Advantages of electronic health records
EHRs and the ability to exchange health information electronically can help you provide higher quality and safer care for patients while creating tangible enhancements for your organisation. EHRs provide:
- Better health care by improving all aspects of patient care, including safety, effectiveness, patient-centeredness, communication, education, timeliness and efficiency
- Better health by encouraging healthier lifestyles in the population, including increased physical activity, better nutrition, avoidance of behavioral risks, and wider use of preventative care
- Improved efficiencies and lower health care costs by promoting preventative medicine and improved coordination of health care services, as well as by reducing waste and redundant tests
- Better clinical decision-making by integrating patient information from multiple sources
- Accurate, up-to-date and complete information about patients at the point of care
- Secure sharing of electronic information with patients and other clinicians
- Safer and more reliable electronic prescribing with seamless communication to pharmacies
- Quick remote access to data
- Reduced costs through decrease in paperwork, improving safety, reducing duplication of testing, and improving health
- Easier follow-ups on cases and referral to specialists as per requirement
- Improved productivity of the medical professionals
Drawbacks of electronic health records
EHRs and EMRs also come with some disadvantages. Eternal vigilance and scrutiny at multiple levels are needed for security. A slight lapse here and there, and the whole system can go into a tailspin, creating havoc.
Highly sought-after information in the black market
Confidential information, such as the patient's health condition, is susceptible to data leaks and breaches.
Access to it helps pharmaceutical companies target their products and advertisements since these records give the most accurate representation of the demographics for a product.
Other drawbacks
The deployment of a radical solution like EHR in your medical establishment can pose substantial challenges. However, innovative financial products like doctor loans or professional loans provide the liquidity to overcome these financial barriers in deploying this solution.
- Setting up and maintaining these records is very expensive. The cost of purchasing and installing an EHR can range from Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 45 lakh, depending on whether you choose an onsite or cloud-based EHR deployment
- These being a product of technology, they emphasise more on billing rather than on provision of clinical care
- They take a long time to get trained in and get used to
- They sometimes impede the physician-patient relationship
Security Challenges in Electronic Health Records (EHRs)
Key issues include:
- Data Interoperability – EHR benefits depend on data compatibility across systems, but lack of standards hampers smooth exchange between stakeholders.
- Security – EHRs hold sensitive data vulnerable to threats like hacking, malware, and ransomware; organizations must balance risks with strong controls.
- Business Continuity – Failures or attacks can disrupt access; effective BCP ensures availability and recovery.
- Digital Divide – Limited access, skills, and infrastructure, especially in developing regions, hinder widespread adoption of EHRs.
Challenges in Implementing Electronic Health Records in India
The development and implementation of EHRs involve several challenges. Especially in the Indian healthcare industry, the top issues are:
- Cost – Implementation is expensive, covering hardware, software, training, network fees, and maintenance. Smaller establishments often struggle with limited financial resources.
- Data privacy – Concerns of breaches and cyberattacks raise legal and financial risks, making security a critical responsibility.
- Data migration – Shifting from paper to digital records is tedious and time-consuming.
- Training – Staff require significant time to adapt, causing fear of business loss.
- Time – Both training and data entry remain lengthy processes.
- Infrastructure – Small clinics often lack technical support or hardware.
- Aadhaar coverage – Incomplete coverage and breaches worsen challenges.
- Vendors – Finding trustworthy partners for migration and training is difficult.
