Cloud-Based EMRs

Eric Gombrich | Executive Insight | April 25, 2013

A people-centered approach can make a profound difference in ROI.

The concept of patient-centered health is a growing theme in healthcare.  Terms such as "patient engagement," "patient-based" and even "patient-centric" are used ubiquitously as though they all mean the same thing and deliver benefits to both providers and patients. A patient-centered model of healthcare gives providers a holistic view of the patient. EMRs can accelerate moving to this model of care, and cloud-based EMRs are even more effective, as the speed of implementation is much faster. But does patient-centered care actually activate patients to become more responsible for their health and wellness? Not quite, but EMRs are the start to that transformational model of care.

People-centered health, on the other hand, is about patient activation. This innovative approach to healthcare gives patients access to their health information so they are not only better informed about their health condition, but also educated as to the alternative treatments available and empowered to make decisions regarding their health and wellness. When we engage people and give them greater control over their health, they have increased motivation to live a healthier lifestyle - which drives adherence to care plans, produces healthier populations and ultimately lowers the costs of healthcare delivery.