The technology takes over all the manual procedures of large and small businesses and improves the efficiency and productivity of business operations. Organizations are now beginning to interact digitally with customers, employees, and other stakeholders. The healthcare industry has followed this trend and has begun using electronic and digital systems at the venue. They use these systems to keep patient records, process these records, and share them with other clinics for collaboration. However, doing these things with patient data requires some guidelines, which were provided in the form of the HL7 standards.
These standards were designed to address the communication issues hospitals were facing while sharing information. And for this purpose, HL7 improved the content of clinical data and provided the necessary structure. The entire cycle of collecting, interpreting, processing, and exchanging medical data became efficient and error-free because of these standards. Practicians can easily share diagnoses and lab results across EHRs, and doctors could quickly access medical histories from patient forms. Moreover, HL7 data also abled the nurses to monitor planned procedures.
What Are HL7 Standards?
HL7 consists of a set of international standards, rules, and definitions. They are used to exchange and transfer medical information between different healthcare systems of the same healthcare provider or between different healthcare providers.
This exchange of information is typically done via the Electronic Health Record System (EHR). HL7 is so-called because it focuses on the application layer, also known as layer 7. It provides a structure for exchanging and sharing health care HL7 data electronically. These standards have defined set in place how that information is exchanged between health care providers.
This includes the language, data type, and structure of information exchange. To understand these standards more thoroughly, let’s explore the seven different sections in which their creators have grouped them into,
How Electronic Medical Care Improves Patient Care
People take patients to clinics and hospitals that provide adequate patient care. The ultimate goal of eHealth records is to ensure improved patient care. Therefore, hospitals and clinics are working to establish EMRs. The use of physical patient forms and the exchange of information by courier companies are not secure.
Electronic patient files, on the other hand, make exchanging information easier and more secure. This also improves patient care. In addition to patient care, electronic medical records can also be more efficient. In addition, if implemented correctly, it can streamline the process in the hospital.
The main focus of the healthcare industry is to provide excellent care to patients. EMR increases the potential for improvement. You may have seen the doctor’s handwriting. Chemists usually have this amazing ability to understand what doctors have written. Sometimes they are also unable to understand what the prescription says.
This is a very time-consuming aspect of using physical records. The use of EMR eliminates this factor as the prescription comes out from the system. The handwriting issue gets solved as the printer writes the same for everyone. Now, the prescription can be read and the patient can get medicine on time. So, it is not wrong to say that electronic medical records improve patient care.
HL7 Standards Opening Doors to a Better Healthcare
With the involvement of innovation in the healthcare industry, both healthcare providers and patients can enjoy many benefits. Applying these standards can take the medical industry to a new level. If the provider can have a good interface to help improve the patient’s clinical experience. Like an automated medical assistant, HL7 can open the door to innovation. Therefore, HL7 allows healthcare providers to make efficient decisions to provide the best care for all patients.
Final Thoughts
The purpose behind the adoption of these standards are the creation of better tools and software to collect, operate, manage, and transfer critical information. There is no doubt that the HL7 standard is bringing improvement in every aspect of healthcare. Also, this improvement has enhanced the efficiency and dynamic work besides lessening the chances of mistakes for health facilities. Plus, the future of medical technology is very bright.
There are chances that in the future, doctor-patient meetings will be like a nurse measures a patient’s weight or blood pressure, she will then populate the result into his or her health record for the doctor to view. Although HL7 standards don’t make this happen, they can facilitate the health industry in making it possible more quickly.
