Difference between revisions of "EMR Benefits: Environmental"
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Mathew Wheeland from Kaiser Permanente extrapolated that nationwide implementation of EHRs can lead to other environmental benefits including <ref name='Matthew Wheeland'>Kaiser Dissects Green Benefits of Electronic Medical Records http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2011/05/04/kaiser-uncovers-big-benefits-shift-electronic-health-records</ref>: | Mathew Wheeland from Kaiser Permanente extrapolated that nationwide implementation of EHRs can lead to other environmental benefits including <ref name='Matthew Wheeland'>Kaiser Dissects Green Benefits of Electronic Medical Records http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2011/05/04/kaiser-uncovers-big-benefits-shift-electronic-health-records</ref>: | ||
| + | * reduction in gasoline used for medical visits | ||
* reduction in CO2 emissions | * reduction in CO2 emissions | ||
| − | * | + | * saving millions of tons of water |
* reduction of toxic chemical used to process film x-rays | * reduction of toxic chemical used to process film x-rays | ||
== References == | == References == | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
Latest revision as of 04:45, 9 September 2015
Contents
Environmental
Electronic Health Records have the potential to improve the environmental footprint left by the health care industry. [1]
Decreased Paper Consumption
Using EHRs can greatly reduce the need for paper in an office setting. Instead of throwing away and shredding old paper records or documents and destroying trees, digital documents can be erased without another tree being cut down to make another sheet of paper. [2] As an eco-friendly software application, it reduces need for reams of paper and the environmental costs associated with it. [3]
Avoided Transportation
EHRs also reduce the gasoline consumption by patients by avoiding non-urgent medical office visits and instead using it’s services to securely message requests for prescription refills, ask clinicians questions, and conduct other virtual activities. [1]
Avoided Plastic Waste From X-Rays
X-ray film is composed of at least 57 percent plastic. EHRs ability to digitize and archive x-ray images avoids the waste of printing x-rays on plastic film. [1]
Others
Mathew Wheeland from Kaiser Permanente extrapolated that nationwide implementation of EHRs can lead to other environmental benefits including [4]:
- reduction in gasoline used for medical visits
- reduction in CO2 emissions
- saving millions of tons of water
- reduction of toxic chemical used to process film x-rays
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Turley, M., Porter, C., Garrido, T., Gerwig, K., Young, S., Radler, L., & Shaber, R. (2011). Use of electronic health records can improve the health care industry’s environmental footprint. Health affairs, 30(5), 938-946.
- ↑ Benefits of EMR or EHR Over Paper Charts http://www.emrandhipaa.com/benefits-of-emr-or-ehr-over-paper-charts/
- ↑ Electronic Medical Records and the Environment http://www.healthynumbers.co.za/index.php?page=electronic_medical_records_environment
- ↑ Kaiser Dissects Green Benefits of Electronic Medical Records http://www.greenbiz.com/news/2011/05/04/kaiser-uncovers-big-benefits-shift-electronic-health-records
