With the seamless integration of cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, the surging popularity of wearable devices, the transformative potential of 5G and groundbreaking insights from big data, the EHR and EMR software industry horizon shimmers with boundless promise. So what’s the future of electronic health records?
In this article, we’ll explore the EHR/EMR trends to expect in 2024.
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Key Takeaways
- Big data analytics can revolutionize health care by enhancing telehealth services, reducing diagnostic costs, and improving patient treatment procedures and analysis reports.
- Encrypted cloud computing is on the rise, guaranteeing information security during cyber threats like hacking and phishing.
- The most significant improvements in EHR will be in patient engagement using AI, blockchain and wearable devices.
Top EHR/EMR Trends for 2024
EMRs and EHRs have advanced in leaps and bounds since their invention in the 1960s, and they still have a long way to go. What does the future of electronic health records hold?
Here are some EHR trends to keep an eye out for in the coming year:
1. Interoperability Policies
In the upcoming year, EHR developers and IT specialists will continue to assure that they update EHR systems to comply with interoperability policies.
On Aug. 1, 2023, CMS announced a 3.1% net increase in Medicare inpatient prospective payment system rates for fiscal year 2024, benefiting hospitals that effectively use EHR systems and maintain quality measurement data.
Additionally, CMS has introduced new policies for the 2024 Medicare Promoting Interoperability Program that impact eligible hospitals and critical access hospitals (CAHs). These policies include the implementation of a new antimicrobial use and resistance (AUR) surveillance measure as part of the Public Health and Clinical Data Exchange Objective. This measure is a notable step forward in promoting health care interoperability.
2. Cloud Computing
Most cloud-based EHR/EMR systems have an interoperable architecture for seamless integration with other health care platforms. This is crucial for sharing data within the medical sector, especially for organizations looking to grow.
According to a Statista survey, about 45% of health care organizations experienced phishing attacks in 2021, the most common being the cybersecurity issue. Additionally, 17% faced ransomware attacks and 7% reported data breaches.
According to another Statista study on large-scale health care data breaches, U.S. health care organizations reported 707 breaches in 2022. The only prior year with more reported breaches was 2021, logging 715 attacks. These numbers mark a significant increase over the past decade, with a reported 218 breaches in 2012.
This trend has led to the growing adoption of encrypted cloud computing, ensuring patient data remains secure and accessible, even in the face of hacking, phishing and cyber attacks.
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3. Standardization
EHR regulations are standardized under the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. If practices don’t have EHRs that meet those standards, they face penalties and won’t qualify for meaningful use.
The ONC urges that the health care sector implement standardized application programming interfaces (APIs) to make it easier and much more safe for people to use smartphone applications to acquire structured electronic health information.
APIs integrated with EHR technology improve communication between IT systems and apps that create and store medical information.
The development and standardization of APIs enable quick access and information exchange among multiple parties and this is the primary reason why they’re on the rise.
The guideline stipulates electronic access to all of a patient’s electronic health information (EHI), whether or not structured, must be free of charge.
4. Robotic Process Automation
Due to enhanced workflows and increased accuracy, the automated data capture market for electronic medical records is expanding worldwide. Robotic process automation (RPA) assists in achieving the requisite accuracy by evading manual entry requirements through robot-based automation.
RPA in health care is a technique to fix EHR flaws without redesigning the entire system’s core foundation. RPA mainly permits the use of digital labor to maintain what’s effective while resolving underlying problems.
RPAs use system algorithms and programs to safely and effectively automate the processes that an organization’s human resources would typically carry out through manual efforts. These help medical facilities accelerate digitization and correct imperfections in absolutely no time.
Various RPA platforms facilitate smoother integration with existing EHR/EMR software, offering a practical option for health care providers to improve their system’s functionality.
These integrations save EHR users time and free up manual resources for essential tasks. Moreover, RPA aids in maintaining compliance with data protection regulations, configuring automated processes to boost data security.
The global robotic process automation market is expected to grow to more than $13 billion by 2030.
These integrations will help EHR users save time in the long run and utilize their manual resources on other critical tasks.
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5. Telehealth
Integrating EHR systems with telehealth platforms helps medical organizations provide remote care and improve clinical workflows. These integrations enable physicians to pass patient information from one system (or interface) to another swiftly and securely.
Telehealth and EMR systems together work tremendously well in providing high-quality patient care in a remote environment. Mentioned below are some top benefits you and your staff can acquire through their combination:
- Automate data entries
- Synchronize insurance information in a single window
- Streamline virtual care activities
- Enhance patient-physician engagement
- Boost collaboration
Modifying information in the telehealth system automatically updates patient records to give providers immediate access to up-to-date and accurate patient information during virtual care.
The global telehealth market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 19.7%, reaching $504.24 billion by 2030.
This rise is projected keeping in mind the surging demand and adoption of EHR/EMR health apps, increased internet users, changing population rates and high health care expenditure.
6. IoT, AI & Voice Recognition
IoT devices, especially in the health care market, are seeing increased usage. The global internet of things (IoT) in health care market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.8% to reach $289.2 billion by 2028.
Several practices also integrate artificial intelligence to help physicians diagnose and identify patient health trends. Many companies are researching to add voice recognition using AI to EHR software.
Some EHR products already offer voice recognition. For example, CareCloud Central offers voice recognition technology streamlining data entry and making it a ubiquitous tool in modern medical practices.
As AI-powered voice recognition capabilities continue to advance, it can make documenting patient encounters simpler, allowing you to keep your attention turned to patients rather than a computer screen. It has the added benefit of bringing back the familiar feeling of dictation documenting!
In addition, integrating natural language processing (NLP) into EHR systems can improve physician efficiency and patient treatment. AI systems that use natural spoken language to understand physicians are the future.
The incorporation of artificial intelligence technology into the health care sector makes electronic systems more efficient, enabling physicians and caregivers to examine and analyze unstructured patient cases through automation tools quickly.
This is additionally helping admin staff to preauthorize insurance in a swift manner without encountering any errors or discrepancies in the procedure.
Artificial intelligence helps health care professionals in an assortment of ways. Along with devising unique course plans to help provide extensive assistance with therapies and treatments, it examines patient databases to provide physicians with prompt input while addressing critical patient cases with rare or complex health issues.
7. Blockchain and EHR
Blockchain technology is more popular for its role in cryptocurrency, but it’s seeing recent use in health care. The global blockchain technology in health care market size is expected reach $26.79 billion by 2030.
Blockchain eliminates the need for pricey EHR integrations. A private key is only needed to access a patient’s documents. If a medical professional has valid credentials, they may be able to view health records from any location and at any time without requiring integrations.
It uses cryptography to secure EHR data and makes it available only to those with access to it.
For example, blockchain can validate clinical trials and claims results, track medicine distribution, authenticate prescriptions, and prevent insurance fraud.
Smart contracts can also use blockchain to take action based on predetermined results, reducing human involvement. The use of blockchain has just begun, though several EHRs have incorporated it to ensure security, scalability and confidentiality.
8. 5G, 6G and Big Data
Everyday interactions on the Internet of Things (IoT) exchange huge amounts of data. The availability of 5G data has provided a phenomenal increase in internet speeds and device loads impacting all facets of data, software and how people interact with devices.
Due to its high data output, 5G can positively influence automation tools, enabling them to produce faster than they do today.
6G is the next innovation on the horizon, creating an upgrade in transmission bandwidth.
6G specification development is scheduled for 2025-2029. Initial lab testing and pilot programs will commence in 2028, paving the way for its potential commercial launch around 2030. This progression involves transitioning from 5G to 5G advanced in 2024-2025.
With it being already in its development stage and all set to arrive in the coming years, we should be able to see it changing the scenario of EHR/EMR systems through its breakneck speed.
Big data analytics can turn out to be a big advancement in the health care industry. Providing extensive help in upgrading telehealth services, it can help improve patient treatment procedures with lower diagnostic costs and better analysis reports.
Big data’s advanced level data mining techniques along with analysis tools can provide support in treating rare diseases as well.
9. Wearable Devices
Overall, the amount of connected wearable devices is expected to surge in the coming years. The wearable medical tech market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 28.6% reaching $428.92 billion by 2030.
With the increased popularity of wearable devices, patients have become more aware of their health care metrics.
Data integration from wearable devices to EHR systems offers opportunities to provide better patient care. Wearable devices, more popularly known as wearables, have sensors that measure activity levels, steps walked and other environmental indicators.
They come in many forms, including smartwatches, smart goggles and fitness trackers, and push the data to apps on users’ mobile phones.
These tech devices offer users detailed insights into several months of information, including day-to-day activities, health conditions, medication routines and more.
With technological advancements, these gadgets now let health care facilities, including caregivers and doctors, remotely monitor the health of their high-risk patients around the clock.
10. Real-Time Data and Analytics
Health care facilities accumulate massive amounts of patient data. Patient health and financial data lets vendors help physicians with clinical decision support (CDS).
Analytics algorithm predictions can solve interoperability-related accessibility issues. Thanks to automation, data warehouse development is also an opportunity to ensure cleaner patient data.
FAQs
How do EHR/EMR systems differ?
The differences between EHRs (electronic health records) and EMRs (electronic medical records) are fairly murky at this point, with vendors often using the terms interchangeably.
Traditionally, the main difference between two came down to scope and accessibility — whether or not the system was interoperable or built specifically for in-house use.
Peruse our article — EHR vs EMR: The Difference Between Them — to learn more about how these systems once differed and where they’re at now.
Why are EHR/EMR trends important for health care?
EHR/EMR trends hold significance in health care as they promote progress and effectiveness in patient care. By fostering interoperability, they support the smooth data exchange among providers, resulting in more well-informed choices.
Additionally, these trends boost patient involvement through telehealth and mobile accessibility, contributing to the enhancement of health care quality and patient outcomes.
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Next Steps
In the coming decades, we expect significant growth in IoT devices, big data technology and telehealth systems to enhance the current experience and future of electronic health records.
With the integration of AI, enhanced data analytics and increased mobility, the future holds exciting possibilities for health care professionals and patients alike.
The changing world of health care tech, and tech in general, will continue to pressure the industry to change and adapt, hopefully for the better.
Do you already have an idea of what you need? Use our free EHR comparison report to get an in-depth look at what each has to offer, including the trends mentioned above. You can also view their functional and technical requirements along with user reviews to pick the best product!
How do you think EMRs will change in the future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!