Overview of Electronic Health Records and Clinical Software

The Healthcare industry is undergoing an historic transformation from traditional hard-copy patient records toward a digitally-based infrastructure. This far-reaching yet essential transition will transform and streamline the way healthcare is delivered and compensated while also enhancing overall patient care. As medicine is an information-rich industry, Electronic Health Records (EHR) provide a foundation for the seamless flow of information between patients, providers, insurance companies and other stakeholders. Professionals employing EHRs will help to increase the level of patient care and access by allowing for instant access to providers with respect to patient medical history, prescriptions, family history, etc. and reduce costs by eliminating waste, reducing the amount of duplicative paperwork and creating a modern, sustainable infrastructure that will serve this industry for years to come. Indeed, Electronic Health Records are at the core of the healthcare industry’s future improving the quality and convenience of patient care and participation, improving accuracy in diagnoses and successful health outcomes, improving care coordination and increasing overall provider efficiencies and cost savings.

To accomplish these goals, providers at all levels are in need of EHR professionals that can aid in the transition toward EHR, manage the practice systems built on EHRs and/or work within these new streamlined systems to ensure the success of providers’ practice. As this initiative is strongly driven by recent legislation with aims to digitize all patient health records by 2020, government research projects hundreds of thousands of jobs to be created as a result. An in depth understanding of EHR basics and the potential uses and efficiencies gained from EHRs going forward is essential for any healthcare professional going forward and provides skills for students that will be in very high demand for many years to come.

The Overview of Electronic Health Records and Clinical Software course introduces students to the electronic health record (EHR). Students will gain a thorough understanding of both the terminology of EHR systems and the practical use of such systems in a Healthcare provider office setting. Students will also learn about problem lists, assessments, prescription/medication management, exam notes, and diagnostic orders and results.

The Overview of Electronic Health Records and Clinical Software course will address the following primary course objectives:

• Define EHR and identify the various information contained within an EHR
• Discuss the importance and benefits of using an EHR system
• Discuss patient portals and benefits
• Discuss how EHRs can be utilized for research
• List safeguards and levels of security for EHRs
• Identify Healthcare legislation regarding EHRs