When a patient is transferred from one medical facility to another, the conventional record management method constrains the patient to the same provider. The patient must obtain a photocopy of the previous provider’s medical record, but the copy is often incomplete. Moreover, the new medical facility may need to repeat the same examination, causing a patient to incur extra medical costs. An Electric Medical Record(EMR) solution can solve this problem by providing an electronic medical record for all providers.
Costs of switching to a new system
In the Philippines, ten million people depend on the services of rural health units and village health stations to get proper health care. Many citizens do not seek medical assistance from these facilities because they think these healthcare institutions are inefficient and provide lower-quality care than private facilities. To help these individuals, RTI developed a mobile application that integrates with an electronic medical record system. The SMS patient alerts enable health care providers to track patient care outside the main clinic.
The mobile application EHR-Lite on the other hand supports reporting of health claims to the Field Health Service Information System and PhilHealth. It also supports patient follow-up and timely use of preventative services.
Changing medical records systems is not cheap. While price competition has made EMR systems more affordable, a significant investment is still required to adopt an EMR system. The maintenance of such a system also requires frequent updates. The system can lose accuracy and value if it is not updated frequently—fortunately, a few things to consider before deciding on an EMR system for your Philippine medical practice.
Training healthcare providers to use an EMR
One of the main considerations when selecting an EMR is cost. This cost is primarily due to the upfront costs of purchasing and implementing the software. In addition, the training of providers will need to be done regularly for them to be proficient users of the EMR Philippines.
Health care providers can take advantage of free or low-cost training at regional Extension Centers to reduce the cost. Vendors can offer varying training packages depending on the level of support required. Independent medical records system trainers can be hired, too. Overtime costs and travel expenses must be included in the overall training budget.
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