Focus on quality and safety

I personally am fortunate enough to enjoy good health. An organ donor card and a living will are important in case of a medical emergency. I have therefore stored this information securely in my EPR.The benefits are even more immediate for someone suffering from several chronic diseases. When the latest laboratory results, x-rays, medication lists, treatment plans and discharge summary for the most recent hospital stay are stored centrally in one location, all the medical staff involved can access them quickly and easily from any place of treatment. Provided the patient permits this.

An EPR puts the patient firmly in the centre. It strengthens their rights and increases their health literacy. During treatment, the patient may for example supply the physiotherapist with an operation report from the hospital.The physiotherapist then has all the relevant information to hand and can quickly start taking the right action.Treatment quality is thereby enhanced. An EPR can also improve patient safety: sharing a list of medications, for example, means that potentially dangerous interactions can quickly be recognised and avoided.

The more healthcare professionals and patients participate in the EPR system, the more the information contributes to effective medical treatment, and the better the team functions. Meanwhile, the EPR is constantly being developed and simplified, and practical new applications added. I am convinced that in a few years’ time, EPRs will be used by most people as a matter of course. I’m looking forward to it and would like to thank everyone involved for their help with disseminating and developing the EPR system.