While television doctors scroll through the record with no effort, real-life equivalents come with their own issues. If you watch television programming created around medical practices or hospitals, you may hear characters in these programs refer to an electronic tablet rather than a paper chart. While EHRs/EMRs have their benefits, they may also present significant drawbacks. These records were specifically maintained for clinical data management. This took effect in 2014.Įlectronic Health Records (EHRs) originated in the mid-1960s with an early data processing system.

This was solidified by The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which mandated that patient records be stored electronically. After this law came into being, care providers began to make the shift to electronic records. In 1996, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) was signed into law after hospitals and care providers ran into issues regarding security, privacy, and healthcare coverage. They provided some recommendations that allowed medical practices to reach this goal. In 1991, the Institute of Medicine stated that, by the year 2,000, each doctor’s office should have computers with which to improve patient care. When a medical facility transfers to the electronic version, the practice, hospital, long-term care facility, or nursing home goes through a significant change. They have their advantages and drawbacks, just like any other method. Electronic health/medical records are patient records that have been converted to be stored electronically rather than in a paper format.

Patient electronic health records