What are medical records?
Medical records consist of a patient’s demographic information (name, address, age, gender, etc) as well as that patient’s medical history, test results, vaccinations, and other medical history. Phrases such as medical record, health record, and medical chart are frequently used interchangeably, and those terms encompass the physical or electronic medical record for each patient as well as all that patients’ medical information. Historically, medical records have been kept and maintained by primary care providers themselves, but recently a trend has emerged that sees patients taking responsibility for the storage and maintenance of their own medical records.
Why is it so essential to update medical records?
From administrative and medical care standpoint, it is imperative that medical records are updated frequently. Changes come in any patient’s life, be it a changed address, a changed last name, or a new diagnosis or prescription. These changes need to be recorded such that a patient can be tracked down if an emergency arises.
Meticulous medical recordkeeping helps health care providers manage their patients and share medical information with other medical specialists. This is crucial for ensuring that each patient is cared for correctly and with regard to that patient’s personal history.
Medical records also serve as a form of communication for multiple unrelated health care providers. Notes on a patient made by internal medicine specialists may have a bearing on future actions performed by surgeons or radiologists, and vice versa.
Accurate medical records can assist emergency room providers in emergency situations and in prescribing medication. If a patient cannot remember or is unsure of their current medications, a maintained medical record can provide this information to a doctor, thus eliminating any potential drug interactions. Further, if a patient has a severe injury, is unresponsive or has an unclear illness, an examination of that patient’s medical records can help a medical professional respond with appropriate treatment.
Electronic medical records
Electronic medical records have enabled companies such as Mobile Health to store records without concern for physical copies being lost or destroyed. Electronic medical records stored digitally also allow for quick and consistent editing by doctors in diverse locations, eliminating the risk of missing data when updates occur.
How does Mobile Health maintain medical records?
As an individual, you may request a physical copy of your medical records at any time from Mobile Health. Further, clients can access their records and results through Mobile Health’s client portal. This HIPAA compliant portal lets clients schedule appointments, request background checks, review results, manage their billing, and browse past reports. Corporate accounts with Mobile Health allow corporate administrators to access our elecrtonic health records (EHR) system 24 hours a day, making to easy to manage employee screening needs.
