The world is fast becoming digital and if care is not taken, humans may soon start feeding on digital foods. This could actually be impossible for now. In medicine, the wind of Information technology is seriously taking over the art and science of healing, one of the first wave of digitization of medical files, known as ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS (EHRs).
The data contained in EHRs in combination with other sources have the possibility of transforming medical practice based on data, technologies, and healthcare delivery to improve the overall efficiency and quality of service and eliminating the labour cost related with filing and retrieving paper records.
Nigeria as a state needs to fully switch to this system quickly because of her ever growing population and to also be on the same pal with the more advanced world.
Benefits of this systems includes:
- Quick access to patient records from inpatient and remote locations for more coordinated, efficient care. This means the system starts from the Records department.
- Enhanced decision support, clinical alerts, reminders, and medical information.
- Performance-improving tools, real-time quality reporting.
- Legible, complete documentation that facilitates accurate coding and billing.
- Interfaces with labs, registries, and other EHRs.
- Safer, more reliable prescribing (from Doctors’ desk).
- Reduced need to fill out the same forms at each office visit.
- Reliable point-of-care information and reminders notifying providers of important health interventions.
- Convenience of e-prescriptions electronically sent to pharmacy.
- Patient portals with online interaction for providers.
- Electronic referrals allowing easier access to follow-up care with specialists.
- Above all, more live will be save.
Initially, adoption of this system can be very expensive but let us remember that HEALTH IS WEALTH according to that saying but maintenance cost is cheaper if properly managed due to elimination of paper cost and other related analogue cost.