J Med Syst
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It is believed that Electronic Health Records (EHR) improve not only quality of care but also patient safety and health care savings. This seems to be true for developed countries but not necessarily in emerging economies. This paper examined the primary care physicians' satisfaction with a specific EHR in a health district of a major city in Brazil and describes how they are using it as well as its specific functions. ⋯ The use of EHR was associated with being young, female, still in training and seeing less than 16 patients per half-day. Structural issues (e.g. network and system support) seemed to be major barriers in this setting. Lack of classical functionalities such as problem list and clinical reminders could have contributed to exacerbate misperceptions about what EHRs can do in improving work processes and patient care.
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Electronic medical record (EMR) systems have been proposed as technology to improve the quality of patient care, decrease medical errors, control and reduce medical expenditure, however the financial effects have not yet been as well documented in China. We presented a net financial cost-benefit analysis of implementing electronic medical record systems in general hospital in China. The data, which were obtained from studies of the general hospital and the published literature, collected from 15 consecutive fiscal months from May 1, 2009 to August 30, 2010. ⋯ The five-way sensitivity analysis with the most pessimistic and optimistic assumptions showed results ranging from a $76,970 net cost to a $1,062,122 net benefit; the pessimistic time of return on investment is 5.38 years. An EMR system cost-benefit analysis can rapidly demonstrate a positive return on investment when implemented in hospitals. The magnitude of the return is sensitive to several key factors.
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The past decade has witnessed the advent of the smartphone, a device armed with computing power, mobility and downloadable "apps," that has become commonplace within the medical field as both a personal and professional tool. The popularity of medically-related apps suggests that physicians use mobile technology to assist with clinical decision making, yet usage patterns have never been quantified. A digital survey examining smartphone and associated app usage was administered via email to all ACGME training programs. ⋯ The most frequently requested app types were textbook/reference materials (average response: 55%), classification/treatment algorithms (46%) and general medical knowledge (43%). The clinical use of smartphones and apps will likely continue to increase, and we have demonstrated an absence of high-quality and popular apps despite a strong desire among physicians and trainees. This information should be used to guide the development of future healthcare delivery systems; expanded app functionality is almost certain but reliability and ease of use will likely remain major factors in determining the successful integration of apps into clinical practice.