EMR vs EHR – What’s The Difference?

Frequently used interchangeably, the terms “electronic medical records or EMR” and “electronical health records or EHR” are cause for some unnecessary confusion within and outside of the healthcare industry. The progression of technology and medicine, both collectively and independently, has joined the two sectors permanently. It’s no secret that a central part of quality healthcare today relies on medical software, particularly as it relates to patient care.

While the difference between EMR and EHR may seem insignificant to some, the reality is that the notable differences make an impact in the medical industry. The interchangeable nature of these terms may have stemmed from the fact that they both replace paperwork. The shift from paper to digital has transformed the way healthcare professionals are able to treat their patients.

To put it simply, EMRs are often used in legacy, non-cloud based systems whereas EHRs are used in new, cloud-based systems of the future. Let’s dig deeper…

Better Defining Electronic Medical Records (EMR)

An electronic medical record (EMR) is a patient’s paper chart in a digital format. Typically used in a single medical practice, the EMR will likely include the patient’s medical history as well as diagnoses and treatments from a particular doctor, specialist, surgeon, nurse practitioner, clinic, or dentist. Generally speaking, EMRs are not meant to be shared with other medical care providers outside of that particular practice.

EMRs are an excellent way to not only improve healthcare professionals’ access to patient documents, but also to better their ability to track data over time. In addition, EMR can help facilitate things like offering timely reminders for preventative checkups and patient screenings. All in all, EMRs have tremendously assisted in improving patient care.

Better Defining Electronic Health Records (EHR)

Like EMRs, an electronic health record (EHR) is a patient’s paper chart in a digital format. However, an EHR provides a much more comprehensive look at their total health record. Unlike EMRs, EHRs are actually used beyond that of a single medical practice and are meant to be shared amongst other providers. As a result, authorized medical professionals are able to immediately retrieve a patient’s digital records across all kinds of different healthcare providers. The shared nature EHRs make them the primary choice for the future of patient care.

In addition, to being able to collaborate EHRs amongst the care continuum, EHRs also allow medical professionals the ability to track a lot more information. Things like lab results, demographic data, prior authorizations, insurance information, and more make it that much easier to provide optimal patient care.

To recap, some of the most notable benefits of EHRs include the ability to streamline the sharing of real-time information, immediate access to tools for easy medical decision-making, and having access complete patient medical history.

Getting Rid of The Mystery of EMRs and EHRs

The most noteworthy difference between EMRs and EHRs lies in the narrow overview of patient records versus the comprehensive overview of patient records. To summarize, some of the significant differences include:

While there are certainly prominent differences between EMRs and EHRs, the truth is that both have elevated the level of patient care throughout each aspect of the medical field. The ability to utilize accurate, fast, up-to-date patient information vastly improves medical care and reduces medical errors.

At MDH Insight, we understand that the healthcare industry depends on accurate data and when it comes to accurate data: We Deliver. Contact our EMR data conversion team today to learn more about our offerings or get started today with a free EMR system assessment!