EHRs to PHRs: What it means for our National Healthcare System and your Clinic

The Obama Administration has been working hard to reform our national healthcare system. Already they have invested more the $19 billion dollars in order to ensure its success. Their main goals centers on the implementation of Electronic Health Records (EHR) throughout the healthcare landscape. This goal has helped to ensure that EHR documentation like that provided by Future Health is here to stay.

For all those out there who have already adopted an EHR into their practices, I congratulate you on already seeing the benefits of your decision. But for all those out there who have not yet made this technological leap, I implore you to get aboard quickly before it is too late! EHR documentation assists chiropractors in providing their clients with the highest quality care possible through the implementation of better case management and alerts. This system improves the current system of chiropractic by utilizing communication with other healthcare professionals.

The Rise of PHR
With EHRs already on the rise to becoming a standard, soon personal health records (PHR) will become dominate as well. This emerging evolution of PHR will enable individuals to manage their own health information through a completely electronic and automated system. With this revolutionizing development, patients will be able to advocate for themselves: sending and viewing their own personal health records to the providers of their choice. This of course will require the adoption of additional security measures to ensure the protection of such confidential information.

Why do patients want PHR?
With the interconnectivity of the internet, more information is available at your fingertips than ever before. This has led many individuals to becoming their own best advocate in seeking out healthcare options and considering their possible treatment choices. After all, President Obama stated to those of us in attendance at the Regional White House Forum on Health Reform last March this clear message about the Healthcare consumer in America, "You know what works and what doesn't." Most patients want the power to choose the care they know works for them. Combine this with the patient-focused attitude established in our profession and an entire new approach emerges. Having a PHR system supports advocacy desires of patients and provides better information to healthcare professionals guides both doctors and their patients towards developing the most effective treatment plan.

How does the PHR system work?
The patient becomes the gatekeeper of his or her own health information. It allows them to transfer it at will to the parties of their choosing. This permits patients to have their healthcare providers send their own health notes to the PHR; a central location for a patients data. This PHR will then be able to organize this flow of incoming data and compile it into a neat and orderly documentation of the patient's health care record.

Since advancing technology is becoming a more and more an acceptable means of transmitting secure data, patients who know their healthcare information is secure and protected will want this technology utilized. This is where the true beauty of the PHR shines: the patients can choose who has access to their information including what is published for all to see and what is kept private. As an example, some patients are comfortable trusting in their family general practitioner or chiropractic physician to safely and securely keep their records on file in the clinic's EHR. When needed, the patient can simply request that the clinic electronically send pertinent data to the next health care provider or specialist involved in the case. The patient selects the storage location based on preference.

PHR Offer Improvement in Chiropractics
PHR offers practitioners the ability to finally demonstrate the true effectiveness of chiropractic services. They can gather clinical data supporting the use of chiropractic as an effective treatment protocol and demonstrate our mastering of an entirely portable, electronic system of maintaining our data through the implementation of EHR. This enables us to justify our involvement in the lead management of the patient by documenting the unique aspects of that patient's care.

PHRs are fully predicated on the existence of a robust EHR system in every clinic and doctor's office. Chiropractors have the unique opportunity to adopt these systems now and prepare for a future that is rapidly approaching. By choosing Future Health's true EHR system we can support the patient management our clinic needs now and for years to come. Future Health's EHR is more than a digital note generator because it utilizes interoperability. Only these interoperable systems adhere to the specific government requirements to be federally approved for financial incentives as defined in the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. By adopting Future Health's EHR today, you can pave the way towards the future success of your practice.