Last updated on Tuesday, 3, December, 2024

It is quite visible that there have been widely drastic changes in the health sectors due to Electronic Health Records over the last couple of decades. The change has simply been towards the way a patient’s record is filed, kept, and read. This, in this respect, brings so much transformation as far as impacts on the level of engaging patients in health care goes. However, though there are many advantages of this change, there are some limitations that have to be considered. This article explains the benefits and limitations of patient engagement through EHRs.

What are Electronic Health Records?

An EHR is an electronic version of the paper chart of a patient. The information which includes diseases, medications, treatments, immunizations, allergies, radiology images and lab test results is also stored in EHRs. Generally, EHRs are viewed by many providers and thus this improves the issue of continuity of care.

Advantages of Patient Engagement through EHRs

1- Enhanced Access to Health Information

Easier access to patient’s information is one of the biggest things that come with EHRs. There are those patient portals that enable the patient to view the patient’s history, laboratory results, and even the treatment options for him or her, online. This open attitude makes patients more receptive about their care. It has been observed that such persons accessing health data are more proactive with their health care providers in discussing, questioning, and planning the best course for treatment.

2- Enhanced Communication with Providers of Health Care

EHRs enable better communication between patients and healthcare providers. Most EHR systems have safe messaging, which enables patients to have direct communication with their physicians. Patients can use it to ask questions, obtain prescription refills, or discuss other issues without visiting a healthcare provider. It would mean faster resolution of problems and a more customized experience for the patient.

3- Empowerment through Health Management

Some of the benefits that are identifiable out of EHRs are that; EHRs enable patients to be more self-reliant when managing their health. Web technologies may give patient attributes including appointment making, and could also help the patient take medicine, and further help the patient learn about chronic diseases or any other diseases or conditions that affect the patient. In this regards, such features among others will enable patients with chronic illnesses manage their conditions better and strictly follow the laid down treatment regimens. Since patients become more empowered through active participation, an improvement of health outcomes can be achieved because more patients participate actively in managing their condition.

3- Better Care Coordination

EHRs encourage care coordination because many providers can have access to the same information on a patient. This is particularly useful for patients who have complicated health issues and have to receive care from different specialists. This way, the more providers who can have access to the same records, the lesser is the chance of errors, duplication of tests, and conflicting treatments. Better coordination will help in enhancing the experience of the patient as well as health outcomes.

4- Data-Driven Insights

EHRs gather and process patient information that is useful in patient care. Care providers would identify trends and patterns associated with the health status of the patients and thus intervene earlier. For instance, healthcare providers may identify those patients with a risk for certain conditions through data analytics, and so they can have early intervention and preventive measures for care. Thus, a data-driven approach brings about improved clinical results and efficiency in delivering healthcare services.

5- Patient Satisfaction

Active patients appear satisfied. EHRs make this happen by allowing the patient to have access to the information and also involve the patient in the communication process. Happy patient is more compliant and compliant patient means that it is going to adhere to the programs, appointments etc. for follow up and associations with the practitioners.

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Limitations of Patient Engagement through EHRs

1- Digital Divide

Perhaps one of the major limitations of EHRs is the digital divide: those having easy access to digital technology and those without it. People with no access to the Internet, no digital literacies, or minimal devices cannot efficiently use health records in any meaningful way. Thus, disparities in health outcomes may arise because other people, lacking accessibility, cannot access vital information and support.

2- Privacy and security issues

There are very grave concerns relating to the issue of patient privacy and security about EHRs. An EHR system may be made safe in design but break through the defenses and breach when it should not do so. A patient who thinks that their personal health information is vulnerable to breeching will probably not take too kindly to the trust in the safety of records. Thus, the sine qua non for the patient engagement culture to emerge is patient trust in the security of the EHR system.

3- Information Overload

While access to health information enables patients, it also becomes overly complex. The EHRs contain complex medical data, which the patients may not grasp easily. A patient could misinterpret health information because they are not guided as to what is being delivered in the absence of direction by the healthcare providers. Therefore, healthcare providers need to be adequately prepared to direct the patient on how to handle the EHR and what the information provided is

4- Technical Issues

Technical issues may undermine patient engagement with Electronic Health Records. This includes system crashes and slow operation, as well as problematic user interfaces, by which patients may become frustrated about using the EHR portal. Making sure an EHR system is not only patient-friendly but reliable is important in the promotion of a patient engagement.

5- Limited Personalization

Electronic health records will probably make use of standardized forms that are applied in both recording as well as presentation of the data for the patient. In most cases, this usually leads to reduced personalization because the systems cannot catch the subtleties associated with the different experiences by different patients. A patient may feel he or she is not being recognized or represented in his individual health concerns.

6- Provider Time Constraints

Healthcare providers are usually busy and thus lack the opportunity to interact with patients regarding their EHRs. The providers may be busy attending to clinical activities and thus have no time to explain in detail the contents of the EHRs or to help patients navigate the system. This can lead to a missed opportunity for patient education and engagement.

Overcoming the Limitations

Hence, it is evident that in order to effectively improve the patient engagement advantage through EHRs, this limitation needs to be addressed.

• Bridge the digital divide
• Improve Privacy and Security
• Information simplification
• Improve Technical Support
• Personalizing Experiences
• Enabling Provider-Patient Communication

Conclusion

Great promise for improving health outcomes and satisfaction exists through Patient Engagement using Electronic Health Records. Benefits from improved access to health information, better communication, and care coordination are very high, but there is a chance to overcome the challenges of digital divide, privacy, and need for personalization.

FAQs

1- How can I view my health records by using EHRs?

Many of the health care providers have created patient portals through which you can view your health information. In most cases, you may have to register to gain access to the information after which you will be required to log in. If you are not sure on how to do this consult your health care provider for assistance.

2- What should I do if I experience technical problems with my EHR?

If you have some technical problems with your EHR, you should contact the technical support of your healthcare provider. They will be able to diagnose and troubleshoot these issues for you and provide you with an idea on how to operate the system.

3- Are my health records safe in an EHR system?

EHR systems have multi-layered security designs over the information of the patient. No system is fully breach-proof. Healthcare organizations will continue to invest in cyber security and best practices protecting your information. You may also ask your provider what policies they have about their security for added comfort.