In today's world. Electronic medical records not only help in reducing medical errors, but they are easier to store, take less time to file and are much easier to recover in a natural disaster. People still worry about privacy but knowing that HAIFA still provides protection provides some relief. Many worry about their Jobs, but In research it hasn't seemed to affect jobs, with unemployment rates at an all-time high, this is good news.In researching electronic medical records (Emirs), it was noticed that here are deferent terms used; one Is electronic health records (Errs).

According to the Texas Medical Association 'There Is a clear and functional distinction between the two. " "Electronic Medical records are to replace paper records, while electronic health records are a record of your long-term and aggregate health information generated by one or more encounters in any care delivery setting. (Texas Medical Association, 2010). It would be easier to Just use one name for everything, and combine all medical records together for each person therefore every doctor can be n the same page for their patient. It is understood why doctors don't want to switch, as it could get very confusing.

Many doctors, pharmacies, dentists and labs are starting to use Emirs more often.According to Roger Chauffeuring, "As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has been authorized to provide a reimbursement incentive for eligible Medicare and Medicaid providers who are successful In Implementing certified Emirs and achieving meaningful use. ' It would be greatly beneficial that for most doctors to take advantage of such an incentive" (Chauffeuring 2010). According to Bruce Jasper, "Physicians will be able to send prescriptions with Just a click on the computer, so by the time patients would arrive at the pharmacy the medication would be ready for pick up".

That will cut the wait time down and keep customers happy. (Jasper 2011). When researching Errs, it was obvious that hospitals preferred them over Emirs because this way they receive the full patient profile in one file. Also, Errs keep all the patients' visits In one place no matter how long it has been since their last visit. Another good thing about electronic medical/health records Is that they are typed rather than written. Having the Emirs/Errs typed could help reduce errors in 1 OFF and sound similar that it is an easy but scary mistake to make.

Although Emirs only consist of patient records for one medical office at a time, rather than the Errs that link many offices together, they are still beneficial. Having paper records can be very time-consuming and take up a lot of storage space. With Emirs patient information can be shared in a timely manner especially in emergency situations. In natural disasters such as hurricanes, fires, and earthquakes, electronic medical records are often preserved whereas paper records are easily lost.It is amazing with computer technology and electronic medical/health records that all of the information is backed up into a database in many locations.

This is one benefit to having Emirs or Errs. Knowing that as a patient would make one feel safer living in places that natural disasters are more likely to occur. Most of the time natural disasters give no warning, so it is best to be prepared as much as possible. Patients are curious on how privacy might be affected with electronic medical records.

As we all know, the internet and the latest computer technologies are not completely safe.According to P. J. Harrison and Sam Rumanian, "patients are most worried about identity theft, commercial resale or misuse of personal health information, accidental publication of patients' sensitive or embarrassing personal information, and discrimination by insurance companies or potential employers so they can avoid paying for people that may be expensive to insure or employ' (Harrison and Rumanian peg.

5/15). The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HAIFA) would still be in effect for Emirs Just as they are for all of the information covered under HAIFA.HAIFA is currently responsible for keeping medical records confidential. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website notes, "According to combined data from surveys in 2008 (mail and in-person surveys), 41.

5 percent of physicians reported using all or partial Emirs/Errs systems in their office based practices" (Hoist, Shun-Juju Ph. D 2009) With unemployment ate being at an all-time high, it is certain that many people are worried about their jobs. Front and back office personnel do the filing of paperwork which includes but is not limited to medical records.Emirs could potentially cut out the need for a full time position of front and back office; it could possibly even cut it out permanently if it was a small office to begin with.

When researching on how Emirs affected Jobs, the only thing that came up was websites to put up resumes and apply for that particular position. So, it appears as if Emirs are not taking away any Jobs but rather Just placing the old ways. If electronic medical records could help create more Jobs, it would be a very positive thing for the economy.Electronic medical/health records seem to be improving the health care system at present rather than hurting it. More doctors, dentists, lab personnel and pharmacists should make the switch to full electronic medical or health records. With all of the new technology upgrades, many patients are looking for doctors who can keep up with the new technologies of today.

Many people tend to Judge by what they see; if patients' don't find it appealing, they will go elsewhere.In today's society most everyone keeps up with the newest technology whether it be cell phones, TV, computer, one would expect the same with physicians, hospitals, doctors, clinics and the like.