It’s simple to understand why healthcare facilities are shifting towards cloud-based electronic health records (EHR) as technology rapidly replaces paper-based practises.

Any doctor worth their salt will tell you that every second counts during a patient visit. Using cloud-based electronic health records, medical staff may devote more time to direct patient care and less to paperwork.

The time spent by doctors looking for vital patient information or manually tracking their progress may be greatly reduced by using a cloud-based electronic health records system. Cloud-based EHR, in conjunction with an online service for faxing medical information, may facilitate the simplification and safety of patient records.

What is a Cloud-based EHR?

Instead of storing patient health records on-premises, a cloud-based EHR allows for more effortless scalability, customization, and user-friendliness, as well as lower upfront costs. With data mining, managers may analyze workflows to pinpoint areas for improvement and dive into patient information to spot trends in behavior, medication interactions, and other possible health hazards.

Most modern web-native systems were developed in collaboration with healthcare providers, clinicians, and facility management teams, making it possible to better tailor the solution to the unique needs of individual physicians and hospitals.

Electronic Health Records: A Chronology of Development

Let’s take a quick look at the history of EHRs before diving into cloud-based EHR solutions.

Instead of a written record, a patient now has a computerised record called a computerised Health Record (EHR). In addition to the patient’s medical background, these files have current and past diagnoses, medications, treatment plans, allergy information, x-rays, lab test results, and times of vaccinations. Moving health data from paper to computers was a big step forward in the history of medicine.

There have been many transitional periods for EHRs:

• Paper Documents

For many years, printed documents were the standard for recording important information. While they were functional, they could have been more efficient, prone to mistakes, and frequently hampered the ability to share information across healthcare facilities.

• Electronic Health Records (EHRs)

EHRs made it possible to reach beyond only certain hospitals. These systems were created with the intention of making it simpler for patients to see their whole medical history from several providers and institutions in one location. They let healthcare organisations to securely exchange data, which eventually improved patient care.

• Systems for remote electronic health records

The most recent phase of this trend is the migration of EHRs to the cloud. Cloud-based EHR solutions offer an immediate improvement over its forerunners because of increased scalability, accessibility, and data security.

Did you know?

The global cloud-based EHR market size is expected to reach USD 79 billion by 2027. (Grand View Research)

The Migration to Cloud-Based Electronic Health Record (EHR) Systems

Cloud-based EHR solutions have revolutionised patient data storage, retrieval, and distribution. Below, a thorough discussion of these systems’ impacts on healthcare will be provided.

• Accessibility and portability

The availability of cloud-based electronic health record systems is primarily what makes them convenient. Protected patient data is now accessible to medical practitioners from any location with an internet connection. This has drastically revolutionised the healthcare system, making it more adaptive and efficient than ever before. Now that clinicians can access and update patient data from anywhere, better remote patient care is feasible.

• The ability to cooperate and exchange knowledge

Interoperability has long been a problem for the medical field. EHR system improvements that use the cloud have helped to solve this issue. They make it feasible for access to important data to occur at any time and anywhere by facilitating the exchange of patient information across several healthcare systems and experts. It is essential for lowering administration and providing comprehensive treatment to have systems that are so closely connected.

• Compliance and Data Security

Strong encryption, access limits, and backup processes are just some of the ways that cloud-based EHR systems safeguard sensitive patient data. They also monitor changes in legislation to make compliance management easier for healthcare institutions.

• Contingency Planning

Disaster recovery is a standard feature of cloud-based EHR systems. The potential for data loss as a result of unplanned circumstances is minimized by regular data backups to off-site, secure locations. Healthcare professionals may swiftly restore patient information and continue providing treatment in the event of a natural catastrophe or system breakdown.

• Analyzing Data for Meaningful Insights

Complex analytics can be done on healthcare data that is saved in the cloud. Businesses in the healthcare field can use big data to find trends and use them to improve patient results and efficiency. These insights could lead to better healthcare by letting people make better choices based on more accurate information.

• Participation of the Patient

EHR systems that are built in the cloud often have patient websites that let patients see their health information, talk to their doctors, and make appointments all online. There is evidence to show that everyone gains when people are involved in their own care.

• Eliminating Extra Paperwork

Healthcare practitioners may spend a lot of time on administrative duties, including invoicing, appointment scheduling, and insurance claims. The integration of cloud-based EHR systems with practice management software streamlines these procedures, freeing up medical staff to concentrate on patient care rather than paperwork.

Why Cloud-Based EHR Systems Are Good For Healthcare?

Cloud-based EHR systems let doctors and nurses get to patient records and other data from anywhere with an internet link. Because doctors can access important data in real time, this movement makes care for patients faster and more efficient. It also helps them make good decisions.

• Savings on costs:

For traditional EHR systems to work, a lot of money needs to be spent on hardware and software support. Cloud-based EHR systems get rid of the need for computers on-site, which makes upkeep and updates easier. Healthcare organisations may be able to save a lot of money this way.

• Compatible use:

Most of the time, cloud-based EHR systems are more interoperable, which means that different healthcare companies and centres can share data and work together. This easy sharing of data makes things better for patients and stops tests and treatments from being done twice.

• Keep safe:

Big cloud service companies put a lot of money into data protection steps that smaller healthcare organisations often can’t match. In most cases, this means that patient data kept in the cloud is safer and better protected against both online dangers and natural disasters.

• Updating and maintenance done automatically:

Cloud-based EHR systems are automatically updated, so healthcare organisations can always use the newest features and safety improvements without having to do changes themselves. This keeps the system up-to-date and in line with new rules.

• Recovery from disasters:

Cloud-based EHRs have strong emergency recovery features that keep patient data safe in case of unplanned events like system breakdowns or natural disasters. This makes sure that healthcare workers can keep working and keep getting important patient information even when things get tough.

Problems and Issues

• Unavailability and Network Problems

In unserved or rural places where internet access is inconsistent, it might be problematic to rely only on the internet. The requirement for backup solutions is emphasized by the fact that downtime may impair patient care and pose dangers.

• Adaptation and Instruction

It might not be easy to switch from an on-premises or paper-based EHR system to a cloud-based one. Minimizing delays to patient care requires thorough training and a seamless transition.

• Transferring Information and Outdated Programs

Data migration from old systems to the cloud may be challenging for well-established healthcare businesses. It is critical at this stage to keep access to past patient records and ensure their accuracy.

The Promising Future of Online Health Records

• Utilising telemedicine

The development of telemedicine was accelerated by the COVID-19 epidemic. As telemedicine platforms are increasingly often combined with electronic health record (EHR) systems that are hosted in the cloud, patients will have additional alternatives for obtaining care in the comfort of their own homes.

• Greater Cooperation and Communication

The effort to improve interoperability with EHR systems is ongoing. Healthcare providers will be able to communicate and access patient data more quickly and confidently by standardising data exchange procedures and standards.

• Useful Software

Thanks to the development of mobile applications that directly connect to cloud-based electronic health record (EHR) systems, healthcare professionals will be able to access patient information and give treatment while on the go.

• Individualised and genomic health care

Genetic data must be integrated into electronic health record (EHR) systems for genomics and personalised medicine to advance. Doctors will be able to diagnose patients more precisely and design more successful treatment plans as a consequence.

EHR Systems in the Cloud for Busy Medical Professionals

• Practice Fusion

Many doctors and hospitals use Practice Fusion as their electronic health record software. Photographs of patients may be taken during exams, and test results can be easily captured with only a few clicks. Securely informing patients of planned visits or changes to their treatment plans is made possible by this platform’s particular HIPAA-compliant communication features.

This cloud-based EHR system’s adaptability stems from its HIPAA-compliant forms, which include embedded video training and other innovative data-gathering tools. Doctors are able to communicate with patients in their preferred language via individualized patient portals. In order to save you time, all mandatory fields will be checked before you submit the document.

• DrChrono

DrChrono is another cloud-based EHR system designed for busy doctors and nurses. The user-friendly design makes creating charts fast and simple. Notes may be easily added to patient charts by dragging and dropping from pre-designed templates. Scanning documents into electronic patient files eliminates the need for physical filing cabinets.

When dealing with patients from diverse cultural backgrounds, it might be helpful to have access to detailed material in their native language. Audits for HIPAA compliance verify that patient information is secure and cannot be compromised in any way.

The high quality of service provided by Dr. Chrono continues far beyond the first signup. All personnel will be able to make the most of the software with the help of the comprehensive training program. As a result, administrative personnel may provide critical information to medical specialists quickly.

Having the whole team present means you won’t have to wait for anybody to get up to speed. You’ll be operational in no time.

• Kareo Clinical

Kareo Clinical was created with doctors in mind, with an emphasis on usability and compatibility with other systems.

Form-making is a breeze using Kareo Clinical. In-app form customization eliminates the need for additional software or costly professional services. You may choose a template from a library of ready-made, fully customizable options. Alternatively, you may quickly make patient forms using point-and-click editors.

With this cloud-based EHR solution, doctors and patients may easily exchange vital health records. To keep your patients informed about crucial information about their treatment, you may send them emails or publish it on portals inside your account.

• NueMD

NueMD is a fully functioning system intended to simplify record-keeping. Whether you’re a general practitioner or pediatrician or work in another medical field, this program can help you keep track of all of your patient’s data in one place, from their names and addresses to their prescriptions and allergies.

Patient information is accessible via a private online gateway. Access to medical information, such as test results and medical bills, is provided. When numerous doctors at various facilities are responsible for a patient’s care, this method assures that they get consistent treatment.

NueMD not only simplifies patient management but also the process of acquiring new patients.

• CareCloud

CareCloud is an efficient and straightforward electronic health record solution for the medical community. The workflow may be streamlined with the aid of this platform’s configurable features, such as the dynamic template function, which allows you to write documents once and reuse them for several patients. There is no need to protect the privacy or security of patient data while communicating with patients.

With CareCloud, you can take payments online from any location. For solo practitioners and community health centers, this more flexibility means more money in the bank. HIPAA compliance, end-to-end encryption, and routine backups are a few of the other features.

You may save even more time with this platform because of its sophisticated data-importing features, which allow you to input structured data. Tools for HIPAA compliance, such as audit trails, document changes to patient records and prove who made them.

Conclusion

It is clear that electronic health records are good for both hospitals and patients. However, data security should always come first. Because of this, you need to be very careful when picking the cloud and development company to help your medical school use this option. Aalpha has a lot of experience in offering Healthcare software solutions and knows what the laws say about protecting data and systems like these. Get in touch with us today!

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