Obstacles in Electronic Health Record Implementation

New technological solutions are inevitably entering every field and structure of people’s lives. On the one hand, it becomes easier to perform some duties, work harder and quicker, rely on the intelligence of machines, and achieve more effective solutions. On the other hand, the inevitability of computerizing most processes puts much pressure on people and makes it challenging for them to implement modern technologies correctly and efficiently. For example, the pace of the world makes it necessary to introduce standardized terminologies within Electronic Health Records, but healthcare meets several severe obstacles.

To begin with, the EHR system allows clinicians to store information about patients in a digital format and would significantly ease the clinical workflow and foster better outcomes. This is why this system is desirable and valuable, and the use of standardized terminologies within this system ensures clear and accurate documentation (Fennelly et al., 2021). However, challenges like staff resistance, high costs, time-consuming training, and information interoperability delay the introduction of standardized terminologies within EHR.

First, the planning, adaptation, and maintenance of standardized terminologies within Electronic Health Records will be very costly for the government and each provider. Doubtfulness and unpreparedness of some workers also make it extremely difficult not to shift from one classification to another, and proper training will also be costly and time-consuming (Fennelly et al., 2021). Further, according to Fennelly et al. (2021), standardized terminologies within EHR will put a major responsibility on providers to ensure data privacy and security because personal information leakage is a very undesirable outcome. What is more, making sure that the information is properly exchanged between different providers is a major international concern and a challenging and time-consuming task.

To conclude, it is possible to say that EHR is an extremely valuable system, and standardized terminologies will be successfully implemented within it in the nearest future. Despite the numerous local, national, and international concerns, healthcare providers are aware of the advantages, and most of them are ready to overcome challenges. Therefore, it is possible to suggest that Electronic Health Records will be a system with standardized classifications and terminologies to facilitate better healthcare outcomes around the globe.

Reference

Fennelly, O., Grogan, L., Reed, A., & Hardiker, N. R. (2021). Use of standardized terminologies in clinical practice: A scoping review. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 149, 104431.