Picture yourself in this situation: You’ve been in an accident, and you’re on your way to a Tanner emergency department. Although your injuries may not be life threatening, you are unconscious. This means that medical staff must try and evaluate your condition and offer immediate treatment, without any information from you.
The doctor orders injections right away. But wait! How will the drugs you are about to receive interact with those you are taking? Is it a drug you are allergic to?
The importance of EMR in emergency care
The above scenario shows just a small part of the importance of electronic medical records, or EMR. EMR is how we refer to an electronically-generated record of a patient, with information collected throughout our facilities and Tanner-operated physician practices.
EMR information generally includes all your medical records, as well as demographic information about you. The information is generally recorded by the examining doctor or other staff member, or a lab attendant. Once the words are keyed in, the record becomes completely searchable. This means that care providers can have a much more accurate view of your medical condition, current medications, etc.—information that can potentially save your life.
The benefits of EMR
Many people are resistant to EMR programs because they fear intrusion into their personal lives and transparency of information that should be private. But as the scenario above shows, the benefits of clear information and a doctor’s ability to retrieve it in an emergency situation—which can literally save a life—are the best argument for the use of EMR.