Reflections on the use of electronic health record data for clinical Essay

Reflections on the use of electronic health record data for clinical research - Essay Example Of course, the electronic health record system is not perfect. There are still several aspects that need improvement such as standardization and completeness of data. Further improvements need to be done to ensure accuracy and completeness of data as well as standard use of terms in all hospitals. Electronic health records may be also used for clinical research, given the wide database of different patients with similar, if not the same, medical cases. This data would prove to be useful in determining effectiveness of treatment and would provide different views on medical approaches. However, this task is not as simple as it may seem. Getting data from electronic health records is a complex and intricate task because one would need clear and concise data for it to be used effectively in clinical research. There are too many discrepancies in data and differences in terms and abbreviations used in transcribed notes that make collection of data more difficult. After reading the article, I realized that electronic health records are useful in ways more than one. I never really thought about EHR as a vital tool in clinical research. I know that it is important for records’ sake and that it would provide all necessary information to improve the quality and stability of patient care. Its use in clinical research is very interesting. It would not only aid health care providers in identifying specific patterns in diseases, but it would also help in comparing different treatments which could show researchers the more effective ones. The use of electronic health records could also further methods of assessing quality of care given to patients. The possibilities are endless and the benefits are seemingly overwhelming. The use of EHR’s, however, can also result in violation of privacy. Privacy is an important aspect of quality health care. The problem with transcribed data from health care providers in that it includes the name of the patient, which