The purpose of the health record is to keep a detailed record of a patient’s history for future reference. This serves many purposes for both the hospital and the physician office. It will allow the physician to quickly look up the history of any specific patient and will help the hospital establish what treatments it should provide for a particular ailment or situation when one exists. The health care team will also be able to quickly make a judgment of the need to go with a certain treatment option over another, saving the lives of patients who may have otherwise sustained life-threatening injuries or diseases without being properly diagnosed and treated.
The history is normally stored in the primary health care facility (PHC), but can also be stored in another location if patient transfer is necessary. There are many reasons that a patient would want their history to be documented. For instance, the PHC would be required to inform the patient’s insurance company if a new diagnosis was made or if they had to change the plan that they have in place. Otherwise, it would mean a huge hole in the pocket for the health care provider.
Some facilities will also use the records to track the medical history of the individual, but this is a more complex task since the information must be cross-referenced with the patient’s medical chart so that the correct diagnoses can be made. Even then, it can be difficult to reconcile the information and determine if the condition presented to the physician is the same condition that has been previously presented to the patient. This can lead to unnecessary delays in treating the disease or simply misdiagnosing the condition.
Many facilities are now using digital devices to capture the history of a patient.
This can either be done through viewing a video recording or an ultrasound or magnetic pulse. The digital capture is much less invasive than the previous methods and allows the physician to make a quick judgment on how the condition is progressing. It also allows them to know if the condition requires emergency measures.
A third common use of the health record in the hospital is to track the progress of the patient in case of recuperation. By monitoring the progress in the health record, the doctor can ensure that there is no setback in the patient’s recovery. They can also take preventive measures that would prevent the recurrence of the ailment. In the long run, these measures will save the hospital lots of money by avoiding unnecessary admissions or procedures.
As you can see, there are many different purposes of the health record in the hospital. Each purpose serves a different purpose, but the overall purpose is to keep track of the health and medical histories of the patients. This is done to prevent the spread of disease, as well as to track the progress of the patients in recovery. This is important in any medical facility as the quality of the care is very important, especially when it comes to the lives that are being saved.
