EMR or electronic medical records have been around since the 1960s. They let you view all your charts, diagnoses, and scans in one convenient location. New EMR technology allows greater access to your medical records than ever before.

To learn more about the benefits of EMR and the future of the industry, check out this helpful guide!

The Future of EMR Technology and What it Means for You

Many doctors currently use EMR technology to help keep your records updated and make them available for you to view.

There are several other advantages for you as a patient. These include developing individual treatment plans and keeping track of successful interventions.

Smartphone apps will allow you to tailor your medical history and share it with your doctors. You will even be able to have a personalized treatment plan developed. Imagine a world where you can be diagnosed via telehealth devices and not even have to visit the doctor for routine visits.

Benefits of EMR Technology for Medical Professionals

For medical professionals, EMR technology also provides several benefits. These include streamlining their practices, allow for online scheduling and personalizing technology.

Doctors can even use artificial intelligence to review their patient’s files and offer suggestions on how best to treat them. National medical databases are also becoming more common.

These databases let any medical facility have easy access to your records. No matter where you are in the country, you can receive timely and accurate medical care.

With paper records becoming a thing of the past, EMR technology is poised to remake the future of the medical industry. By reducing costs and improving the quality of care, doctors and patients alike will benefit.

Potential Downsides of EMR Technology

Unfortunately, several issues surround EMR technology, not least of which is the fact that not every doctor makes use of it. In 2017, only an estimated 67% of medical practices had incorporated EMR technology.

Using EMR in practice can cost $100,000 to install, along with thousands more in update costs and replacing outdated devices. Some practices make use of cloud computing to store their patient’s data. Doing so can make the data vulnerable to breaches by hackers and other cybercriminals.

In 2017 alone, there were hundreds of data breaches, resulting in the loss of valuable patient data. More distressingly, a large number of these breaches were not done by hackers but by trained members of staff.

Some of these breaches were accidental, and some were on purpose. Ultimately, that doesn’t matter when your private medical damage is out there on the internet.

Diligent doctors will need to invest in protection from spyware and malware as well as thoroughly training their staff. Some businesses may even need to hire cybersecurity professionals. This will ensure that their patient data is safe and secure.

EMR Technology Is the Way Forward

Despite some growing pains, EMR technology has the potential to make all our lives more comfortable and more prolonged. To learn more about EMR, keep browsing our website today for more articles like this!