Know The Difference: EHR Vs PHR

Are you thinking of switching to the electronic medical records (EMR) system? Learn about the differences between an EHR and PHR.

In the healthcare industry, technology has been playing an increasingly important role in recent years. This is especially true when it comes to electronic health records (EHR) and personal health records (PHR). Both of these tools have their unique benefits, but it can be difficult to know which one is right for you. Let's see what's the difference you come across!

What Is EHR?

Electronic health record (EHR) is built to go beyond standard clinical data collected in a provider’s office and is inclusive of a broader view of a patient’s care. EHRs are electronic medical records versions of patients. They are created and maintained by healthcare organizations, such as hospitals and clinics. EHRs contain health information technology about the patients' medical history, including diagnoses, medications, and test results.

What Is PHR?

A personal health record (PHR) is an electronic medical record that contains a patient's medical history, contact information, insurance information, and health history. PHRs are maintained by the patients themselves and are not limited to clinical data collected in a provider’s office.

Patients can use PHRs to collect and store their personal health-related information in a secure and confidential environment. This can include information about their current health condition, past family medical histories, medications, allergies, and test results. PHRs can also be used to store contact information for healthcare providers, insurance companies, and other important people or organizations.

Features Of An EHR System

An EHR system is a comprehensive software application that enables healthcare providers to create, manage, and share patient health information electronically. An EHR system typically includes the following features:

Remote Access

This allows healthcare providers to access patient information from any location like home monitoring devices, at any time.

Notes With Navigation

Healthcare providers make notes about a patient's care and treatment and easily navigate between previous notes.

Scheduling

This feature schedules appointments and views the availability of other healthcare provider contact information.

E-Prescribing

E-prescribing is a feature of an EHR system that allows healthcare providers to electronically send prescriptions to a pharmacy. This saves the provider time and eliminates the need to handwrite a prescription.

Access To Patient's Records

This feature views a summary of a patient's medical history, including all current and past diagnoses, medications, and test results.

Customizable EHR Workflows

Healthcare providers can customize their EHR workflows to match the way they work in the terms of electronic medical records.

Documentation Shortcuts

Healthcare providers can create shortcuts for commonly used documentation templates. This allows them to quickly and easily enter patient information into the EHR system.

Auto-link For Documents

It allows healthcare providers to automatically link scanned documents, such as lab results or insurance cards, to the appropriate patient's health record.

Aspects Of An PHR System

The features of a PHR system vary depending on the specific PHR application. However, most PHR applications include the following features:

High-Security Standards

PHR applications use high-security standards to protect patient privacy. This includes the use of firewalls, data encryption, and password protection.

Confidential Data Locking

It allows patients to lock their PHR applications so that only they can access patient data.

Reminders

PHR applications can be used to send patients reminders about their health, such as appointment reminders or medication reminders. This can help patients to stay on top of their health and avoid any potential problems.

Integrations

PHR applications can be integrated with other applications, such as mobile SMS applications, to allow patients to access their health information on the go. This can provide patients with convenient and easy access to their health information when they need it most.

Scanner And Uploader For Records

Some PHR applications include a scanner and uploader for patient records. This allows patients to scan and upload their medical records into their PHR application for easy access.

Advantages And Disadvantages Of EHR And PHR For Businesses

The advantages and disadvantages of EHR and PHR systems for businesses are discussed below:

Advantages Of EHR Systems

Some of the advantages of EHR systems for businesses include the following:

• It reduces the amount of paperwork that they generate. This can save businesses time and money.
• EHR systems can help businesses to improve their efficiency by streamlining their workflows.
• This system can help businesses to improve communication between healthcare providers and other important people or organizations.

Drawbacks Of EHR Systems

Some of the drawback of the EHR system terms electronic medical record for businesses include:

• EHR electronic records can be expensive to implement and maintain.
• It can often be difficult to integrate with existing business systems. This can lead to frustration and confusion on the part of employees.
• Systems can vary significantly in terms of functionality and usability. This can lead to confusion among employees and decreased productivity.

Benefits Of PHR Systems

The benefits of PHR systems for businesses include:

• PHR systems can help businesses to reduce the amount of paperwork that they generate. This can save businesses time and money.
• It can help businesses to improve their efficiency by streamlining their workflows.
• PHR systems can help businesses to improve communication between healthcare providers and other important people or organizations.

Pitfalls PHR Systems

The disadvantages of PHR systems for businesses are:

• PHR systems can be expensive to implement and maintain.
• This system can vary significantly in terms of functionality and usability. This can lead to confusion among employees and decreased productivity.
• It can pose a security risk to businesses if they are not properly secured. This can lead to the theft or destruction of confidential data.

Which Will Work Best For You?

When deciding whether to implement an EHR or a PHR system, businesses should consider the advantages and disadvantages of both systems and decide which one will work best for them.

EHR systems offer more features and are better suited for large businesses and medical professionals. However, they can be expensive to implement and maintain. PHR systems are simpler and less expensive to implement and maintain, and they offer more flexibility in terms of customization. However, they may be less secure than EHR systems.

Conclusion

For the service provider, get in touch with our Enter.Health to integrate the facilities with different companies. Whether you are a small business or a large corporation, it is important to understand the difference between an EHR system and a PHR system. Each health care organization has its unique features that can be advantageous or disadvantageous for your company.

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