Project Proposa
Introducing
Electronic Medical Record System to
Dental hospitals / Dental Clinics.
E . A . V . Prasad BMI 3
PGIM/2136/11-23934
Supervisors
Prof. Jayantha Werasinghe
Consultant in O M F,
Oral Surgery
Unit.
Dental Hospital,
Peradeniya.
Dr. Priyake Palipan
Consultant in
Restorative Dentistry,
Institute of Oral Health,
Maharagama.
Title:
Introducing Electronic Medical Record System to Dental
hospitals / Dental Clinics.
Introduction:
Medical records are essential part of the relationship between patients
and their doctors. There are many challenges and difficulties in keeping Electronic
Medical Record (EMR) system. But considering the benefits of the EMR over paper
records, so many health care facilities are considering the switch to EMR
system. This technology makes accessing and updating records faster and easier,
improve daily activities for doctors and health care providers as well as satisfaction of the patients.[1]
If we can
introduce Electronic Medical Record to Dental hospitals, it will help in many ways
to improve daily activities.
Electronic Medical Record (EMR) represents
electronic repositories of patient medical information, in other terms it
is an electronic form of a patient's paper medical record. EMRs provide continuity
of care, or information for further management of the patients. It provides
information about treating a patient from one health care provider to another.
The EMR makes up a legal record of patient treatment within a health care
provider organization. The organization, such as a hospital or physician's
office, owns the record. However the right of ownership is with the patient.
This means that the patient has access to the information listed in the record,
unless it is deemed harmful to the patient.[2] [3]
The
following are examples of what is typically included in the patient’s dental record,
- Name,
birth date, age, address, and contact information.
- Telephone
numbers (home, work, mobile).
- Medical
and dental histories, notes and updates
- Progress
and treatment notes.
- Diagnostic
records, including charts and study models.
- Medication
prescriptions, including types, dose, amount, directions for use and number of refills
- Radiographs.
- Treatment
plan notes.
- Patient
complaints and resolutions.
- Laboratory
work order forms.
- Referral
letters and consultations with referring or referral dentists and/or physicians.
- Follow-up
and periodic visit records.
- Consent
forms.
Dental records includes, [4]
- Present teeth and their characteristics
- Missing teeth and the reasons why they are
missing
- Dental caries and the surfaces involved
- Dental restorations, surfaces involved, and
materials used
- Dental prosthesis, their types, and materials
used
- Dental anomalies
- Dental spacing and their dimensions
- Positions of supernumerary teeth
- Dental surgical procedures
- Dental Radiograph ( Peri Apical (IOPA), Ortho
Pantomo Graph (OPG), Cephelogram)
Justification:
In Sri Lanka, different types of
EMR systems were introduced and they are improving with time. But there is no
such EMR system for dental hospital of Colombo or Maharagama.
There are so many advantages of
electronic system over paper base. The Data is more accurate, as record system
eliminates the possibility of errors as result of misreading hand writing and
spelling check could be added. The Data can be accessed to several health
workers at the same time. Easy storage and less space requirement are major
advantages. It is easy to transfer from place to place. Less cost, less paper
works, easy data handling, data input and data retrieval will be easy. Quick
ordering facilities like requesting lab test, radiograph and prescribing drugs.
It improves overall quality of patient care. Records can be standardized.
[5, 6]
As
mentioned above, there are many benefits with EMR system. In paper based system,
records are recollected and at the end of the treatment all the records are sent
back to the stores. At any point there is high chance of record misplace by negligence
of the patient or staff. By introducing EMR system this problem could be easily
eliminated.
When
multidisciplinary treatment two or more clinician or consultant involved in the
treatment, EMR system show all the record about the patient. No need of sending
records from a place to place. All the team members can plan best treatment
option for the patient.
Therefore
by introducing good EMR system we can improve,
- ·
Patient care, as EMR system give good answers to lot
of problem related current situation,
- ·
Patient satisfaction, as we can reduce patient waiting
time,
- ·
Health workers satisfaction, as we can reduce work
load of them,
- ·
Maintain of the record
Dental records
that are used to provide patients with optimal dental service could also be beneficial
to management of the patient care. Therefore, all forms of dental treatments
should be recorded and kept properly. And we have to maintain central registry
of dental records in government and private sector to gain good benefits of
this system.
