Benefits

Help for your Papers this week:  Let me clarify the  Web-based EHR.   A "web based" EHR means that  applications programs of the EHR, and data storage for the records, are provided by the vendor and located at a remote site accessible over the internet. A web browser or similar system is often used as the interface used by our employees. This is INSTEAD of having servers in our own location, or an organization's direct-linked server on its own network.

The vendor can be in a different state or area from your clinic where you use the EHR.  This does NOT mean that the EHR is accessible to the public. Everything must be highly secured and encrypted for our providers, including both underlying data and the transmission over the web. Just like accessing your own bank account online, the system will require a secure sign-on system to access any part of a patient's data. 

· This topic does NOT have anything to do with our hospital staff going web surfing instead of doing their jobs. That is an entirely different topic, and a matter for company policy to address. I have seen a few people misunderstand that in the past, so don't go on about staff web "surfing"!

· The WEB-based EHR IS a real, fully fledged EHR system for documenting and tracking the patient care by and for the physicians and nurses involved in the patient's care. It is NOT the Patient Portal (like MyChart for patients).   MyChart is only a portion of the patient record, showing abbreviated views of a 'summary' of their visit for patient education, and scheduling and such.  Write about the EHR application itself please, NOT THE patient portal.

· Just because a vendor is remote and is providing web-based access does not mean all data are stored in the "cloud." To make life easier on yourself, do not discuss the "cloud" in your paper!  Thanks.

I hope that helps!   If you remember all those Do's and Don'ts, the paper should be pretty straightforward! Thanks!