Alessandra Bongiovanni

Module 2

Why tablets are the Future of Electronic Medical Records

By Richard Macmanus

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/electronic-medical-records-emr-save-1-hour-per-day-for-physicians.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+readwriteweb+%28ReadWriteWeb%29

             With health records electronically written, it makes it a step easier for patients those that are technology savvy to access their personal information and for doctors it has become a time saver.  Tablets have become a thing of today with its convenience and its ability to do just about anything that a computer can do.  They are lightweight and easy to carry around making a doctor’s day a little more easy. 

            One of the reasons I chose this article is because my current work facility uses tablets for documentation.  The tablets we used aren’t ipads as mentioned in the article, but they do allow us to access a patient’s chart at any time.  The tablets can be carried anywhere throughout our patient’s rooms allowing for charting to happen on the spot as we see it.  With the use of computers and documentation, if you see something in a patient’s room that needs to be charted you have to walk back to the nurse’s desk to document it whereas with a tablet it can be done right away.  As this pertains to us, the same pertains in doctor’s offices.  Comparing the tablets we have at work to the Ipad, I find the Ipad to be more convenient.  With an Ipad one can download applications more quickly.  The programs used for EMR are provided by a vendor called drchronos. The programs from this vendor can be downloaded onto your Ipad or even Iphone for that matter, is starting to evolve more so in physician’s offices. 

            What makes tablets in healthcare so interesting and reputable is its suitability for the type of work and environment, which healthcare is surrounded by.  The benefits that come with using EMR’s through a tablet is that it improves quality of care, reduces patient’s paperwork, reduces time, and increases operational efficiency.  The article is one based on both opinions and research studies and focuses on a need as well as a trend.  

            As we know the healthcare world is one that is fast-paced and many of us professionals are always on the go.  Being able to have a patient’s healthcare information right before us within something small and compact and can be used by any healthcare professional including nurses.  Although it seems to be taking patient’s a lot longer to jump on this trend in accessing their information, I believe they will not dissatisfied.  I believe it will bring a sense of comfort to these patients who can easily monitor their health.  Sometimes information that is relayed from doctors can be misunderstood or forgotten, but having the ability to access this information on their own will be very suitable for them as well. 

            As mentioned my current facility uses a type of tablet for documentation, but if it were up to me I’d have them all thrown away and have the facility purchase Ipads.   Although that cannot be at the current time with budgeting, I do hope in time we do upgrade to Ipads.  I have become very comfortable with the use of Apple products and find them to be easy to use and have yet to come upon any glitches.  As comfortable as they have become for me, I believe the same can occur for doctors and patients.