Electronic Medical Record Systems – Understanding The History Behind

Looking at the medical world, we are simply amazed by just how far we have been able to make it in the science of healing and treating people. Of course, the study of the human body and the existence of doctors that follow various schools of medicine have been around since the dawn of civilization. But the journey from those rudimentary operations to the cutting edge technology used in every facet of medical science today is just mind boggling. And if you think that all the advancement has occurred on the front end of operations - procedures and treatments that directly deal with patients, you are pretty much mistaken.

Did you know that medical record maintenance was pretty much nonexistent at one point of time? There really was actually no authentic way of knowing the accurate medical history of a patient. But the advent of electronic medical record systems changed the way things functioned in the industry. Let us look at the history of this niche service that keeps the healthcare industry running.

The concept of electronic health records came into existence as late as the 1960s when a physician named Lawrence L. Weed took up the case of involving computers into back office medical operations. Weed described a system to automate and reorganize patient medical records to enhance their utilization and thereby lead to improved patient care.

His work inspired others to join the cause who eventually initiated the PROMIS project – a first of its kind initiative being carried out by physicians and IT experts together at the University of Vermont in 1967. The idea was to develop a system that would offer timely and sequential data about a patient to the doctor which would then help in administering proper and effective treatment. It worked towards the rapid collection of data for epidemiological studies, medical audits and business audits. The result was the development of POMR or the problem oriented medical records system, which was later used in a medical ward at the Medical Centre Hospital of Vermont for the first time.

Over the next few years, elements such as drug histories were also added to the data which allowed physicians to check for drug actions, dosages, side effects, allergies and interactions. The development of this electronic medical records system also led doctors to devise standardised treatments for over 600 medical problems and illnesses.

The next few years saw the coming up of several other electronic medical records systems like the Technicon that was more hospital oriented or the Harvard COSTAR which incorporated records for ambulatory care. Indiana's Registries record was one of the earliest combined in-patient and outpatient systems.

The 1990s brought about a technological revolution all around the world and now, electronic medical records systems are much more advanced, complex and are widely used in practice all around the world. Credible information about patient medical history is a powerful tool that allows doctors to administer the right type of treatment at the right time. Visit PracticeStudio.net to know more.

About The Author

Allison Chase is an expert in electronic medical records systems who also likes to write many interesting articles and blogs on the topic, educating people about this technology and talking extensively about the benefits of this service. She recommends PracticeStudio.net as the most trustworthy name in this business.