Methodology Description of Research The purpose of this study is to measure and identify the major benefits and challenges of EMR implementation.
The objective of the study is to describe the existing situation and experiences on the implementation of EMRs across the country.
This study has employed a significant qualitative approach.
It is based on collection of available data in regards to the implementation of EMRs and critical analysis based survey results from Family and other specialties physicians' perceptions.
The method I used will be a descriptive analysis of published literature and reports, and critical analysis of conducting surveys.
The research goal is to evaluate the transition from traditional medical records to a paperless system.
It is also to determine whether or not this rapid change will be co variable and potentially correlate with the impact of using EMRs versus HIPAA violations.
Selection of Participants A total of 51 physicians from a variety of specialties within small and medium-size medical practices and varying locations in the Los Angeles and South Bay areas in Southern California were chosen to participate in this mail survey.
Instrumentation The effect of using EMRs and privacy concerns perceived by physicians are measured through an administered questionnaire.
The quantitative measurement including the cost of implementing EMRs have been assessed in this survey.
In addition, the qualitative measures are used to assess the physicians' perceptions on how EMRs would benefit them, from improving the quality of care and medical errors to increasing health care efficiency while saving costs, and their personal attitudes toward this IT network.
Procedure Fifty one EMRs physician users from different locations and medical practices in the South Bay of California were randomly selected to participate in this important survey.
The assessment of their attitudes toward EMRs' adoption based on the result of the questionnaire tends to be positive.
Statistical analysis is performed to correlate the implementation of EMRs versus the number of HIPAA violations.
This allows me to examine the positive and negative impact of using EMRs in healthcare industry settings, and to observe any correlation to the transition.
Measures of Questionnaire The questionnaire consisted of 6 parts.
The first section included questions about physician practice and ownership profile, the number of physicians in the practice, volume of patients in a typical day of practice, number of employees and ownership type.
The second section contained questions about EMRs adoption and type of EMRs using in their practice.
The third section included the cost and maintenance fees of EMRs adoption.
The fourth section-contained questions about the benefits of using EMRs in physician practices included multiple-choice questions to evaluate specific and potential aspects of EMRs.
The fifth part was asked about the challenges or barriers of EMRs, which included multiple-choice questions.
The last section contained questions about patient privacy and confidentiality issues whether EMRs is still secure and physician satisfaction related to EMRs using a 4-point Likert scale ranging from "Strongly agree"(4), "Agree" (3), "Disagree"(2) and "Strongly disagree"(1), and similarly to "Very satisfied"(4), "Satisfied" (3), "Dissatisfied" (2) and "Very dissatisfied"(1).
Next, I was very interested in measuring the underlying costs and benefits of EMRs.
Responses to questions about the EMRs adoption cost and annual maintenance fees revealed that 7 physicians (32%) do not know the upfront cost of software and hardware installation as well as ongoing maintenance fees.
This result indicated clearly that they have implemented EMRs through their large medical group organizations that purchased IT for them.
However, 32% of physicians reported that the average cost of EMRs adoption is between $30,000 and $100,000 per physician and annual maintenance fees is between $1,000 and $2,000 per physician.
In addition, 6 physicians (27%) reported that EMRs adoption cost is below $30,000 per physician.
Lastly, two physicians (9%) reported that EMRs cost is about $100,000 per physician with more sophisticated and complex features.
Responses to questions about EMRs benefits are illustrated in table 1.
Of the 22 who responded to the question whether EMRs improves their practice's productivity and efficiency, 95% of physicians reported, "Yes".
Then, they were asked to check benefits of EMRs aspect that apply to their practice.
There is a significant number of physicians who believed that electronic medical records have played a key factor in their medical practices' productivity and efficiency as well as the quality of care and patient safety and medical reimbursement, such as: 1) saving their staff's time for looking and filing chart (96%), 2) saving office space for chart storage (91%), 3) increasing chart documentation and accuracy for medical reimbursement 72%), 4) improving drug refill capabilities (72%), 5) reducing medical errors (72%) as well as 6) improving clinical decision-making (72%).
Also, when asking physicians about how much time it will take them to look up or get a patient's health record electronically within the same practice, 91% reported that it takes less than 5 minutes and 10 minutes from an external provider.
Responses to question about the EMRs challenge, a significant number of physicians (45%) reported that they have faced "none of these issues "with health information technology.
However, of the 22 who responded to the EMRs return on investment, 22% of physicians reported that EMRs provides an insufficient return investment.
4 % of physicians reported that they have faced "all these above issues" with EMRs (e.
g.
the figure above).
Next, when questioning physicians about the impact of EMRs on patient's privacy and confidentiality issues using a 4- point Likert scale, 62% of responders still strongly feel that EMRs is secure and safe.
Conclusions The advantages of implementing of EMR system in physician practices settings are obvious, for patients and health professionals.
Ease of access to the health information, increased safety and quality of care are predominantly positive aspects of EMRs from the perspective of patient health as well as from physicians' perceptions.
With our modern electronic world in healthcare industry, health professionals and physicians will gain potentially from the possibility to share patient's health information network within the same practice and among external providers.
Elimination of duplication tests, monitoring chronic disease management or adverse drug interactions through EMRs enhancement will make the healthcare delivery system more efficient and cost effective.
As a result, the research studies and survey clearly suggest and confirm that health professionals and physicians perceive that the EMRs are much better than paper records because it can enhance patient safety and care.
The objective of the study is to describe the existing situation and experiences on the implementation of EMRs across the country.
This study has employed a significant qualitative approach.
It is based on collection of available data in regards to the implementation of EMRs and critical analysis based survey results from Family and other specialties physicians' perceptions.
The method I used will be a descriptive analysis of published literature and reports, and critical analysis of conducting surveys.
The research goal is to evaluate the transition from traditional medical records to a paperless system.
It is also to determine whether or not this rapid change will be co variable and potentially correlate with the impact of using EMRs versus HIPAA violations.
Selection of Participants A total of 51 physicians from a variety of specialties within small and medium-size medical practices and varying locations in the Los Angeles and South Bay areas in Southern California were chosen to participate in this mail survey.
Instrumentation The effect of using EMRs and privacy concerns perceived by physicians are measured through an administered questionnaire.
The quantitative measurement including the cost of implementing EMRs have been assessed in this survey.
In addition, the qualitative measures are used to assess the physicians' perceptions on how EMRs would benefit them, from improving the quality of care and medical errors to increasing health care efficiency while saving costs, and their personal attitudes toward this IT network.
Procedure Fifty one EMRs physician users from different locations and medical practices in the South Bay of California were randomly selected to participate in this important survey.
The assessment of their attitudes toward EMRs' adoption based on the result of the questionnaire tends to be positive.
Statistical analysis is performed to correlate the implementation of EMRs versus the number of HIPAA violations.
This allows me to examine the positive and negative impact of using EMRs in healthcare industry settings, and to observe any correlation to the transition.
Measures of Questionnaire The questionnaire consisted of 6 parts.
The first section included questions about physician practice and ownership profile, the number of physicians in the practice, volume of patients in a typical day of practice, number of employees and ownership type.
The second section contained questions about EMRs adoption and type of EMRs using in their practice.
The third section included the cost and maintenance fees of EMRs adoption.
The fourth section-contained questions about the benefits of using EMRs in physician practices included multiple-choice questions to evaluate specific and potential aspects of EMRs.
The fifth part was asked about the challenges or barriers of EMRs, which included multiple-choice questions.
The last section contained questions about patient privacy and confidentiality issues whether EMRs is still secure and physician satisfaction related to EMRs using a 4-point Likert scale ranging from "Strongly agree"(4), "Agree" (3), "Disagree"(2) and "Strongly disagree"(1), and similarly to "Very satisfied"(4), "Satisfied" (3), "Dissatisfied" (2) and "Very dissatisfied"(1).
Next, I was very interested in measuring the underlying costs and benefits of EMRs.
Responses to questions about the EMRs adoption cost and annual maintenance fees revealed that 7 physicians (32%) do not know the upfront cost of software and hardware installation as well as ongoing maintenance fees.
This result indicated clearly that they have implemented EMRs through their large medical group organizations that purchased IT for them.
However, 32% of physicians reported that the average cost of EMRs adoption is between $30,000 and $100,000 per physician and annual maintenance fees is between $1,000 and $2,000 per physician.
In addition, 6 physicians (27%) reported that EMRs adoption cost is below $30,000 per physician.
Lastly, two physicians (9%) reported that EMRs cost is about $100,000 per physician with more sophisticated and complex features.
Responses to questions about EMRs benefits are illustrated in table 1.
Of the 22 who responded to the question whether EMRs improves their practice's productivity and efficiency, 95% of physicians reported, "Yes".
Then, they were asked to check benefits of EMRs aspect that apply to their practice.
There is a significant number of physicians who believed that electronic medical records have played a key factor in their medical practices' productivity and efficiency as well as the quality of care and patient safety and medical reimbursement, such as: 1) saving their staff's time for looking and filing chart (96%), 2) saving office space for chart storage (91%), 3) increasing chart documentation and accuracy for medical reimbursement 72%), 4) improving drug refill capabilities (72%), 5) reducing medical errors (72%) as well as 6) improving clinical decision-making (72%).
Also, when asking physicians about how much time it will take them to look up or get a patient's health record electronically within the same practice, 91% reported that it takes less than 5 minutes and 10 minutes from an external provider.
Responses to question about the EMRs challenge, a significant number of physicians (45%) reported that they have faced "none of these issues "with health information technology.
However, of the 22 who responded to the EMRs return on investment, 22% of physicians reported that EMRs provides an insufficient return investment.
4 % of physicians reported that they have faced "all these above issues" with EMRs (e.
g.
the figure above).
Next, when questioning physicians about the impact of EMRs on patient's privacy and confidentiality issues using a 4- point Likert scale, 62% of responders still strongly feel that EMRs is secure and safe.
Conclusions The advantages of implementing of EMR system in physician practices settings are obvious, for patients and health professionals.
Ease of access to the health information, increased safety and quality of care are predominantly positive aspects of EMRs from the perspective of patient health as well as from physicians' perceptions.
With our modern electronic world in healthcare industry, health professionals and physicians will gain potentially from the possibility to share patient's health information network within the same practice and among external providers.
Elimination of duplication tests, monitoring chronic disease management or adverse drug interactions through EMRs enhancement will make the healthcare delivery system more efficient and cost effective.
As a result, the research studies and survey clearly suggest and confirm that health professionals and physicians perceive that the EMRs are much better than paper records because it can enhance patient safety and care.
SHARE
