“Akamai Money” seeks out local experts to answer questions about business in Hawaii. If you have an issue you would like us to tackle, please email it to business@staradvertiser.com and put “Akamai Money” in the subject line.

Question: Why are electronic health record systems important?
Answer: EHR systems allow health care providers and their staff to more easily extract the information they need about patients. EHR systems improve patient safety by checking drug-drug interactions, drug-allergy interactions, and also allow for remote review of select patient information.
 
Q: How will EHR increase efficiency in physician practices?
A: The electronic system is much better for tracking large amounts of information. This can be used for improving population health and making sure certain services are provided.
 
Q: How much does it cost to implement an electronic health record system?
A: There are more than 30 EHR vendors in Hawaii, and the initial licensing cost varies depending on which vendor and program the provider chooses. Lower-cost programs are priced around $1,000. More robust programs can cost several thousand dollars. There also may be monthly maintenance costs involved, depending on your vendor.
 
Q: How will electronic health record implementation save time and resources — for the provider and the patient?
A: EHR may initially decrease productivity as the provider learns to use the program. However, once the provider becomes familiar with the system, EHR will save time aggregating information, which leads to more efficient — and effective — delivery of care to patients.
 
Q: Will physician practices be able to share these electronic health records with other medical providers in the state?
A: With electronically based records, information exchange is made easier, and providers will be able to securely exchange crucial patient medical information. The Hawai‘i Health Information Exchange is currently building the statewide health information exchange, also known as the State HIE, which will help providers to better coordinate and communicate with one another. Hawai‘i HIE is working alongside the state to ensure that all data security, privacy and legal issues are addressed.