Health systems spend millions of dollars in EHRs and applications to leverage the platform's full potential. As companies add artificial intelligence, ambient listening and more, what will EHRs be able to do a decade from today?
Support faster and more customized healthcare delivery, according to top healthcare executives.
"Over the next 10 years, technology is going to allow us to personalize healthcare delivery. Instead of swimming in today’s 'data soup,' we’ll have deeper and faster insights around treatments, operations and more," said D. Matthew Sullivan, MD, CMIO, Southeast Information Technology of Advocate Health in Charlotte, N.C. "Massive amounts of data will lead to the development of personalized treatments"
Health systems will have more data visualization, asynchronous care and care coordination capabilities than ever before. But first, Dr. Sullivan said it's important to ace the basics.
"Standardization is the mantra right now in EHRs, and an absolute requirement to get to the next stage. The data from standardization will enable AI-driven personalization in the future," he said.
EHRs will also be more streamlined as companies such as Epic, Oracle and Meditech refine current technology to provider needs and patient demands. The streamlined order, referral and script production may reduce clinician burnout, and further interoperability will speed up communication between providers across disparate systems and care teams. That's the future Ebrahim Barkoudah, MD, system chief of hospital medicine at Baystate Health in Springfield, Mass., predicts.
"Interoperable EHRs and health information exchanges will facilitate the seamless sharing of patient data across the care continuum, improving coordination and continuity of care," he said.
EHRs will also support a shift from reactive to proactive treatment prevention as organizations leverage predictive analytics to personalize treatment plans, reduce chronic disease and improve outcomes. AI integrated into the EHR will assist healthcare providers in diagnosing and treating patients in acute and ambulatory settings, and customize options based on patient health and family history, said Jason Raidbard, executive administrator of ophthalmology and visual sciences at UChicago Medicine and Biological Sciences.
"We will also see unified electronic medical record systems evolve, ensuring seamless access to patient information and transitions of patient care between healthcare organizations," said Mr. Raidbard.
Novella Thompson, administrator of population health and post acute care at UVA Health University Medical Center in Charlottesville, Va., sees healthcare organizations being better able to identify at-risk populations and provide targeted interventions with more AI and big data support within EHRs and organizationwide. The data could be tailored to genetic profiles of patients and boost overall treatment capabilities.
"Integrated and value-based care models will increasingly focus on value and quality, incentivizing providers to coordinate care facilitated by advanced health information exchanges and interoperable electronic health records," said Ms. Thompson. "These substantial changes bring much to celebrate as we aim to enhance patient outcomes, improve access to care, and manage costs effectively.
The transformation will also lead to more satisfied patients and a more sustainable healthcare system, said Muhammad Siddiqui, CIO of Reid Health in Richmond, Ind.
"Healthcare will transform with personalized treatments using genomics and data analytics. Telehealth will integrate remote monitoring and AI-powered diagnostics for early disease detection," he said. "Seamless interoperability of electronic health records will improve care coordination, while smart infrastructure will enhance operational efficiency and patient experience."
Patients and healthcare providers can now initiate telehealth visits through the EHR with certain applications. The integration of more data on patients, coupled with AI and machine learning to quickly identify and distribute information, will drive trends toward more personalized medicine.
"By 2035, the aging population in the U.S. will significantly impact healthcare, necessitating an evolved focus on chronic disease management, aging in place, and end of life support at home," said Nabil Chehade, MD, executive vice president and chief clinical transformation officer at Cleveland-based MetroHealth. "This transformation will be driven by the integration of smart AI and machine learning technologies into homes and wearable devices, facilitating comprehensive and personalized care. Personalized medicine, empowered by advanced genomic technology integrated with electronic medical records, will enhance preventive care and enable curated treatment plans."
The future is bright. But health systems need regulators to revise policies quickly as AI and other technologies disrupt the healthcare delivery landscape.
"Policy changes will occur as we completely evolve from the paper medical record systems of 10 to 15 years ago to completely electronic healthcare systems," said Mr. Raidbard. "Federal and state policies will need to be updated to better ensure both patient privacy and security of their health information. Patients will also demand their healthcare insurance plan expand the provider network, which coupled with the integration of electronic medical record systems, should improve patient care coordination."
Kate Muldoon, an intern at Becker's Healthcare, contributed to this article.