When it comes to managing your health, medical professionals depend on accurate information so they can provide higher-quality care. As with many other industries, taking advantage of new technology has proven essential in improving results. When your doctors have an instant access to electronic medical records, they have all the data they need to make informed decisions for your care. These forms are truly comprehensive — the following is just some of the information that can be stored in these accessible records.
Treatment & Prescription History
Whether you’re recovering from an injury or trying to manage a chronic medical condition, it is important that all doctors involved in your care have a complete picture of the treatments, tests, and prescriptions that have already been performed. Of course, they also need to know the outcomes of these treatments!
An electronic medical record provides a comprehensive history that lists all treatments and prescriptions you’ve received for current and past medical conditions, even if you’ve received care from several medical professionals. This will help doctors better plan future care and avoid duplicate testing (a surprisingly common issue that wastes both time and money).
Medical Conditions
Understanding any current or past medical conditions you’ve dealt with will also play a major role as your doctor prescribes a treatment plan. Individuals who suffer from an underlying medical condition will often require different medications or therapies than an otherwise healthy person when dealing with an injury or sickness. A full understanding of your medical history will ensure that a new treatment plan doesn’t interfere with any care you might be receiving to manage another condition.
Allergies
Allergies and other adverse reactions to a medication can prove extremely dangerous — so when your doctor needs to make a prescription, it is essential that they know whether certain ingredients pose a risk to your well-being. Patients need to be proactive in reporting any known allergies to medications. When a doctor adds this to an electronic medical record, the information will subsequently be available to all healthcare providers who access the document so all future prescriptions and treatments will be safer and more effective.
While the above information may also be found in paper medical records, electronic record-keeping ensures better care by improving accuracy and legibility. Better still, when all medical professionals involved in an individual’s care have easy, secure access to the same records, it becomes easier to coordinate care and avoid errors. With reliable information, you can enjoy better health outcomes.