Maternity Clinic Electronic Medical Records Systems
Providing Healthcare Services became more challenging with the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic. For instance, a Maternity Clinic, which caters to expectant mothers and babies, can significantly improve their Healthcare Services with an EMR.
Hospitals and clinics in the Philippines use paper records to record and store patient information. However, hospitals have gone digital due to the country’s Universal Health Care Law.
EMR usage in clinics eliminates the need for unwieldy paper records and favors digital ones. In addition, the system automates administrative tasks, stores data for reports, and generates medical documents for clinic patients. So Philippine Maternity Care Providers may find a Clinic Management System useful.
THE IMPORTANCE OF EMRS OR CMS IN MATERNITY CARE
Many Healthcare Institutions have adopted EMR Systems. Some even provide Telehealth Services if the patient and provider cannot meet face-to-face.
Electronic Medical Records on a system do not use paper and instead store data on a system. In addition, several EMRs are cloud-based, so any authorized staff member can access the data on a device connected to the Internet.
Some systems offer secure patient portals so that a clinic’s patients can:
• • see their health records;
• • get information about their pregnancy;
• • edit their personal data;
• • make appointments at any time, at any place; etc.
Earlier, we discussed Electronic Medical Records’ benefits for Pediatric Clinics. Next, we’ll further discuss how they can help Maternity Care Clinic Healthcare Providers and patients.
THE PERKS OF EMRS FOR A PHILIPPINE MATERNITY CLINIC
AUTOMATES ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS
Delivering the best possible Healthcare Services to patients is the priority of all Medical Professionals and Staff. So naturally, Medical Professionals and Staff work hard to ensure the health and wellbeing of their patients. But fortunately, Clinic Management Systems assist them with their work. Thus, EMR Systems focus on delivering excellent patient care.
EMRs can manage and automate the majority of routine administrative tasks. In addition, the system lets you monitor and track patients. So, it can also lessen the workload of staff, specifically admin staff. This way, the clinic can focus on more critical tasks.
CREATES PRESCRIPTIONS
Maternity Care Clinics will appreciate the assistance of an EMR in generating prescriptions. Firstly, the system manages and records medications for more transparency. EMRs can even suggest patient medications! Next, the system can provide clear medication orders and correct dosages, especially for expectant mothers. This can result in lower risks, ensuring the safety of patients.
ASSISTS WITH PATIENT DOCUMENTATION
Documentation is an essential consideration for clinics. They ensure that the institution has a comprehensive record of its patients and their conditions for current and even later use. An EMR can reduce documentation time, saving Healthcare Providers’ time with data collection. So, Clinic Staff won’t have to spend too much time printing health documents whenever patients ask for a copy.
In addition, telehealth consultations will be easy to document. After all, telehealth usage has become more popular lately — jumping from 11% in 2019 to 46% in 2020.
MONITORS CLINIC PATIENTS
For patients with particular health conditions, a CMS is handy for tracking their condition or progress. Thus, the patients of Maternity Healthcare Providers can benefit from this feature. Also, patients can submit data concerning their current health issues.
But, the pandemic gave rise to temperature checks, contact tracing, and check-in health forms. So, the system can record patient vitals to track their condition. Then, instead of paper, patients can fill out a digital form accessed via an application, a popup, or even a QR code.
ENSURING PATIENT DATA SECURITY
An Electronic Medical Records System contains sensitive patient data. Thus, Healthcare Providers should keep Data Privacy laws in mind. For example, a Maternity Clinic focuses on providing its patients with the best healthcare services. So, the institution should also ensure their patient’s information stays secure.
So an EMR System can keep sensitive data secure. But, Maternity Care Clinics should inform patients about how such data is used and why it is used.
ENSURES PATIENT ACCESSIBILITY
An EMR can become even more helpful to Maternity Care Clinic patients via a patient portal. For instance, patient portals allow patients to make appointments without calling the clinic. Also, such a system enables patients to access their digital records anytime. Thus, patients can review their personal information for better accuracy.
Maternity Care Patients directly benefit from having access to their records, according to a 2015 Australian study. In addition to empowering patients, this ease of use also has the side effect of freeing up the Clinic Staff’s time. After all, the system makes it easy for even new patients to accomplish such actions. Still, Healthcare Providers should be mindful of Data Privacy regulations.
PROVIDES HEALTHCARE INFORMATION
An EMR can deliver such information to Clinic Staff promptly. Thus, the quality of the clinic’s Healthcare Services will increase.
Considering the pandemic, an EMR can also monitor emerging illnesses in a population. For example, Medical Hotspots help professionals and staff monitor the progress of a disease in a given area.
But, it’s also vital to disseminate that information to patients — primarily via a patient portal. Maternity Clinic patients will appreciate learning healthcare-related info, albeit in a more understandable form compared to information meant for professionals. The system can provide information via notifications or popups. Creating a standardized yet informative message blast on the system prevents confusion or missing out on key points.
PROVIDES DATA FOR REPORTS
An EMR System is a crucial component for generating clinical reports which may be used for research, financial audits, etc. So the system will build up a patient information database over a given period. Thus, demographic information will be accessible for report generation. Of course, reports require high-quality data — an essential part of routine healthcare data collection.
EMR CONCERNS OF A MATERNITY CARE CLINIC
REQUIRES TRAINING FOR EFFICIENT UTILIZATION
Maternity Healthcare Staff must be involved with the Electronic Medical Records System. Training is helpful when it comes to efficiently creating EMR documentation. Thus, training the clinic to utilize the system is critical. Additionally, the clinic could benefit from regular refresher courses on system usage.
LIMITED ADOPTION DEPENDING ON LOCATION
Most EMR Systems are used by hospitals and clinics in urban areas, especially areas with Internet connections. In particular, Internet connections are critical for cloud-based EMRs or CMS.
But, many rural healthcare facilities may not see EMR Systems as much as their urban counterparts. However, adoption in rural areas is on the rise. For instance, a cloud-based EMR was employed in rural Kenya for maternal and child health as early as 2015.
DATA PRIVACY CONCERNS
Medical patients must submit detailed personal information to digital systems like EMRs and CMS. Additionally, from 2018 to 2021, the number of Data Breaches that went after Healthcare organizations’ information increased by a whopping 84%. Thus, the Healthcare Industry should be conscientious when handling patient data, particularly those of patients.
So, Maternity Care Clinics must apply the measures and technologies necessary to ensure the confidentiality of patient data.
CONCLUSION
In the past, Maternity Care Clinics used paper records when providing Healthcare Services. However, an Electronic Medical Records System can provide a secure digital records system that patients can access!
As a result, a Maternity Clinic can allow patients to take several aspects of healthcare into their own hands. With an EMR System, patients have a more active role in their care. Not only that, but it can document patient information, generate prescriptions, and provide data for essential reports.
Indeed, an EMR isn’t just a place to input or collect information. They also contain various tools that make the clinic’s work smoother. Additionally, CMS or EMR Systems allow patients have more involvement in their care. As a result, they’re indispensable to modern medical practice. EMR Providers in the Philippines can create a system that serves Maternity Clinics’ patients’ needs.
