Future EHRs will be more comprehensive, foster patient engagement, and take into account social determinants of health.
The EHR Is a Thing of the Past
Current electronic health record (EHR) systems are limited and becoming obsolete, according to Epic's CEO and founder Judy Faulkner. Future EHRs will be more comprehensive, foster patient engagement, and take into account social determinants of health. The result will be better preventive care, fewer hospital admissions, and reduced total healthcare expenditure.
Current EHRs lack patient-reported health information, tools for educating patients, and streamlined reporting. These shortcomings deter patient engagement, limit coordination of care, and impair health outcomes. In order to unify all of a patient's essential health information, next-generation EHRs will be cloud-based, and, according to Allscript's CEO Paul Black, will focus on automated data analytics, telehealth, and workflow optimization.
Future capabilities may include:
Automated medical coding and billing.
Incorporation of personal health records (PHRs).
Educational material.
Tools related to diet, sleep, and other health behaviors.
Tools related to housing, access to food, and other socioeconomic determinants of health.
Diya Health Fills the Gap
Diya Health's two interconnected products, myDiya and DiyaMD, seamlessly plug into any EHR or other health-management software, and already possess the capabilities that EHRs hope to develop, including:
Automatic capture of billable services.
A PHR that allows for patient-reported outcomes, including daily vital signs, mood, medications, and more.
Mass dissemination of information, so clinicians can send educational material to patients.
Telehealth, remote patient monitoring, and messaging capabilities