Benefits of Technology in Health Care

Technology overcomes communication barriers within health care. Technologies, such as Electronic Health Records (EHRs), grant Healthcare Providers (HCPs) easy access to patients’ health information. As a result, patients medical histories are easily obtainable, and medical diagnoses can be made earlier. Moving away from paper charting to EHRs provides faster communication methods between HCPs. Before EHRs, transferring patients’ charts required time consuming, and less private communication methods such as, facsimiles, verbal reports, or courier shipping services. Now, EHRs are stored within password secured databases, permitting only authorized HCPs to access the patients’ medical information. HCPs can share patients’ treatment statuses with other HCPs without having to contact each other directly. Overall, technologies promote more efficient communication, which enables more time for HCPs to provide hands-on patient care.