With the advent of new technological discoveries, the medical field is gravitating towards a more computerized direction. One of the biggest steps towards this shift is the incorporation of the Electronic Health Record (EHR). In essence, EHRs are digitized versions of a patient’s medical history, able to be accessed on any electronic device in an instant. Although there have been reservations expressed due to possible security risks, the benefits of digital health records fully outweigh the negatives, as they are not only available on a wider scale, but they also provide a deeper sense of clarity and increased efficiency.

EHRs serve to improve patient care through its numerous beneficial applications. Patients are able to have real-time, easy access to their personal medical records directly with a click of a button rather than having to go through the trouble and delays associated with getting copies from paper records. This not only saves time, but also encourages patients to have more interest and engagement with their health. Sophomore Alysa Huang from Troy High School utilizes EHRs and agrees that they have definitely impacted the engagement in her health positively. Huang states that due to the close proximity of her records, she is able to check her health status more often, which makes her more comfortable and encourages her to stay healthy.

With accurate data all in one place, EHRs are able to reflect better diagnosis of disease. According to CBS News, approximately 12 million Americans are misdiagnosed per year, with one of the primary reasons being that there is a failure to obtain accurate medical history. EHRs are able to lower the number of misdiagnosed; they have an impeccable ability to store large amounts of data, analyze patterns from the statistics, identify any problems or abnormalities in a patient’s records, and alert patients and doctors about the results immediately. In this way, they are able to reduce medical errors at a faster rate, thereby increasing the safety of patients.

Sophomore Natalie Dinh from Ayala High School compares digital records with paper records; she states that paper files, which may be disorganized and unobtainable at times, have a large tendency to delay identification of problems. However, she voices, digital files are not only automatic but immediate in their analyses.

As can be seen, EHRs open a new door for the improvement of the health field. Instead of fighting the growing shift from paper records to digital records, our society should work to embrace and support the efficiency and accuracy that these electronic records bring instead of dwelling in past methods. With constant new discoveries, the medical field combined with new advances can bring about more effective services and better treatment.



<Victoria Choi/ Troy High School 10th Grade>