While the innovative Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) are intended to increase the
accuracy and improve the quality of medical records, they are also are found to
have the potential of improving the environmental footprint left by medical
industry. EMR Software is not only
beneficial to patients and providers, but also to the planet.
Significance of Being an Eco-friendly Doctor
Not just doctors, other medical
professionals can also contribute to make the health care industry more
eco-friendly, by following certain strategies as discussed below:
- Using
sustainable materials
- By
conscious technology use
- Reducing
material waste and office waste
Why is EMR Software Considered Environment – Friendly?
Electronic Medical Record replace paper-based medical records that consume large storage space.
Paper-based records, over a period of time, tend to deteriorate and are less
environmentally friendly. In comparison, electronic records allow themselves to
be stored in the cloud and require fewer resources.
Health care contributes roughly 7% of
carbon dioxide emissions and 8% of all greenhouse gases in the United States. By
switching to EMR Software System,
the amount of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere can be
considerably reduced.
Several things such as inquiries and
discussions about test results may be done using the computer, reducing carbon
dioxide emissions by 1.70 million tons per annum. This equals to the emission
from a staggering 300,000 cars on the roads.
Cutting back on a huge quantity of paper
that is used for paper-based medical charts and reports each year is possible
by making a shift to EMR. X-rays
can now be printed and viewed; digital X-rays replace the earlier film-based
ones, adding to conserving more natural resources. This also leads to avoiding use
of polluting and toxic chemicals such as silver nitrate and hydroquinone.
Key Factors That Make EMRs Environment-Friendly
- Paper
consumption is Reduced:
o Adopting
EMRs reduces the need for paper in the office setting greatly. Instead of destroying trees for making paper,
digital documents can be used and erased without a single tree being cut
- Transportation
is Avoided
- By
reducing the gasoline consumption for numerable office visits and using
the EMR’s services for communication, patients will contribute to reduce
carbon dioxide emissions
- Considerable
amount of water can be saved by replacing paper-based charts with digital
records
With consciousness increasingly growing around environmental
care, it is the responsibility of medical professionals to adopt eco-friendly
care setting. EMR Software is one
way of contributing to this.
