In contrast to the ink-and-paper medical records most Americans grew up with, records in the modern era are increasingly headed toward digital format. This is primarily due to the HIPAA legislation of 1996, which sought to protect patient records while pushing the nation’s medical offices toward EMR (electronic medical records) software. EMR software allows information to flow quickly between doctors and hospitalsâ€"literally, at the push of a button. While certainly convenient, this development can also literally save lives, reducing the amount of time that medical professionalsâ€"especially ER doctors and nursesâ€"spend waiting for medical records. Electronic medical records are also more reliable, reducing the risk of costly mistakes in the transmission and translation of complex medical records. As HIPAA pushes the nation towards full EMR implementation, new developments have been an improvement to American medicineâ€"particularly in the arena of patient empowerment. As EMR software becomes more commonplace, patients are now able to control their own medical records, downloading them to flash drives, laptops, and PDAs that travel with them wherever they goâ€"which means that EMR gives them more choice in selecting a healthcare provider. It’s not just medical offices that are seeing newly empowered patients taking advantage of their freedom of choice; EMR software has revolutionized virtually every industry attached to medicine. Insurance offices, as well as medical offices, are now taking advantage of EMR software by hosting secure websites that enable patients to access their own medical data wherever they are. This means that patients can view their records, charts, notes, or test resultsâ€"even reminders about when to schedule things (like cholesterol tests or immunizations). Patients are perfectly happy with this arrangement, which allows them an open door to information that once required a phone call, signed form, or doctor’s visit. Doctors are also pleased with online records, noting that patients who are responsible enough to access and read their medical records are much easier to care for, keeping abreast of their own health issues.
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