The COVID-19 pandemic has completely revolutionized care delivery in healthcare. The unprecedented circumstances threw us into a crisis that helped us adopt the newest technology trends as a necessity. As a result, digital technologies like EHR, telemedicine, and remote patient monitoring have become widely adopted. EHRs have advanced tremendously since their invention in the 1960s, and there is still a long way to go. Providers find themselves constantly adopting the latest technological breakthroughs from paper to digital records. In this article, we will cover EHRs in-depth and what the future of EHR looks like.

EHR

EHRs are digital versions of patients’ medical records that may be accessed and stored electronically. The future of healthcare is evolving in a number of ways thanks to the adoption of EHRs.

Electronic health records (EHRs) transform how healthcare professionals store, manage, and communicate patient information. An EHR makes it simple and quick for medical professionals to access patient records, improving clinical outcomes and patient care. By ensuring healthcare practitioners have current and accurate patient information, EHRs can also aid in reducing medical errors and improving patient safety. EHRs also promote improved provider collaboration and communication, which improves the quality and effectiveness of patient treatment.

EHR can lower healthcare expenses by reducing the time needed for administrative work, allowing providers to focus on patient care. EHRs are revolutionizing the healthcare sector and raising the standard of patient care. This is why EHRs have become commonplace now. According to HealthIT.gov, as of 2021, nearly 4 in 5 office-based physicians (78%) and nearly all non-federal acute care hospitals (96%) adopted a certified EHR.

Future of EHR: Trends in Technology

As technology continues to advance rapidly, so does the potential of EHRs. The future of patient care holds tremendous promise, with cutting-edge innovations reshaping the capabilities of EHRs and empowering healthcare providers to deliver more personalized, efficient, and effective care. Some of these technologies include:

Telehealth

Healthcare organizations may offer remote care and enhance clinical procedures by integrating Cloud Based Electronic Health Records systems with telehealth platforms. This allows doctors to quickly and securely transfer patient data from one system to another. EHR and telehealth solutions function incredibly well together to deliver excellent patient care in a remote setting. They can help facilitate virtual care activities, automate data entry, synchronize insurance information in a single window, improve patient-physician contact, and foster teamwork. When data is changed in the telehealth system, patient records are automatically updated, providing physicians with instant access to current and correct patient data during virtual care.

Artificial Intelligence

A number of clinics also use artificial intelligence to assist doctors with diagnosis and spot patterns in patient health. Many businesses are looking into the use of AI to include speech recognition in EHR software. The integration of Natural language processing (NLP) into EHR systems will also enhance physician productivity and patient care. The next generation of AI systems will be able to comprehend doctors using natural spoken language.

By integrating artificial intelligence technology, electronic systems become more effective, allowing doctors and other carers to quickly review and analyse unstructured patient cases using automation technologies. Additionally, it makes it possible for administrative employees to quickly and accurately preauthorize insurance without running into any mistakes. There are several ways that artificial intelligence benefits medical workers. In addition to coming up with original strategies to offer comprehensive support with therapies and treatments, it looks at patient databases to give doctors quick feedback while addressing crucial patient situations with uncommon or difficult health conditions.

Cloud Computing

One of the biggest issues that hospitals have had to deal with since the COVID-19 outbreak began is a lack of trained staff. Due to the recent decrease in healthcare employment, medical organizations are beginning to outsource clinical and administrative tasks, including medical billing, reporting, lab integration, and more. This is giving rise to the cloud computing industry. By 2028, it is anticipated that the size of the worldwide medical billing outsourcing market will have increased by 9.6%, or around $23 million.

Blockchain

Blockchain is a distributed, unchangeable ledger that can be used to record transactions, track assets, and foster trust. Although blockchain technology is more well-known for its usage in cryptocurrencies, it has recently been applied to the field of health care. By 2028, the market for blockchain technology in the healthcare industry is projected to be worth $5.8 billion, growing at a CAGR of 39.9%. EHR data is protected via encryption on a blockchain, which limits access to just those who need it.

Robotic Process Automation

Robotic process automation (RPA) is a software technology that enables the rapid development, deployment, and management of software robots that mimic human actions while dealing with digital systems and software. Robotic process automation (RPA) assists in obtaining the required accuracy by eliminating the need for manual entry through robot-based automation. RPA primarily enables the use of digital labour to preserve what is successful while addressing underlying issues. RPAs employ system algorithms and programmes to securely and effectively automate tasks that would traditionally be handled manually by an organization’s human resources. These assist medical facilities in drastically accelerating digitalization and flaws. In 2022, the market for robotic process automation was estimated to be worth $2.9 billion, and by 2030, it is anticipated to be worth $6.2 billion.

Wearables

Wearables have sensors that track activity levels, number of steps taken, and other environmental variables. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes, such as smartwatches, smart eyewear, and fitness trackers, and they transfer the data to applications on users’ mobile phones. Data integration from wearable devices to EHR systems opens up new possibilities for improving patient care. By 2028, the market for wearable medical technology is anticipated to reach $95.4 billion, expanding at a CAGR of 23.7%. Patients are now more aware of their healthcare indicators due to the rising popularity of wearable technology.

5G

Due to the availability of 5G data, internet speeds and device loads have dramatically increased, impacting all aspects of data, software, and user interaction with devices. 5G can have a favourable impact on automation tools by allowing them to generate more quickly than they do now, thanks to its high data output.

Big Data

Big data analytics has the potential to significantly assist in improving telehealth services and contribute to better patient treatment procedures with cheaper diagnostic costs and more accurate analysis reports. Advanced data mining methods and analysis tools for big data can also help treat rare diseases.

Conclusion

As healthcare providers continue to adopt and integrate these cutting-edge technologies, a new era of patient-centred care emerges. The promise of technologies like AI, IoT and big data aims to improve access to patient data through EHR. Embracing these technologies with a focus on patient outcomes can usher in an era of healthcare that is more efficient, personalized and cost-effective.