor and patient. This has made it is possible for people to make appointments and get prescriptions without visiting the office. Doctors and other healthcare providers are able to use electronic medical records to improve their ability to care for patients.

This enhanced level of care starts with greater efficiency in the office when it comes to the storage and accessing medical records. Records can even be pulled from other facilities where the patient was treated. There is greater accuracy in medical assessments, and less chance of mistakes being made during the course of the patient’s care. Electronic medical records can also help in monitoring the recovery of patients after surgery. If you have ever wondered why do you need a clinical data warehouse for your organization, these are reasons enough to consider it.

The range of information for a single patient that can be stored electronically is wide. This includes their contact information, the diagnosis, the treatment they received, and the date and time of their discharge from the facility. This can be cross referenced against demographical data related to a particular illness or age group. The main need of clinical data warehouse administrators in these cases will be efficient software and hardware tools, and a policy clearly outlining how information can be accessed.