Optimizing EHRs through self-service

While issues surrounding electronic health record (EHR) incentives and certification have dominated the lion's share of the industry's attention related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), there has been little discussion about other technologies that, when used in coordination with electronic records, can further improve the quality, safety and efficiency of care. By looking beyond EHRs to formulate a comprehensive information technology strategy, healthcare providers can overcome long-standing hurdles to the successful exchange of health information and address the everyday challenges of this increasingly complex environment. For example, one of the biggest issues that providers face when going digital is determining what to do with all of the paper forms that contain vital patient information, from demographic details to insurance data to medical histories. The patient check-in process alone generates numerous forms per patient, including consent and privacy documents. Until now, most EHR users have managed this deluge of paper by scanning or re-entering the data into the medical record, but this practice increases the potential for error and minimizes the cost and efficiency gains that EHRs provide. Automating the patient registration process using kiosks and online applications presents an opportunity for healthcare providers to capture patient information electronically from the very beginning of an encounter, eliminating the need for duplicate data entry and creating a seamless flow of patient information from check-in through treatment and beyond. Only by automating the EHR from its entry point can it truly be electronic from end to end.