While electronic medical record (EMR) systems have been increasingly adopted across the globe, data compatibility poses a significant challenge, according to a report on Wednesday.
EMR systems improves organisation of patient data and fast-track medical billing and reimbursement. However, despite over 90 per cent adoption in some regions, the ability to share EMR patient data with hospitals or physician offices that use other EMR platforms still presents a major challenge, revealed the report by GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Further, the report revealed that there are currently over 600 EMR system companies and the EMR systems market is forecast to grow at a 7 per cent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to reach a value of $54.9 billion by 2028.
“Digital patient records help to organise and consolidate patient data like immunisations, allergies, medications, health concerns, goals, assessments, procedures, and treatment plans. EMR systems store and provide access to digital patient records and allow physicians to easily analyse their medical practice and the procedures performed within it. These systems can simplify administrative processes such as billing/reimbursement and help physicians track patients’ experiences and care,” said Ashley Clarke, Medical Analyst at GlobalData, in a statement.
EMR systems are vital to efficient record-keeping and communication amongst medical professionals, healthcare providers, and patients in an increasingly digital age — but facilities have yet to see all promised benefits.
“The vast number of platforms available does enable practices to pick a system and provider that can meet their specific needs and budget, but it also leads to diverse data formats and difficulty sharing patient files between facilities. This is especially true for specialists that may have different EMR requirements compared to general physicians. Data transfers between incompatible systems can result in incomplete or corrupted data, which poses a significant health issue,” Clarke added.
Insufficient connectivity between EMR systems is also frustrating for medical personnel and for patients. Oftentimes, care providers need to retake a patient’s history upon arrival despite their full history being previously recorded at another facility.
This can result in missed information, longer patient visits, an increased burden to healthcare workers, and ultimately undermines the benefits of having digitally accessible and shareable records.
“The growth of remote patient monitoring and telehealth has also provided a unique opportunity to expand EMR records to include patient-generated data, further increasing the need for data compatibility and accessibility solutions,” Clarke said.
“To overcome these challenges, manufacturers are working to standardise data and develop extraction software to convert between existing formats, while regulatory bodies also play a role setting data compatibility standards. These changes could allow medical facilities to finally leverage the full advantages of EMR systems,” Clarke added.
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