Changing methods in disseminating medical information has propelled the medical field to slowly transition from paper based to Electronic Medical Records, known as EMRs  EMRs enable physicians to access a wide range of information on patients and share that information with other medical providers.

Electronic medical record technology makes it easier to transfer and share medical information among foreign medical providers as well. As medical technologies improve and increase and health care administration costs continue to rise, the medical industry has sought ways to reduce the amount of paper accumulated for patients. An electronic medical record will someday replace medical charts that at times, comprise hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces of paper.

Most hospitals in the United States are going to be required to be fully capable of producing only electronic medical records by 2012. To date, most hospitals are utilizing a blend of paper and electronic on about a 60 to 40 percent balance ratio.

Electronic records help boost efficiency in health care delivery options and offer increased use of telemetry, an increasingly popular mode of communication between patient providers, regardless of location. For example, a cardiac specialist in Rochester, New York, may discuss patient care with physicians in India at locations such as as the AMRI Medical Center in Kolkata, or a knee joint replacement at the Madras Joint Replacement Center as well as the patient’s records, images and other valuable data, basically engaging in a conference call that may or may not include the patient himself.

Consumers need to be aware of the changing methods of accumulating health information, how such information is disseminated, and have questions answered regarding confidentiality, security, effectiveness, and quality healthcare protocols. EMRs are the future of medical information and recording. Learn about it, your privacy and your confidentiality.