Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are an extremely valuable resource for healthcare workers to store and transfer patient data, but because information is often stored between multiple healthcare systems, it can be challenging for a healthcare worker to access new patient records or collect the entirety of a patient file.
It was reported in a 2020 study by the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association that using EHRs has resulted in frustration and exhaustion for over a third of all clinicians. Google has recently launched a new software set to integrate information across EHR platforms into one, user-friendly database in attempts to counteract EHR usability challenges.
Partnering up with Ascension, the second largest healthcare system in the U.S., Google is able to introduce this technology to a growing number of hospitals nationwide. The new navigation tool, Care Studio, is designed to allow caretakers and medical practitioners to access records through different EHR databases, sync health information regarding vitals, and summarize notes taken on all of the patient’s records. It also includes lab results, prescription orders, procedure orders, and progress notes.
This operating system can also work as a search system for records, adapting to the use of medical terminology and shorthand to provide quick access to files that may have otherwise been hard to obtain without some digging.
Since Google first entered the realm of healthcare technology, there have been speculations implying that there is a lack of healthcare privacy within their software, as some Google employees do have access to patient data. The company has worked hard, with this software launch, to put these worries to ease, ensuring that their operation methods are 100% HIPAA-compliant and safe for the storage of patient data.
“We know healthcare data is sensitive and personal, and it’s our responsibility to keep it private and secure,” Google’s Paul Muret stated in a press conference. “Google does not own, nor do we ever sell, patient data. This data from Care Studio cannot be used for advertising. Our team designed Care Studio to adhere to industry best practices and regulations, including HIPAA.”
This tool has the potential to radically improve the speed, management, and interface features of traditional EHR systems, and elevate healthcare workers’ experience with access, ensuring that they have more time and resources to spend providing the best healthcare possible.
