Data has been a critical part of human existence and is at the epicenter of every marquee development that humanity has ever experienced and enjoyed. It improves decision making and has been highly effective in shaping how industries are set up. From manufacturing to finance, technology, economics, as well as health, data has been used to improve productivity. Its impact can be felt in budgeting, research, surveys, and databases. For a government to effectively plan for its citizens, it needs to have a working database of the actual population, and for research work to be carried out successfully, there has to be feedback from respondents.
Likewise, in the health sector, for doctors to deliver the best health care to patients, they need to have a working understanding of the patient’s medical history and previous ailments which ultimately makes up their individual health record. This data allows the health practitioner to tailor treatment to the specific need of the patient, bridge the communication gap that might have otherwise existed without data, as well as to identify areas that need improvement, which eventually improves the health of the patient.
However, the advent of technology has improved how health records are kept, making storage better and access quicker. Imagine what accessing a patient’s case file if hundreds of physical pages copies were mailed to. The files you have to sort through and all that stress as compared to basically entering the patient’s details on the system and the information is available. This is known as an electronic health record (EHR), an online database of a patient’s details.
Understanding Electronic Health Records
An EHR is an online version of a patient’s record or paper chart that contains the clinical data and health history of a patient which can be accessed in real time, thus making access to the patient’s database faster and more secure. Only authorized individuals would be able to access it, giving more privacy and confidentiality to patients. An EHR is a database system that makes it possible for healthcare professionals to do more than just access the patient’s previous diagnosis, treatment plan, medications, etc., but also offers tools powered by a software that aids the decision making of physicians.
This digital database also makes it possible for physicians to prepare a long term treatment model to be applied while treating their patients. What makes the EHR unique is that it can be shared across different relevant healthcare organizations that need information such as pharmacies, laboratories, and emergency centers, among others. This thus makes transitioning between doctors much easier as there is a template and record that shows all the vital information a physician needs to see, automatically making it an important piece for physicians before carrying out any important medical operation.
Importance of EHRs
EHRs make it possible for a patient to receive better care as the EHR is designed to give alerts and reminders, which makes health professionals more efficient. As they all have access to this information helping them make better decisions from diagnosis to documentation, analysis, and lots more. It also helps doctors give better self-care instruction to patients after visits. In case of emergencies, all the physician has to do is check the EHR to see if there are any allergies to avoid and all, thus making it very ideal in risk management.
EHRs also help physicians manage their appointments as well as reach out to their patients through e-mails further improving communication. It also makes it possible for all healthcare professionals that will treat a patient to be on the same page and improve care coordination as it has a notification system that brings them up to speed. It makes the doctor’s diagnosis more accurate and further reduces the chance of errors. The software was designed in such a way to look for errors every time a new medication is added to it and alerts the physician when there is a potential error.
Inside the Veriheal EHR
Veriheal is one of the top cannabis platforms in the US and has positioned itself over the years as the go-to source for everything medical cannabis-related. They pride themselves on providing medical cannabis users with quick access to doctors, helping them schedule appointments, and ultimately assisting prospective patients with applying for their medical marijuana cards. The Veriheal network encompasses some of the top doctors in the nation who are well educated in the implications of medical cannabis, thus making certifying patients easier.
As highlighted earlier, EHRs can be accessed by healthcare professionals where they can also manage their appointments. In the medical cannabis industry, the Veriheal EHR makes it possible for doctors to set an appointment with their clients in a secure environment. Thus guaranteeing the privacy and confidentiality of the client. Furthermore, Veriheal’s software also makes telemedicine more efficient as patients can effectively consult with cannabis professionals about recommend dosages, cannabinoids, terpene profiles, and many other factors based on the information available to them via the platform.
What does this mean for cannabis?
The future of cannabis as a valid medicine will soon be defined in the coming 2020 US election as well as how the industry as a whole recovers from the COVID 19 pandemic. Therefore, for industry stability, trusted cannabis brands that provide real-time value for patients leveraging cannabis as treatment need to continue to rise to the top. Similar to what we have seen with Veriheal bringing on respected health experts to their company, the industry desperately needs full support from leading health providers. These very same providers need the right tools to properly diagnose and ultimately treat their patients, just the same as they would with any other medicine or treatment option.
This is a Contributor Post. Opinions expressed here are opinions of the Contributor. Influencive does not endorse or review brands mentioned; does not and cannot investigate relationships with brands, products, and people mentioned and is up to the Contributor to disclose. Contributors, amongst other accounts and articles may be professional fee-based.