Future of Electronic Health Records: A Challenge to Maximize Their Utility

Abstract

Electronic Health Records (EHRs) have revolutionized the healthcare landscape, providing a digital repository of patient data that can be analyzed and utilized in unprecedented ways. However, EHRs have challenges, particularly in interoperability, data silos, data quality, and data privacy. One of the significant challenges in maximizing the utility of EHR is the lack of interoperable systems, defined by the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) as the ability of different information systems, devices, and applications (systems) to access, exchange, integrate, and cooperatively use data in a coordinated manner. In addition, patient privacy and data security remain significant barriers to the optimal utilization of electronic health records. This paper examines the role electronic healthcare records will have on the landscape of healthcare if optimized and utilized to their fullest potential.