Whenever possible, it is good to go to the original source if something is important to your health.

One of the most important—one which you don’t have any control over—is the introduction of electronic medical records (EMRs).

The goals are simple. Implementation is not.

This article should be understandable to those who read a lot about health care. For those who don’t, scroll down to the chart and read what functions are included and about their purpose.

If done right, and with proper patient safety guards in place, EMRs can change your health care for the better. All doctors will have up-to-date information on you, including test results, for instance.

However, although funding is included in the new health care reform bill, implementation is an enormous challenge. Many doctors use these records within their own practices but these are not linked to a national network. If you were in a car accident on vacation, an emergency room physician could quickly see what drugs you might be allergic to if a national system is in place.

EMRs should be at the top of everyone’s list of what can make the biggest difference to patients. As a patient, you should get up to speed on what all this talk is about.

Please read the article or, at least, read the chart. You immediately should see how powerful this tool could be.

The New England Journal of Medicine

“The widespread use of electronic health records (EHRs) in the United States is inevitable. EHRs will improve caregivers’ decisions and patients’ outcomes. Once patients experience the benefits of this technology, they will demand nothing less from their providers. Hundreds of thousands of physicians have already seen these benefits in their clinical practice.

“But inevitability does not mean easy transition. We have years of professional agreement and bipartisan consensus regarding the potential value of EHRs. Yet we have not moved significantly to extend the availability of EHRs from a few large institutions to the smaller clinics and practices where most Americans receive their health care.”

Source: New England Journal of Medicine, July 13, 2010