Relevant issues of electronic health record usage within the U.S. health care sysytem

Relevant Issues of EHR Usage within the U.S Health Care System
A decade ago, only 48.3% of physicians were using an EHR system. Today, the number has nearly doubled. About 85.9% of office-based physicians are using EHRs, with only 79.7% using a certified EHR system (CDC, 2017). Substantial evidence further shows that the adoption and use of these systems only accelerated in recent years among providers. As a result, several of these providers now report the benefits of using EHRs. They confirm that electronic health records have improved the quality of care, efficiency, overall health outcomes, reduced errors, and costs. These benefits extend to patient safety, decreased delays, and better care coordination (Gellert, Webster & Gillean, 2017). Some of these reported benefits are in line with the five “meaningful use” objectives, which was a mandate under the HITECH Act of 2009.
In contrast, some clinicians have voiced their concerns about EHR’s usability and interoperability. Other scholars are not convinced that electronic health records can maintain privacy and confidentiality. Therefore, providers remain divided whether they should embrace EHRs or not. These controversies necessitate a critical examination of the fundamental aspects of this new technology. Thus, this paper examines the relevant issues of EHR’s usage within the U.S healthcare system by drawing from recent evidence. The author argues that although EHRs promise to improve care through the “meaningful use” objectives, it also needs substantial improvements in usability, interoperability, and confidentiality.
Relevant Issues
Interoperability across healthcare systems
Evidence asserts that achieving an interoperable EHR system has long been a significant concern in the U.S healthcare system. By 2015, only 12% of physicians could seamlessly share records of their patients with other providers. Half the number (6%) could easily transmit patient records to another provider using a different system (American Medical Association, 2015). Why is it challenging to have a certified interoperable system for electronic health records? Reisman (2017) attributes this to the lack of standard medical terminologies, functional capabilities, and technical specifications. These factors, coupled with a health organization’s unique preferences and workflows, cause a lack of standardized data. Standardization is the primary reason why providers in the U.S healthcare system are limited in sharing EHRs.
Conversely, Holmgren, Patel, and Alder-Milsten (2017) found that the government is making some progress towards interoperability. However, their 2015 data shows that the progress was slow and did not engage some providers. More recent evidence suggests that the government is making strides to speed up the process. To promote interoperability, the CMS, in early 2018, renamed the EHR Incentive Program. The focus was to expand the vision of the meaningful use objectives by improving access to patient data. Today, the initiative is named “Promoting Interoperability Programs” (PIP). This change does not overrule the requirements of meaningful use. Instead, it increases the focus on the issue of interoperability (CMS, 2019). Such sl...