The Evolution and Future of Electronic Health Records Over Six Decades (Full Transcript)

Speaker 1: Over the last 60 years, electronic health records have been evolving to improve patient care, minimise errors, and create cost deficiencies. Let's take a closer look at the evolution of electronic health records. The Electronic Health Record, or EHR, was invented in 1962. This iteration of the EHR was so expensive that only the government could afford to use them in partnership with health organisations. A decade later, the first electronic medical record system was developed. These systems were more widely used by hospitals and government institutions. The 1980s saw the rise of the Master Patient Index, a massive database where patient demographics and hospital admission and discharge information is stored. Finally, it was decided by the Institute of Medicine in 1991 that all practices will use computers by the year 2000. This would open up a world of possibilities for tracking and maintaining patient data. In 1996, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA, was introduced. This guaranteed American patients the right to privacy, among other rights, regarding their medical history. In 2004, George W. Bush formed the Office of National Coordination, or the ONC. This branch of the US federal government supports clinics and hospitals in adopting the latest health information technology. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, HITECH, introduced meaningful use in 2009, which had five goals. Improve care coordination, reduce healthcare disparities, engage patients and their families, improve population and public health, and ensure adequate privacy and security. In 2013, HIPAA and HITECH were revised to allow patients to have control over their own data. Not long after, in 2015, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act established a new program to replace 2009's meaningful use program. By 2017, 86% of non-federal acute healthcare organizations adopted EHRs. Now that we're up to speed, what can we expect to see in the future? Here's what's in store. Autonomous dictation could take over updating EHR notes by 2026. By 2030, we could be wearing devices to alert us to early signs of illness via our smartphones, almost like a car's check engine light, but for humans. Not too long later, in 2035, big data computation could help physicians find the best outcome for their patients. Finally, predictive modeling could use health data to put together care plans for current or future issues. It's a lot to think about, but the future of EHRs is bright, and that will mean we can all access higher levels of care faster than ever before. All thanks to secure, reliable, and lightning-fast networks.