These are computer records that medical practices used instead of paper charts. All parts of clinical practice are incorporated into EHRs. From chief complaints to making a treatment plan. They not only are used for medical care but are also used for managing all kinds of daily clinical operations. For example scheduling, calendars and appointment reminders. They are also used for medical billing and submitting claims. EHRs are developed to encounter all of these functions.


Challenges of paper based systems

  • Paper based systems are not very efficient
  • With paper based systems it is easy to lose or misfile information in your paper charts.
  • Health care providers are sometimes required to remember various intricate details. Thus having a paper based systems will not help them much in remembering those details.
  • It takes such a long time to differentiate between the patients based on the individual distinctiveness for example how to differentiate people with diabetes from other patients.
  • If a prescription drug is remembered than there is no way of telling the patients who are taking that particular drug.
  • Practices also have related problems with managing the chronic disease patients, health care providers need to perform widespread chart reviews to evaluate the progress of patients having chronic disease.